Why is Abu Dhabi called the United Arab Emirate's capital?

Because it is! When the UAE was formed Abu Dhabi was to be the temporary capital with plans of establishing a new capital about halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This plan was later scraped and Abu Dhabi continued to be the capital. read more

When the UAE was formed Abu Dhabi was to be the temporary capital with plans of establishing a new capital about halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This plan was later scraped and Abu Dhabi continued to be the capital. Most of the federal government offices are in Abu Dhabi. read more

Abu Dhabi (US: / ˈ ɑː b uː ˈ d ɑː b i /, UK: / ˈ æ b uː /; Arabic: أبو ظبي ‎ Abū Ẓabī [ɐˈbuˈðˤɑbi]) is the capital and the second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (the most populous being Dubai), and also capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE's seven emirates. read more

The United Arab Emirates is divided into seven emirates. Dubai is the most populated Emirate with 35.6% of the UAE population. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has a further 31.2%, meaning that over two-thirds of the UAE population live in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. read more