Airmann...as you stated in another thread, you have just graduated from flying school, or just received your CPL? Try to keep in mind such issues (for the diversion) for example, as maintenance or passenger convenience and what is available in the area of operations. In addition, 3 hours is pretty much the 180 minutes ETOPS rule...so not much issue for cruising along with 1 engine shut down...I'm pretty certain the crew was trained to do it AND it's allowable. In this case it may have been a company request to return to AUH...no one wants an airplane sitting in a place where it's hard to return to service, or put up 300+ passengers while scrambling to repair whatever caused the diversion in the first place. IF (big IF) there was no urgency (i.e. a fire or situation requiring an immediate landing) AND the flight crew and company were in agreement, there would be few issues except fuel and duty time that would impact the return to a main base where the availability of parts, people and support are there to use. (As opposed to someplace else where it's simply not!) It's easy to Monday morning quarterback from a distance isn't it? Fly safe...LC