Must-see attractions in United Arab Emirates

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Jumeira beach, Hotel Mina A'Salam Madinat Jumeirah with View of Burj Al Arab hotel

    Burj Al Arab

    Dubai

    The Burj Al Arab's graceful silhouette – meant to evoke the sail of a dhow (a traditional wooden cargo vessel) – is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to…

  • Dubai

    Burj Khalifa

    Downtown Dubai

    The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the…

  • Souk Madinat Jumeirah

    Madinat Jumeirah

    Dubai

    One of Dubai’s most attractive developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village, complete with a souq (market…

  • 11/30/2014. Kite beach in Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A stretch of the beach designated for the kite surfers. The iconic Burj Al Arab is seen on the background.; Shutterstock ID 664989337; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    Kite Beach

    Dubai

    This long, pristine stretch of white sand, a little way north of Jumeirah Public Beach, is a major draw for sporty types, with a range of activities on…

  • Louvre Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi

    Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel, the highly anticipated Louvre Abu Dhabi finally arrived in late 2017. Through 12 galleries, the…

  • ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 03:  A falcon is placed on a bench at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, on February 3, 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (ADFH) is located just outside Abu Dhabi. It is the largest of its kind in the world attracting customers from all over the UAE and the wider Gulf region including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Around 9,000 birds are treated each year for a wide range of ailments. The centre which has a an ophthalmology department, and intensive care unit is equipped to deal with everything from X-Rays, cases of Avian Flu, Falcon Pox, repairing of feathers, and general health checks and provides a 24 hour service. The centre also has two large air conditioned aviaries where falcons can rest while they are moulting, or changing their feathers. Traditionally a way of obtaining food, Falconry today has become more of a national sport and a rite of passage for many young Emirati men, who take their time to train their Falcons, developing a relationship and deep bond with the birds. Groups of friends regularly come together in the evenings to meet and train their birds where the practice becomes more about camaraderie and sharing knowledge than subsistence. The practice of Falconry was recognized by UNESCO in 2012 under the 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' list.  (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

    Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

    Abu Dhabi

    Standing outside Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, watching anxious owners from across the region delivering their hooded 'patients' in person, you will quickly…

  • Sharjah Art Museum

    Sharjah

    Sharjah's heritage and arts areas are anchored by one of the region's most dynamic art museums, a treat for committed art-lovers and casual visitors alike…

  • IMG Worlds of Adventure

    Dubai

    Housed in an air-conditioned hangar the size of 28 football fields, IMG Worlds of Adventure is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The US$1 billion…

  • Dubai Museum

    Bur Dubai

    The city's main historical museum charts Dubai's turbo-evolution from fishing and pearling village to global centre of commerce, finance and tourism. It…

  • Mleiha Archaeological Site

    Sharjah

    If you thought the UAE's history only really began when oil was struck, you'd be wrong, and this site is a fascinating introduction to a mind-boggling…

  • Al Fahidi Historic District

    Bur Dubai

    Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this nicely restored heritage area formerly known as the Bastakiya Quarter. Its narrow walking…

  • Exterior of Jumeria Mosque, Jumeria Rd.

    Jumeirah Mosque

    Dubai

    Snowy white and intricately detailed, Jumeirah is Dubai's most beautiful mosque and one of only a handful in the UAE that are open to non-Muslims – one…

  • Alserkal Cultural Foundation

    Bur Dubai

    This nonprofit foundation runs the most dynamic cultural space in the Al Fahidi Historic District. Galleries showcasing traditional and cutting-edge works…

  • Dubai Walls

    Dubai

    More than a dozen hot shots of the international street-art scene, including Aiko, Blek Le Rat, ROA and Nick Walker, have turned new urban-style quarter…

  • Alserkal Avenue

    Downtown Dubai

    Edgy contemporary art from the Middle East and beyond has found a home in Dubai thanks to the vision of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal. The local developer…

  • Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

    Sharjah

    Just about everything you'd want to know about Islam is addressed in this museum set in a stunningly converted souq on the waterfront. The ground-floor…

  • Hatta Dam

    United Arab Emirates

    Snuggled between craggy mountain peaks which tumble straight down to the shore, this reservoir, built in the 1990s, is the main reason for a Hatta trip…

  • Etihad Museum

    Dubai

    Opened in 2017, this striking modern museum engagingly chronicles the birth of the UAE in 1971, spurred by the discovery of oil in the 1950s and the…

  • Corniche

    Abu Dhabi

    The waterfront Corniche, with its white sandy beaches and generous promenade, stretches the entire length of the northwest shore of the city. Giving…

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Mall, Aquarium

    Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

    Downtown Dubai

    Dubai Mall’s most mesmerising sight is this gargantuan aquarium where thousands of beasties flit and dart amid artificial coral. Sharks and rays are top…

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    Green Planet

    Dubai

    If you can build a ski slope in the desert, why not a rainforest too? The Green Planet is an indoor tropical paradise intended to 'edutain' about…

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Downtown Dubai, Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa Lake, The Dubai Fountain

    Dubai Fountain

    Downtown Dubai

    This dancing fountain is spectacularly set in the middle of a giant lake against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa. Water undulates as…

  • Al Seef

    Bur Dubai

    In the early 1900s this historical area was Dubai's trading hub, during a period when the pearl diving industry was being developed. Stretching some 1.8km…

  • The Beach at JBR

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    Paralleling the beachfront for about 1km, The Beach at JBR is an open-plan cluster of low-lying, urban-style buildings wrapped around breezy plazas…

  • United Arab Emirates. Dubai City. Burj Al Arab Hotel

    Jumeirah Public Beach

    Dubai

    Just north of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this public beach (also known as Sunset Beach) is perfect for snapping that envy-inducing selfie with the Burj Al…

  • Dubai, UAE - 18 Juny 2016: Dubai Marina JBR beach; Shutterstock ID 561378172; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    JBR Beach

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    This clean, wonderful playground has plenty of facilities, including showers, toilets and changing rooms housed in distinctive panelled pods. Kids can…

  • Fairmont The Palm Beach Club

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    Views of the mainland skyline are one of the most memorable aspects of a day at this family-orientated club at the swish Fairmont Hotel. Parents get to…

  • DUBAI - NOVEMBER 16: Dubai Marina skyline. Dubai Marina cityscape. Dubai Marina skyscrapers, Cayan Tower, Princess Tower on November 16, 2014 in Dubai; Shutterstock ID 321128009; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    Cayan Tower

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    Stretching skyward for 307m, it may not be the tallest residential tower in the Dubai Marina, but it's certainly a building with twist: a 90-degree spiral…

  • Third Line

    Downtown Dubai

    A pioneer on Dubai's gallery scene and one of the city's most exciting spaces for contemporary Middle Eastern art, the Third Line represents around 30…

  • Al Badiyah Mosque

    United Arab Emirates

    Considered the oldest mosque in the UAE, this curvaceous, squat mud-brick structure dates to 1446. I's adorned with four pointed domes and rests on a…

  • Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

    Dubai

    On the outskirts of Sharjah, the 225 sq km Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve accounts for 5% of the Emirate of Dubai's total land. The reserve was…

  • Saadiyat Public Beach

    Abu Dhabi

    By far Abu Dhabi's nicest public beach. A boardwalk leads through a protected zone of coastal vegetation, home to nesting turtles, to this prime slice of…

  • Perfume House

    Bur Dubai

    This waterfront museum is part of the Al Shindagha Museum restoration project and is the former home of a Dubai sheikha who loved all things perfume. The…

  • Nikki Beach Dubai

    Dubai

    At this fashionable pleasure pit on the emerging Pearl Jumeirah residential peninsula, only the crisp all-white look is virginal. On weekends, the bronzed…

  • Club Mina

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    Set along 500m of private beach, this club is a family favourite thanks to its five pools (including a shaded one for kids), a children's club and a water…

  • Arabian Saluki Centre

    Abu Dhabi

    You'll probably hear them before you see them, as a howl goes up when a visitor approaches this hound pound. A visit here involves entering the kennels,…

  • Dubai Street Museum

    Dubai

    In 2016, 16 local and international street artists, including Hua Tunan, Ashwaq Abdulla and Inkman, mounted their cherry-pickers to turn the rather drab…

  • Greater flamingo's (Phoenicopterus rosens) with in the background the skyline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Shutterstock ID 526380268; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

    Downtown Dubai

    Incongruously framed by highways, this surprising sanctuary on Dubai Creek is an important stopover for migratory waterbirds on the east Africa–west Asian…

  • Dubai Design District

    Downtown Dubai

    Creative folks have a new HQ in Dubai. The fresh-off-the-drawing board Dubai Design District (d3) has drawn both regional and international talent and…

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