Scarce supply of timber and the harsh climate defined the rudimentary design and materials used to build the early dwellings in the emirate: a barasti made of palm fronds or houses made of sun-dried mud bricks with roofs made of palm tree leaves, not to mention the Bedouin tents.

Elements of both ventilation and privacy, however, became commonplace in the subsequent architectural forms in Abu Dhabi. The wind tower was a dominant feature amongst houses - as it was in most Middle Eastern and Persian states – due to the very hot and humid summer months. A wind-tower functions like a natural cooling system that allows hot and dense air to escape while trapping the cool air underneath.

 

 

Furthermore almost every house in the early- to mid-20^th century Abu Dhabi “has a courtyard, separate cooking section and meeting rooms.” Indeed most Arab houses – even today - are built with a courtyard where children can play as well as with elaborate men’s guest rooms, which are designed so that male visitors are unable to see or meet the female members of a family. “Exquisite wooden lattice work and embellished wooden entrances” likewise formed a distinct element of architecture in Abu Dhabi in the past.

 

 

The last quarter of the 20^th century witnessed a rapid change in Abu Dhabi’s architectural form. Houses made of mud-bricks and palm fronds have been replaced by glass-covered high-rises with very modern or Western orientation. Nevertheless several landmarks, besides the heritage sites, have been trying, with considerable success, to preserve the unique Arab-Islamic architecture within the emirate. These include the Emirates Palace as well as the newly constructed Sheikh Zayed Bin SUltan Al Nahyan Mosque.