Forget Dubai: why Abu Dhabi should be your next Middle East pitstop
There are amazing beaches and fantastic restaurants, but Abu Dhabi is fast developing into an international hub for culture, with the first Louvre outside of France and a soon-to-open Guggenheim.
Here’s what to see and where to stay if you’re swapping Dubai for Abu Dhabi on your next visit to the Middle East.
WHY NOW?
Abu Dhabi has firmly stepped out of its better-known neighbour’s shadow. While Dubai has long been a tourist favourite, the UAE’s capital has finally caught up and welcomed 1.4 million overnight guests in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 4% on the previous year. More relaxed and less flashy than Dubai, Abu Dhabi is chock full of attractions too, including Warner Bros World theme park, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, presidential palace Qasr Al Watan and some of the UAE’s best beaches. Its galleries and museums, including the first Louvre outside France, also recently saw Abu Dhabi named as one of the 20 best cultural cities in the world. All this, and Disney have just announced it will open its brand new theme park in the city.
THE STAY
All the big names have hotels in Abu Dhabi but only one has a tourist attraction on its grounds. The Observation Deck at 300 in Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers is the city’s highest view point and hotel guests get free unlimited access for 360-degree views. Located in a gleaming skyscraper on the western end of seafront promenade the Corniche, the hotel itself is not short on bling. The lobby is a huge glass-walled atrium decked with Swarovski chandeliers while lifts and corridors have gemstone-encrusted walls and grey marble bathrooms have a mosaic wall inlaid with gold tiles.
All rooms have staggering vistas of the city and Gulf beyond with uninterrupted views of the sun setting over the presidential palace. There are three pools, a spa, daily yoga and Pilates classes and a small beach lined with loungers. Locals come for the food though. Restaurants include Jose by Pizarro from the eponymous Spanish chef for tapas and SushiSamba, which has a menu featuring dishes from Japan, Brazil and Peru, killer cocktails and DJ sets. Don’t skip the gigantic breakfast buffet at Rosewater either, with its lavish chocolate fountain, an entire wall devoted to pastries and a fresh juice bar.
Read more: The ultimate Dubai city guide – where to get Dubai chocolate, best beaches and much more
THE UNMISSABLE ABU DHABI CLASSICS
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s most visited attraction. Spread over 30 acres and welcoming up to 50,000 worshippers a day, its lavish interior includes gold-plated chandeliers, reflective pools, columns inlaid with amethysts and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, all topped by four 106-metre-tall minarets.
Of course, there are also malls, the world’s largest indoor theme park at Warner Bros World and the world’s fastest rollercoaster at Ferrari World, but the best sights here are more understated. The wider emirate of Abu Dhabi is an archipelago of over 200 islands connected by bridges and mangroves, with many in easy reach of the capital city of the same name. Zaya Nurai Island is a 15-minute boat ride away and Abu Dhabi’s answer to the Maldives with its white sand beaches and turquoise water, while natural island Reem Island has kayaking, bird watching and tranquil channels of water with a skyline backdrop.
Saadiyat Island is the city’s esteemed cultural district, with the arts and exhibition centre Manarat Al Saadiyat and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, where art is arranged chronologically rather than by geographical region so visitors can see how different cultures created art at the same time. The Jean Nouvel-designed gallery is equally impressive with its low-level white buildings that appear to float on water and are topped by a vast geometric steel dome inspired by ancient Islamic architecture.
NEW STUFF IN ABU DHABI
Saadiyat has even more big hitters to come this year with the long-awaited openings of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum. Interactive art museum teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi also opened its doors in April and features ever-evolving installations made with water and light that are shaped by visitors’ engagement as they physically walk through the artwork. Mainly it’s worth going just to feel like you’re five years old again in the bubble room.
Something new appears almost every week in MiZa, a recently regenerated area close to Souq Al Mina recently dubbed the coolest neighbourhood in the city. Its many run-down industrial warehouses are in the process of being transformed into art pop-ups, cultural venues, co-working spaces and cool food spots, making this area the hippest place to hang out in Abu Dhabi. Try new ice cream parlour Mina Creamery, The Alley for temporary exhibitions and supper clubs and design store Dukkan421.
And next month, Abu Dhabi Finance Week will highlight the emirate’s status as a global financial hub. Over the last decade, Abu Dhabi has attracted more than 300 financial firms, with a combined $28.6 trillion in assets globally, as the city positions itself as a global “capital of capital.”
NEED TO KNOW
Rooms at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers start from 850AED (approx. £173). Book at hilton.com/en/hotels/auhetci-conrad-abu-dhabi-etihad-towers/