2888 Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 8(6): 2888-2896, 2012 ISSN 1819-544X This is a refereed journal and all articles are professionally screened and reviewed ORIGINAL ARTICLES Corresponding Author: ALI. GH. SAEID, Institute of West Asian Studies (IKRAB) University Kebangsaan Malaysia E-mail: aligafersaid_ukm@yahoo.com The Cultural Tourism in Abu Dhabi ALI. GH. SAEID, Zamri Arifin, Mohd Safar Hasim Institute of West Asian Studies (IKRAB) University Kebangsaan Malaysia ABSTRACT The Emirate of Abu Dhabi as the capital of United Arab Emirates is being famous as a region rich in cultural inheritance and the United Arab Emirate as general also known for its civilization, history and accumulations of creative cultures, as well as great traditions and heritage. The cultural inheritance of Abu Dhabi, considered as one of the richest in the world, and it becomes an essential element in the development process of the Emirates. It is not limited to its archaeological and historical inheritance; more over the inventions of its creative citizens in all cultural aspects emphasized the strong presence of Abu Dhabi's culture in the world of tourism. The cultural tourism, however, considered the most important means that enable people to show their civilization, past and present heritage as well, and thereafter introduce them to the world. It helps to shape a positive image about the national culture, urge to focus attention on the other people throughout the world and acquire global admiration and respect. Accordingly, we may conclude that tourism represents a social and humanitarian dimension through knowing the new cultures, different from the culture of the communities where tourist came from. The benefits of vacations and holidays through organizing tours and cultural travel to any destination around the world become an important objective for countries that wanted to promote their cultural tourism. Key words: Introduction The concept of cultural tourism nowadays is no longer limited to visiting archaeological sites, historical monuments, museums, watching the traditional industries, and attending exhibitions or festivals. New elements have embedded, such as improving events and using certain conditions in order to achieve more diversification in tourism products to attract new segments of tourists and visitors. Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, considered one of the most important tourist attractions in the world, due to many factors including religion, history and culture. In addition to its geographical and strategic location, Abu Dhabi has created itself as a distinguished destination on the map of the most advanced cities of the world racing towards achieving the highest standards of excellence in the field of business, tourism, culture and art. Besides that, Abu Dhabi stands at the important economic position at the international level and it is among the top ten oil producer cities in the world. (Muhammad. Ali Rashid. 1992). The total land area of Abu Dhabi is about 67,340 square kilometres, equivalent to 80 percent of the area of the United Arab Emirates. The population of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi at the end of 2006 was about (1,463,491), representing one third of the total population of the UAE. Abu Dhabi had established a human settlement since the ancient times. The city was culturally rich and having big diversity. It has never affected by the harsh conditions of nature and the lack of natural resources from moving towards development and prosperity. Archaeological researches who studied back to ancient times have referred to the existence of a bright cultural history in the past of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Emirate since the prehistoric era was acting as the connecting point between different cultures due to migration of tribes towards the city, which led to a rich cultural heritage that is still visible in Abu Dhabi traditions nowadays. Many cultural activities had evolved by the hands of the local people producing a variety of artistic images and crafts for thousands of years. (Slave. Nasser Hussain, 2004) In spite of the progress and development achieved by the UAE society in all aspects of life, the preservation of cultural heritage inheritance of the city however represents a fundamental pillar of the modern state of the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, in combination with the distinguished features of UAE society, the cultural heritage is considered as an essential element in forming the national identity. Research Methodology: