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Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi

Coordinates: 24°12′17.21″N 54°42′19.99″E / 24.2047806°N 54.7055528°E / 24.2047806; 54.7055528
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This article is about a satellite town of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. For the UAE insurance company in Abu Dhabi, see Al Wathba National Insurance Co.

Al Wathba
ٱلْوَثْبَة
Satellite town
Al Wathba is located in United Arab Emirates
Al Wathba
Al Wathba
Location in the UAE
Al Wathba is located in Asia
Al Wathba
Al Wathba
Al Wathba (Asia)
Coordinates: 24°12′17.21″N 54°42′19.99″E / 24.2047806°N 54.7055528°E / 24.2047806; 54.7055528
CountryUnited Arab Emirates
EmirateAbu Dhabi
Municipal regionAbu Dhabi Region
Government
 • TypeAbsolute monarchy
 • SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed
 • Crown PrinceMohammed bin Zayed
Time zoneUTC+4 (UAE standard time)

Al Wathba (Arabic: ٱلْوَثْبَة, romanized: Al-Wathbah) is a suburb of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates[1] that has a wetland nearby. It is located not too far from the international airport.[2][3]

Al wathba introduction After Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966, he set about further 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

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Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba
Map showing the location of Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Map showing the location of Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Location in the United Arab Emirates
LocationAbu Dhabi, the UAE
Nearest cityAbu Dhabi
Coordinates24°15′14.45″N 54°36′33.95″E / 24.2540139°N 54.6094306°E / 24.2540139; 54.6094306
Area5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)[4]
Established2008
Governing bodyEnvironment Agency Abu Dhabi[4]
Official nameAl Wathba Wetland Reserve
Designated25 April 2013
Reference no.2142[5]

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,[4] besides aquatic life.[2][3] The reserve has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2013.[5]

Al Wathba Jail

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in the 1990s, Filipino worker Sarah Balabagan was held here on charges of murdering her employer which she claims was an act self-defence. She was initially sentenced to death but was later pardoned after intervention from Sheikh Zayed. Her sentence was shortened to 1 year and she was later deported back to the Philippines.[6]

In 2009, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was the subject of a lawsuit brought to him by his employee whom he allegedly imprisoned and tortured in Al Wathba Jail.[7]

In 2011, 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", Mansoor was held in solitary confinement and prohibited access to a lawyer.[8]In Al Wathba prison nobody is treated like prisoner because it provides access to rehabilitation programs, including vocational training, educational programs, and religious guidance aimed at reintegrating inmates into society.[9]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Annual Report 2017" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1: Culture, pp. 8–211, 2017, retrieved 9 March 2019
  3. ^ a b "Annual Report 2018 – Culture" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1, p. 117, 2018, retrieved 6 May 2019
  4. ^ a b c "Welcome to Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Report". Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  7. ^ "ABC News Exclusive: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh". ABC News.
  8. ^ "UAE: Free prominent rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, held on speech-related charges". International Federation for Human Rights. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Al Wathba jail: Where prisoners learn to be free". gulfnews.com. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  10. ^ Nasir, Sarwat (26 February 2019). "How UAE astronauts reacted to call-up: One went jogging, the other thought it was a dream". Dubai: Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Hazza Al-Mansouri". Gulf News. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
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