Al Wathba ٱلْوَثْبَة Zayed Festival Village | |
|---|---|
Satellite town | |
  Al Wathba Location in the UAE Show map of United Arab Emirates Al Wathba Al Wathba (Asia) Show map of Asia | |
| Coordinates:24°12′17.21″N54°42′19.99″E / 24.2047806°N 54.7055528°E /24.2047806; 54.7055528 | |
| 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) |
Al Wathba (Arabic:ٱلْوَثْبَة,romanized: Al-Wathbah) is a suburb ofAbu Dhabi in theUnited Arab Emirates[1] that has a wetland nearby. It is located not too far fromZayed International Airport.[2][3] It is also known as Zayed Festival village because of theSheikh Zayed Festival, an important festival in Abu Dhabi which is held here.
Al Wathba was introduced afterSheikhZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became theRuler of theEmirate 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 SirWilliam Sydney Atkins, of the company W.S. Atkins and Partners (Atkins), to plan the development of Abu Dhabi and what would become the satellites of Al Wathba, Al Shahama and Baniyas, where a number of localBedouins and immigrants from other parts of theArabian Peninsula had settled under Sheikh Zayed's encouragement.[1]
| Al Wathba Wetland Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba | |
 Location in the United Arab Emirates | |
| Location | Abu Dhabi, theUAE |
| Nearest city | Abu Dhabi |
| Coordinates | 24°15′14.45″N54°36′33.95″E / 24.2540139°N 54.6094306°E /24.2540139; 54.6094306 |
| Area | 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)[4] |
| Established | 2008 |
| Governing body | Environment Agency Abu Dhabi[4] |
| Official name | Al Wathba Wetland Reserve |
| Designated | 25 April 2013 |
| Reference no. | 2142[5] |
Located betweenBani 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 such as thegreater flamingo,[4] besides aquatic life.[2][3] The reserve has been designated as aRamsar site since 2013.[5]
in the 1990s,Filipino workerSarah Balabagan was held here on charges of murdering her employer which she claims was an actself-defence. She was initially sentenced to death but was later pardoned after intervention fromSheikh Zayed. Her sentence was shortened to 1 year and she was later deported back to the Philippines.[6]
In 2009, a member of theAbu 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]
The following is a notable events happened in Al Wathba
TheSheikh Zayed Festival is one of the largest heritage events in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which sheds light on multiple bright aspects of the heritage and culture of the United Arab Emirates[10][11]
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