Dubai gets the international press; Abu Dhabi has the sovereign wealth fund. The Louvre, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Yas Marina Circuit, NYU, the Guggenheim (coming). Slower than Dubai, stricter in some ways. The Grand Mosque is one of the most genuinely beautiful buildings in the world.

The relationship between the two cities is the central tension of UAE life — Abu Dhabi is the capital and the oil state; Dubai is the global brand. A 90-minute drive that sometimes feels like a different country.