Must-see attractions in United Arab Emirates

  • Lake Park & Formal Park

    Abu Dhabi

    These two shady parks straddling 4th St and spreading along the Corniche fill up with families, joggers and picnickers in the early evening. The…

  • Corniche

    United Arab Emirates

    Khor Fakkan's long corniche, meandering for several kilometres from the port to the Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort, is flanked by well-tended gardens with…

  • Al Khazzan Park

    Dubai

    One of Dubai's oldest parks, pocket-sized Al Khazzan has been given a total reboot and is now entirely solar-powered, giving it the right to the title to…

  • Creek Park

    Bur Dubai

    One of the emirate's oldest and largest parks stretches for 2.6km along Dubai Creek and is mostly popular with Bur Dubai expats, who arrive on weekends to…

  • Cartoon Art Gallery

    Downtown Dubai

    This bi-level space is the first gallery in the Middle East dedicated to cartoon and animation art from across the entire spectrum of media, from paint to…

  • Courtyard

    Downtown Dubai

    Housing an eclectic combo that includes a community theatre, edgy concept stores and galleries, this enticing cobblestoned complex wraps around its…

  • Sharjah Aquarium

    Sharjah

    Close-up views of maritime creatures from the UAE's west and east coast – without getting your feet wet. Moray eels lurk, blacktip reef sharks prowl,…

  • Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid

    Abu Dhabi

    Stare up – access is limited to residents – at this 92-floor, 382m landmark tower which forms part of the World Trade Center and is Abu Dhabi's tallest…

  • Al Itihad Square

    Abu Dhabi

    This square, trapped between busy main roads, offers good views of the tower-clustered skyline of the western Corniche Rd. Photos of the square's little…

  • Dhafeer Fort

    Liwa Oasis

    This modest fort is one of a handful of strongholds scattered throughout the oasis that once helped guard the area from attack by rival tribes. There's…

  • Diwan Mosque

    Bur Dubai

    The distinctive ornate flat dome and slender minaret of this snowy white mosque watch over the Al Fahidi Historic District. Non-Muslims may only visit the…

  • Sheikh Zayed Mosque

    Fujairah City

    Fujairah’s grand mosque is the second largest in the UAE, after the one in Abu Dhabi. Festooned with six 100m-high minarets, the white granite and marble…

  • Al Murabbaa Tower

    United Arab Emirates

    Today sitting rather incongruously in the middle of a traffic roundabout on the busy Corniche Rd, this mud-brick watchtower was built as part of Ajman's…

  • Al Khalidiyah Garden

    Marina Breakwater

    This garden is a good place for people-watching. Once the sun goes down Al Khalidiyah's paths are prime territory for strollers and joggers, while its…

  • Abdullah Hamaid Al Rumaithi Mosque

    Abu Dhabi

    Squeezed between looming towers, this mosque is one of two that bookend a plaza hidden off the main roads. Keen photographers should come here at sunset…

  • Grey Noise

    Downtown Dubai

    Since 2008 this contemporary gallery has built up its reputation as a go-to space for experimental and cutting-edge art from the region, South Asia and…

  • Al Ittihad Park

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    A lovely park for families with a 3.2km jogging track, playgrounds, an adult exercise zone and plenty of grassy areas for picnics or relaxing. There is…

  • Chi-Ka

    Downtown Dubai

    Escape the heat and bustle by stepping into this cool Japanese art space with changing exhibitions that range from exquisite silk kimonos to photography…

  • Dhow Building Yard

    United Arab Emirates

    Ajman's dhow-building yard is one of the few left in the region, making both traditional wooden dhows and modern fibreglass versions. In the cooler months…

  • Lawrie Shabibi

    Downtown Dubai

    Lawrie Shabibi has energised the local art scene since 2011 by promoting the works of innovative contemporary talent from the Middle East and North Africa…

  • Al Markaziyah Gardens

    Abu Dhabi

    Spread over three distinct areas, Al Nahyan Park, Family Park and Urban Park, Al Markaziyah Gardens forms a broad band of recreational lawns parallel to…

  • Al Khalidiyah Public Park

    Abu Dhabi

    One of many popular, shady parks in Abu Dhabi, this park offers a respite from the heat of the Corniche in summer. There's a jogging track (20-minute…

  • Capital Gardens

    Abu Dhabi

    This park in the heart of downtown offers two multipurpose playgrounds, a mini climbing wall and basketball and football areas; and there's an erupting…

  • Marina Eye

    Marina Breakwater

    This observation big wheel sits rather incongruously in the Marina Mall car park but with its capsules reaching up to 60m at its highest point, it's a…

  • Khalifa Mosque

    Abu Dhabi

    In common with all mosques in the city, this beautiful mosque stands in nonalignment with the grid system, honouring the direction of Mecca instead. It is…

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    World Trade Centre

    Downtown Dubai

    Compared to its cloud-touching cousins, the 149m-high World Trade Centre seems small today, but when completed in 1979 was actually Dubai's first…

  • UAE Pavilion

    Abu Dhabi

    Shaped like two parallel sand dunes – smooth and curvaceous on the windward side, steep and rippled on the eroded side – this award-winning building by…

  • Children’s City

    Bur Dubai

    This colourful cluster of Lego-style buildings in Creek Park was designed for kids to playfully explore scientific concepts, the human body, space…

  • Etisalat Head Office

    Abu Dhabi

    This iconic 27-floor building, with a 'golf ball' as its crowning glory, makes an excellent landmark for navigating the city's grid system. Built in 2001,…

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