[CaptainZapp]

Maybe you where flying at different times? I can imagine that when they fill up four wide bodies within a couple of hours that this can be problematic.

What sounds really, really annoying is that there are no facilities whatsoever (save for a coffee kiosk) and that you can't even sit down until the gate opens.

Personally, I wouldn't know since I never flew via Abu Dhabi (let alone to the US).