阿布扎比借F1吸引眼球

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Nestled along the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has quietly built up its economic prowess since in 1960s. But it's long chosen a low-key approach, remaining in the shadows of its glamorous neighbor, Dubai. Now, it's coming out of its shell with a “Bang!” hosting its first ever Formula One race to round out the 2009 Grand Prix calendar.

“Abu Dhabi is launching itself on the world stage on this Yas Marina Circuit. A hundred and fifty thousand people are expected here over the Grand Prix weekend, everyone from heads of state to first-time Formula One fans.”

It's all part of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, a systematic plan to build the city and its economy over the next two decades.

“It is a part of a by being a communication tool, by actually drawing attention. Formula One is one of the three largest sports in the world. You have the, you know the Formula One, you have the Olympics, you have the World Cup in Football. On a yearly basis, Formula One is by far the biggest. So you've got 600-million viewers worldwide. So if you want to draw focus to your city or your country, then what better way to do with it than Formula One?”

Until now, the evolution of Abu Dhabi has revolved around its vast oil reserves. The UAE is one of the world's top oil producers. And more than 90% of the country's crude reserves are based in Abu Dhabi. Revenues from the oil production have helped build up its cash reserves. Its sovereign wealth fund is the richest in the world, outranking Norway, Saudi Arabia and China. Now it's keen to diversify away from oil with a push towards manufacturing.

“Well, I’ve told you policymakers now, they are very keen to develop their domestic infrastructure, develop their service center as well, but also build up an industrial base. This is an economy which is coming of age.”

And in this new age, it wants to expand its horizon beyond the traditional run of business.

“This may look like a building site, but in a few years time, Abu Dhabi's cultural district will be in full swing. And Museums like the Guggenheim and Louvre X will all be situated here.”

Abu Dhabi hopes its cultural programs which include an annual film festival will bring in the international visitors.

The goal now is to get the economy on track. Long term, Abu Dhabi's vision is ambitious. But achieving that goal is still two decades in the making.

Leone Lakhani, cnn, Abu Dhabi.

Vocabulary:

1.       round out: to make an experience more thorough or complete

2.       Grand Prix: one of a series of races for very powerful racing cars

3.       Yas Marina Circuit: 亚斯码头赛道

4.       coming of age: reach a certain age that marks a transition to maturity