Then known as Abu Dhabi Capital District, the project to develop a new political and commercial hub for Abu Dhabi was conceived in the early 2000s. Later renamed to Zayed City, it has become a visionary development slated to affect the city for decades to come.
At its core, the concept is the construction of a brand new urban area of the main Abu Dhabi Island that has been the central point of city ever since it was founded, and as a result has become very crowded. Located right between Abu Dhabi Island, Abu Dhabi International Airport and the city's southern outskirts, the triangular Zayed City occupies a total area of 45 kmΒ² (about half the size of Abu Dhabi Island).
It has taken a while, and some years of delays had to be endured, but now UAE President H.H. Shiekh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has finally officially opened the multi-billion-dollar district named after his late father.
Perhaps the most important part of Zayed City is the new Federal Precinct. At its heart, this area has dedicated new buildings for the UAE's five primary federal authorities:
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One building for the Federal Supreme Council and Federal Cabinet to meet, that also includes secondary offices for the President and Prime Minister/Vice President (whose main offices are in their respective palaces).
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One building dedicated to the Federal National Council, with a large plenary chamber and office spaces for all delegates.
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One building for the Federal Supreme Court.
These are surrounded by buildings for the country's various federal ministries, which are all relocating to Zayed City. Additional zoning spaces are reserved for foreign embassies, especially for major allies with large diplomatic missions. Countries can of course also choose to keep their old embassies in the Embassy District (<20 km away) or elsewhere.
The process of moving the first government institutions is already happening, but it will take another year or so for everything to settle in at the new site.
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