Europe & Beyond

Free things to see and do in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is one of the world’s most modern cities, and one of its richest — world-famous for its ground-breaking and extravagant architecture.

Etihad Airways recently published a guide to Abu Dhabi on their website on which they share some of their favourite sights in Abu Dhabi including guides for shopping and excursions which have both been the subject of previous Europe & Beyond features.

Abu Dhabi may not be rich in historical sights, it certainly isn’t lacking in attractions, and many of them are free.

Here are just a few of the things you can see and do in Abu Dhabi without spending a dirham.

Take a stroll along the Corniche

Abu Dhabi’s Corniche is the best place in the city for an early evening stroll, stretching 6km along the seafront and lined with lush public gardens, beaches and fountains.

Bordered by two luxury hotels, the Sheraton to the east and the Hilton to the west, the Corniche is a popular meeting place, with the city’s soaring skyscrapers as its striking backdrop. People go there to cycle, walk, roller blade, eat out, and go to the fun fair.

Experience Bedouin culture at Abu Dhabi Heritage Village

It’s also free to get into the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, which overlooks the Corniche. This village gives visitors a peek into the lifestyle and traditions of the Bedouin, with exhibits including a replica traditional desert encampment with a goat’s hair tent, an old irrigation system, a fishing village, and a traditional mosque and souq. Workshops showcase craftspeople creating old-fashioned pottery, weaving and metal work, and there’s a small museum containing Bedouin artefacts such as weapons, tools, coffee pots and jewellery.

Set in lush gardens dotted with fountains, it’s a pleasant place to spend a few hours.

Take an evening walk to see Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque

As a non-Muslim, you will only be able to appreciate the outside of this simple yet impressive mosque rather than the interior, but the best view is at night when the mosque and its wind towers are lit up, outlining the building’s great domes and minaret.

Visit Abu Dhabi’s oldest building, Qasr al-Hosn

The historic Qasr Al Hosn Palace, or White Fort, is the oldest stone building in the city. It was once the only building on the island that was not made from palm fronds. Built around 1761 as a watchtower defending a freshwater well, the tower was later expanded into a small fort, and then became the palace of the ruling sheikh.

A visit to the fort offers a glimpse into the ruling family’s history, lifestyle and traditions, and entrance is free.

Note: The White Fort is closed to visitors while it undergoes restoration, but you can still see the fort from the outside or if you are very lucky it can be viewed during your flights to Abu Dhabi.

Relax in Khalifa Park

Not quite free, but still worth a mention as it only costs 5 dirhams (less than £1) to enter, Khalifa Park is widely regarded as Abu Dhabi’s best public park, its design inspired by Arabic and Islamist architecture and built at a cost of some $50 million.

It features gardens, fountains, an aquarium, a museum, an amphitheatre, a swimming pool and play parks, all linked by train, and it is a popular spot for relaxing, walking or enjoying a picnic.

See handicrafts being made at the Women’s Handicraft Centre

Abu Dhabi’s Women’s Handicraft Centre is a government-run initiative showcasing traditional local crafts such as weaving, embroidery, sewing and basketry. While it’s free to visit the centre, the items being made are on sale, so if you do have some souvenir money it’s a good place to pick up genuinely hand-made traditional goods.

It’s worth knowing before you visit that you should take off your shoes before you go in, and while it’s fine to take photographs of the handicrafts you should ask permission first and focus on the products rather than the craftswomen.

Shopping in Abu Dhabi

A quick guide for partners of Formula 1 fans who are being dragged along to the final race of the F1 season – the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and want to make the most of their visit to the UAE rather than watch speeding cars and drivers battling for positions in the 2009 F1 title – the running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a little pointless some argue – the world title already having been claimed by Jenson Buttox when he ambled across the line in Brazil.

From manic local souqs to sprawling modern malls, Abu Dhabi is well-established as a shopper’s paradise — particularly for gold jewellery, perfume and designer clothes, dresses and even lingerie.

Abu Dhabi Airport Shopping

The award-winning Abu Dhabi Duty Free shop at the airport is the obvious place to look for big brand names. Spread over an area of 5000 square metres, the shop sells a huge range of perfumes at duty free prices as well as cosmetics, watches, jewellery, clothes, music, electronic items, toys and books.

For many tourists shopping is the main purpose of their visit, and they’re not afraid to run up an alarmingly large credit card bill in the process. But if you don’t have a bottomless supply of cash, is it also still possible to grab yourself a bargain, or are prices in Abu Dhabi no cheaper than in the UK or Europe?

Bargain shopping

If you’re looking for a bargain, you have to choose where you shop very carefully. The more traditional souqs in the Al Meena area are well worth exploring if you want to see local produce on sale at reasonable prices.

Al Meena is best known for its wide range of carpets and Persian rugs, alongside many other items such as antiques, colourful fabrics, spices, and traditionally-designed jewellery, with lots of small shops packed into the alleyways. If you plan to buy a Persian rug, make sure you do a bit of homework before you shop; there are machine made carpets alongside handmade ones, so you need to know what to look out for.

Traders will expect you to bargain over prices, so wear your haggling hat if you visit the souqs. And when you find yourself flagging, take a pew at one of the coffee shops selling robust Arabic coffee to recharge your batteries.

The Hamed Centre is another lower-budget shopping complex with a wide range of outlets selling cheaper items including Arabic music, jewellery and reasonably-priced casual clothes.

Luxury shopping

If like many visitors to Abu Dhabi you’re less concerned about price and more concerned about luxury and choice, head for the city’s more glamorous shopping malls such as the glitzy Marina Mall and famous Abu Dhabi Mall.

Abu Dhabi Mall

Abu Dhabi Mall is one of the city’s best known complexes, housing more than 220 outlets selling international and local brands of clothes, make-up, perfumes, books, household furnishings, electrical goods, gifts, health foods, and just about any other products you can think of – even luxury christmas hampers.  There are plenty of places to dine, plus a a bowling centre, a cinema complex,  and a kids’ edutainment centre.

Marina Mall

The Marina Mall is another massive complex combining small boutiques, and outlets for international brands and major designer names such as Channel, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Versace and Yves Saint-Laurent.

Perfume shopping in Abu Dhabi

You can buy just about any perfume you can think of in Abu Dhabi, usually straight after they have been launched in their country of origin.

For a more unique Arabic fragrance, you could look out for the unique local perfumeries across Abu Dhabi city which will individually blend a distinctive scent for you using aromatic Arabic oils. A word to the wise, however: these fragrances tend to be far more intense than the average shop-bought perfume, so don’t drown yourself in the stuff!

Jewellery shopping

The gleaming gold jewellery shops in and around the Madinat Zayed Gold Market are said to sell 24-carat gold at the cheapest prices in the world.

You can pick up Arab-style gold bracelets and bangles, watches, necklaces or earrings in yellow or white gold, plus pearls and semi precious stones.

You need to hone your bargaining skills to get a good price, and if you visit a couple of times on different days, don’t be surprised if the prices have changed: they fluctuate according to the daily international gold rate.

Getting there try to fly to Dubai Airport

Because of the increased demand for flights to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and associated events (including the opening of the amazing Yas Hotel) you might choose to fly to nearby Dubai International Airport on one of the many frequent flights to Dubai available from many UK and European Airports – see this previous post about Dubai flights

With such a big focus on shopping in this modern city, it’s hard to resist parting with your cash — but with such a great choice of outlets for a wide range of budgets there is something to suit every pocket in Abu Dhabi.

Sightseeing excursions from Abu Dhabi city

Abu Dhabi is known not only for its luxurious hotels – see the newly opend Yas Hotel, retail therapy and city sights, but also for its desert and mountain landscapes, interesting oasis cities and its wide range of unusual adventure activities. You can pick up car rental in Abu Dhabi to go off sightseeing independently, or join a tour group for organised excursions from the city.

Go sand skiing in the Liwa Oasis

The lush Liwa Oasis is too far from Abu Dhabi city to visit on a day trip as the journey takes about five hours, so you’d need an overnight stay if you plan to go sand skiing whilst visiting Abu. It’s well worth the effort, though, with camel markets, date palm plantations, freshwater pools, rugged landscapes and mountain peaks.

Sand Skiing Video

It’s also a great base from which to take desert excursions. Boasting the biggest sand dunes in the world, the Liwa Oasis is a sand skier’s dream. You can join an organised tour and they’ll provide some tuition and your sand board, so you can enjoy an exhilarating ride down the red-tinted dunes.

Embark on a desert safari adventure

Abu Dhabi is a great base from which to enjoy desert adventure activities. Most desert tours pack in a variety of activities such as camel riding; sand surfing or skiing; a trip to a camel farm; 4×4 dune buggying; and ‘wadi bashing’ — a bone-shaking romp along dry, twisting riverbeds in a four wheel drive. If you’re lucky you may glimpse animals such as gazelle (a type of goat), or local tribes, during your excursion, and the day’s activities are usually followed by supper under the stars.

Your hotel can usually arrange such trips for you, or you can book through one of the city’s travel agencies. The best time to go is between April and October, avoiding the intense heat of the summer months.

Relax on a Corniche Cruise

For a very local excursion, you can sail along the Abu Dhabi Corniche in a locally-designed dhow (boat), which you will spot anchored along the breakwater.

This gives you a chance to see the skyline from the water, with cruises to suit everyone’s pocket, ranging from brief trips on fairly basic vessels to cruises lasting several hours on luxury liners with a seafood supper included.

Experience Al Ain, an authentic Arab oasis city

Rising out of Abu Dhabi’s desert sands is the oasis city of Al Ain, a settlement which dates back to the 4th millennium BC and is home to Jebel Hafeet, the UAE’s highest mountain. It takes about 90 minutes to get there from Abu Dhabi city, and it is the closest you’ll find to an authentic Arab city in this region. It’s a pleasant destination in the mild winter months, when it’s not too hot to explore ancient archaeological sites, but it’s also a great escape from coastal humidity during the summer.

Al Ain has plenty of attractions to keep you busy, including historic forts, Al Ain Museum, and the palace museum of Sheikh Zayed. One of its most fascinating sights, however, is the busy camel market on the outskirts of town, teeming with a variety of camels from Sudan, Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, all vying for buyers’ attention.