As the first government in the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, celebrates its 50th anniversary, the once desert emirate has progressed and developed rapidly – turning into one of the leading cosmopolitans in the world.

The Abu Dhabi Executive Council was the first government that helped to shape Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision for the emirate’s future.

Since the passing away of the Ruler, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have carried on with Shaikh Zayed’s vision, pledging confidence in the Government’s ability to fulfil promises of ambitious development despite today’s challenges.

Here are some of the major milestones achieved by Abu Dhabi, in the past 50 years:

– The country has transformed itself from a quiet desert city to a commercial hub – and now under the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, Abu Dhabi strives to set an example for development projects that steer the emirate and the country from an oil-based economy to a knowledge-driven economy.

– Abu Dhabi has become a tourist hot spot in recent decades with the development of heritage sites and some of the most iconic entertainment zones in the world. The country is not only home to one of the most majestic and largest mosques in the world, but also the only Formula 1 track in the country – built on a man-made island, Yas Island.

– The emirate also boasts of the only Ferrari park in world, Ferrari World.

– Many Hollywood, Bollywood and other national film production teams have also shot blockbusters in the UAE, Whilst neighbouring Dubai gets a lot of attention, in recent years Abu Dhabi has become a popular destination. The Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel were some of the city’s landmarks used as filming locations for the movie Fast and Furious 7 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

– John Abraham and Varun Dhawan’s Bollywood film ‘Dishoom’ was shot in the emirate.

– The capital is also leading the way in the region and the world in developing renewable, low carbon and alternative energy technologies, with Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Masdar City, which strives to develop a sustainable and environment friendly energy infrastructure, including solar energy. Masdar City is an economic free zone for sustainable urban development. The city provides a “greenprint” for cities of the future, with traditional Arabic architecture blending seamlessly with state-of-the-art, modern technology to maximise energy efficiency. Masdar City will host up to 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters by 2025. This mixed-use development provides a unique, sustainable environment for living and working, with integrated residential and commercial zones that feature food and beverage outlets, along with extensive leisure and entertainment facilities.

– Despite having largest resources of oil and natural gas in the country, the capital has led the way in developing non-oil streams of revenue to steer the economy from a carbon-based economy to an non-oil economy.

– Non-oil and gas GDP now constitutes 64% of the UAE’s total GDP. This trend is reflected in Abu Dhabi with substantial new investment in industry, real estate, tourism and retail.