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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]
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 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 introduction 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]
| Al Wathba Wetland Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba | |
  Location in the United Arab Emirates | |
| Location | Abu Dhabi, the UAE |
| Nearest city | Abu Dhabi |
| Coordinates | 24°15′14.45″N 54°36′33.95″E |
| 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 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]
in the 1990s, Filipino worker Sarah Balabagan was held here on charges of murdering her employer which she claims was an act self-defence. She was initially sentenced to death but was later pardoned after intervention from Sheikh Zayed. Her sentence was shortened to 1 year and she was later deported back to the Philippines.[6]
In 2009, a member of the Abu 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]
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- Hazza Al Mansouri, Emirati astronaut[10][11]
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