The study of multi-temporal analysis of urban development and environmental changes of the city of Abu Dhabi

Abstract

The city of Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is located on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Forty years ago the area of Abu Dhabi was composed of nothing but a desert except a small number of buildings. When the Emirates united in the year of 1971, and the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, had his vision of turning the city of Abu Dhabi specifically and the UAE generally into one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Both urban expansion and vegetation bloomed in the country. Abu Dhabi now has one of the highest GDP growth rates in the world, indicating the dramatic increase of urban areas, occupying and building cities, islands, and roads. This project studies the growth of Abu Dhabi city by studying the urban expansion and the percentage of vegetation throughout the years: 1973-2010, using satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques.