In February 2007, the first F1 festival took place in Abu Dhabi. In the following months, the organization of a Grand Prix was negotiated between Bernie Ecclestone and the government of the emirate. The latter is finally scheduled for the end of the 2009 season.
The circuit is in fact only one element of a gigantic tourist complex including a marina, seaside resorts, hotels, sports grounds and above all the Ferrari World theme park.
The track itself is of limited interest, lacking large curves like most of Hermann Tilke's circuits. The all-asphalt runoff areas are huge and still remove some of the difficulty. The main originality is the exit from the pits which passes under the circuit via a small tunnel. The other remarkable place is a very tight hairpin followed by a long straight line of more than a kilometer.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is unique because it begins during the day, at 5 p.m., and ends at night. Hence a huge lighting system inspired by that of Singapore.