Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi
Al Wathba (Arabic: ٱلْوَثْبَة, romanized: Al-Wathbah) is a suburb of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates[1] that has a wetland nearby.[2][3] in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi Al-Wathba is home to the notorious Al-Wathba prison, well known for its negligence towards prisoners and gross abuse of human rights. Ahmad Mansoor, who received the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015 was jailed for speech related activity “publishing false information and rumours;” 20 March 2017. Mansoor was held in solitary confinement and prohibited access to a lawyer,[4]
Al Wathba
ٱلْوَثْبَة | |
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Satellite town | |
Al Wathba Location in the UAE Al Wathba Al Wathba (Asia) | |
Coordinates: 24°12′17.21″N 54°42′19.99″E | |
Country | United Arab Emirates |
Emirate | Abu Dhabi |
Municipal region | Abu Dhabi Region |
Government | |
• Type | Absolute monarchy |
• Sheikh | Khalifa bin Zayed |
• Crown Prince | Mohammed bin Zayed |
Time zone | UTC+4 (UAE standard time) |
History
After Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966, he set about developing the Emirate, spending on healthcare, education and infrastructure. As part of his plan to develop the city of Abu Dhabi, in the 1980s, he invited Sir William Atkins, of the company W.S. Atkins and Partners (Atkins), to plan the development of Abu Dhabi and what would become the satellites of Wathba, Shahama and Bani Yas, where a number of local Bedouins and immigrants from other parts of the Arabian Peninsula had settled under Sheikh Zayed's encouragement.[1]
Wetland reserve
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve | |
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Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba | |
Location in the United Arab Emirates | |
Location | Abu Dhabi, the UAE |
Nearest city | Abu Dhabi |
Coordinates | 24°15′14.45″N 54°36′33.95″E |
Area | 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)[5] |
Established | 2008 |
Governing body | Environment Agency Abu Dhabi[5] |
Official name | Al Wathba Wetland Reserve |
Designated | 25 April 2013 |
Reference no. | 2142[6] |
Located between Bani Yas, Mussafah, and the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was established by Sheikh Zayed in 1998, and is home to birds like the greater flamingo,[5] besides aquatic life.[2][3] The reserve has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2013.[6]
Notable people
- Hazza Al Mansouri, Emirati astronaut[7][8]
See also
References
- Bani Hashim, Alamira Reem (2015). Planning Abu Dhabi: From Arish Village to a Global, Sustainable, Arab Capital City (PDF) (Thesis). Berkeley: University of California. pp. 119–303. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "Annual Report 2017" (pdf), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, 1: Culture, pp. 8–211, 2017, retrieved 2019-03-09
- "Annual Report 2018 – Culture" (pdf), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, 1, p. 117, 2018, retrieved 2019-05-06
- "UAE: Free prominent rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, held on speech-related charges". International Federation for Human Rights. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- "Welcome to Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- "Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- Nasir, Sarwat (2019-02-26). "How UAE astronauts reacted to call-up: One went jogging, the other thought it was a dream". Dubai: Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
- "Hazza Al-Mansouri". Gulf News. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-09-02.