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. It is located not too far from the international airport.[2][3] in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi Al-Wathba is also home to the notorious Al-Wathba prison, well known for its negligence towards prisoners and gross abuse of human rights.

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
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 regionAbu Dhabi Region
Government
 • TypeAbsolute monarchy
 • SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed
 • Crown PrinceMohammed bin Zayed
Time zoneUTC+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 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
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba
Location in the United Arab Emirates
LocationAbu Dhabi, the UAE
Nearest cityAbu Dhabi
Coordinates24°15′14.45″N 54°36′33.95″E
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]

Jail

Al Wathba jail is located here. It was built in 1983. 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.[6] In the 1990s, Filipino worker Sarah Balabagan was imprisoned here. She was sentenced to death but was later pardoned after Sheikh Zayed intervened. She received some lashes and was deported to Philippines.[7]

In 2000s, Abu Dhabi Sheikh, Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had his employee Nabulsi imprisoned and tortured.[8]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Annual Report 2017" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1: Culture, pp. 8–211, 2017, retrieved 2019-03-09
  3. "Annual Report 2018 – Culture" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1, p. 117, 2018, retrieved 2019-05-06
  4. "Welcome to Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  5. "Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  6. "UAE: Free prominent rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, held on speech-related charges". International Federation for Human Rights. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  7. https://www.gc4hr.org/report/download/136&ved=2ahUKEwjZ0aHWtOr0AhXtSGwGHRFFBecQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0QGZN_XdI8KxEb3kU-DSxN
  8. "ABC News Exclusive: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh". ABC News.
  9. 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.
  10. "Hazza Al-Mansouri". Gulf News. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-09-02.


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