< PreviousABU DHABI ITINERARY 20 Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 timeoutabudhabi.com INTRODUCE THEM TO EMIRATI CULTURE BOOK IN FOR A CULTURAL TOUR WITH THE KNOT If you want to truly experience the UAE like a local, you need to be booking in for a tour with The Knot. The cultural enterprise offers private tours, such as the Emirati majlis experience, but also runs one-off group tours with different agendas throughout the winter months, which you can Ànd out more about over on Instagram @theknot.ae. O theknot.ae. DRIVE DOWN TO THE SHEIKH ZAYED FESTIVAL Every winter, the Sheikh Zayed Festival takes over Al Wathba. The cultural extravaganza is all about showcasing Emirati heritage, and you’ll be able to explore handicrafts, folk arts, food and social life at the Heritage Village. There’s also tonnes of fun things going on, including Àrework shows, concerts and dining experiences, included the new-for-this-year Chinatown area. O Dhs10. Open daily 4pm-midnight. Al Wathba, zayedfestival.ae. LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE UAE AT QASR AL HOSN Qasr Al Hosn is the capital’s oldest building, and it was converted into a museum in 2018. Inside, you’ll learn about the history of the UAE from 8,000 years ago up until the 20th century. Next door, you’ll also be able to visit the House of Artisans, where you can learn about Emirati crafts including Al Sadu, and the Cultural Foundation, which features pop-up exhibitions. And best of all, the entry fee for Qasr Al Hosn is just Dhs30, while you can visit the other parts of the complex for free. O Free (Cultural Foundation and House of Artisans), Dhs30 (Qasr Al Hosn). Open Sat-Thu 9am-10pm; Fri 2pm-10pm. Al Hisn, qasralhosn.ae. STOP FOR COFFEE AT THE FOUNDER’S MEMORIAL Abu Dhabi can feel like it’s go, go, go all the time, which can be seriously overwhelming when you’re only in town for a few days. But if you want to truly experience the capital like a local, you need to be acting like a local, too – and this is a city that runs on coffee. The Bench has just opened up a pop-up space at The Founder’s Memorial, which means you’ll be able to sit and admire The Constellation, the 3D portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father. Once you’re done sipping coffee, you can learn more about Sheikh Zayed and the history of the UAE. O Free. Open daily 9am-10pm. Al Ras Al Akhdar, thefoundersmemorial.ae (02 410 0100). TRY EMIRATI FOOD AT ERTH There’s no better way to introduce folks to Emirati culture than by trying the food, and there’s no better choice than Erth (which we handed our Best Middle Eastern Restaurant gong). The picturesque outdoor terrace is right next to the water feature that forms part of the Qasr Al Hosn complex, and it’s particularly beautiful at night. You’ll be able to try classic foods with a modern twist, and you might just have introduced your friends to their new favourite cuisine. O Open Mon-Fri noon-11pm; Sat-Sun 8am-11am, noon-11pm. Qasr Al Hosn, erthrestaurant.ae (058 600 6922). SAVE SOME CASH CAMP OUT AT AL QUAA Paying a visit to the desert is often the top thing your guests will want to do, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Drive out to Al Quaa and set up camp under the stars where you’ll be able to see a glistening Milky Way above you. O Al Quaa Milky Way Spot. CHECK OUT THE PARK MARKET AT UMM AL EMARAT PARK One of the city’s most popular green spaces, Umm Al Emarat Park in Mushrif is well worth a visit any day of the week thanks to its attractions like the botanic garden, shade house and wisdom garden. But you should deÀnitely be heading here on Fridays or Saturdays for the Park Market which is held here throughout the winter months. You’ll be able to shop from local artisans, watch movies outdoors and check out art exhibitions. O Dhs10. Until Sat Mar 30, 2024. Every Fri- Sat 4pm-10pm. Umm Al Emarat Park, Mushrif, ummalemaratpark.ae / @ummalemaratpark. GO ON A GUIDED TOUR AT ABRAHAMIC FAMILY HOUSE Back in March, Abrahamic Family House opened on Saadiyat Island. The complex, which features a mosque, a church and a synagogue, is free to visit, and you can book in for a guided tour to learn more about the architectural details on each of the buildings. O Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (visitors), various hours (worshippers). Jacques Chirac St, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae (02 657 5900). TAKE A WATER TAXI While it’s no yacht party, the water taxis of Abu Dhabi offer a way to see the skyline from the water without the hefty price tag. There are two routes available – one between Mina Zayed and Louvre Abu Dhabi, and another between Al Bandar and Yas Island. Do the latter and you’ll be able to see attractions like Etihad Arena and W Abu Dhabi before hopping off and checking out restaurants and bars along Yas Bay Waterfront or at Yas Marina. O From Dhs10 (one-way). Various locations including Mina Zayed, Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, tickets-booking.admaritime.ae. WALK, RUN OR CYCLE THE F1 TRACK AT YAS MARINA CIRCUIT You’ll now have to wait another year for a chance at securing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience the iconic track, as Yas Marina Circuit opens its doors to runners and cyclists every Monday and Wednesday. It’s totally free, all you need to do is sign up on the Yas Marina Circuit website. O Free. Every Mon, Wed 6pm-10pm. Yas Marina, yasmarinacircuit.com. Yas Marina Circuit42KM MARATHON • 10KM ROAD RACE • 4KM FUN RUN Sunday 7th January Register now at dubaimarathon.org Run for the chance to win an EXEED RX *T&Cs ApplyMANAR ABU DHABI 22 Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 timeoutabudhabi.com LET THERE MANAR ABU DHABI timeoutabudhabi.com Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 23 BE LIGHT A city-wide light art exhibition called Manar Abu Dhabi is taking over the city. Here’s your ultimate guide MANAR ABU DHABI 24 Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 timeoutabudhabi.com Abu Dhabi Dots by Carsten Höller By now, you’ll no doubt have already seen some of the light art sculptures dotted around the city. Manar Abu Dhabi, which means ‘lighthouse’ in Arabic, has transformed the capital, with installations in areas including Lulu Island, the Corniche and the Eastern Mangroves. The Àrst phase of artworks are already available to view, but more pieces are on the way on Wednesday December 20. Reem Fadda, director of Abu Dhabi Culture Programming, director of the Cultural Foundation and artistic director of Public Art Abu Dhabi, said, “The exhibition brings together an extraordinary array of artists whose works are intended to foster a sense of calm, engagement and appreciation of Abu Dhabi’s unique biodiversity and natural beauty. It is an exhibition that marries the elements of nature, water, and light art to create a one-of-a-kind experience unique only to Abu Dhabi. “Each piece will not only enhance our experience of the emirate’s beautiful water landscapes, but also resonate with visitors long after the exhibition, prompting reÁection on the bond that connects us to the earth beneath our feet and to each other, as well as on the role of public art in shaping our collective experiences.” The artworks will be on display as part of Manar Abu Dhabi until January 30, 2024. If you’re planning on checking them out over the next two months, read our guide Àrst so you get the most out of the artworks. ABU DHABI CORNICHE ABU DHABI DOTS (2023) BY CARSTEN HÖLLER Found along Corniche Beach, Abu Dhabi Dots features twenty spotlights in four different colours: 14 red, 3 blue, 2 green and 1 white. Operating as a reward and punishment game, you can upgrade from red to blue by overlapping your dot with a blue dot, and can then move to green, and white. People playing with you who are overlapped are downgraded. But if a series of red dots join an interrupted chain or cluster, the dots all become white. If not, the game continues until seven or more white dots don’t overlap any more. AGUA (2021) BY LUCIANA ABAIT Elsewhere on Corniche Road is Luciana Abait’s Agua. The large-scale waterfall projection features video and audio collected from around the globe, and was inspired by the Áood-myth motif of water as a cleansing and rebirth tool. The Argentinian artist made the site-speciÀc work in a call to action that stresses the importance of water as a key component to our future survival. Agua by Luciana AbaitMANAR ABU DHABI timeoutabudhabi.com Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 25 MANAR ABU DHABI timeoutabudhabi.com Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 27 AL DUROOB (2023) BY LATIFA SAEED Emirati artist Latifa Saeed’s work deals with land, identity and materiality. For Manar Abu Dhabi, she has created a piece out of 5,000 glass bricks which has then been lit up. Al Duroob name translates as “the passages”, and you’ll be able to walk through the artwork on Corniche Road. BAIT AL NUR (2023) BY NADIA KAABI-LINKE Tunisian artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke’s architecture-focused piece is meant to be a “physical ode to the light”. She said of the piece, “No matter people’s origins or destination, rays of light stream their lives, shape visual forms, and advances the creation of cultural patterns and signatures. Although geography doesn’t matter to light, it does matter to the shadows. As much as we share the same light, we experience differences between its forms which change according to time and geography.” Kaabi-Linke’s work typically delves into socio-psychological themes. CHASING THE DANCE OF ALFAY (2023) BY ASMA BELHAMAR Emirati artist Asma Belhamar’s work is meant to explore the visualisation of space through time. In creating her pieces, she attempts to make sense of the rapidly changing landscape of the UAE. CORAL ALCHEMY (ACROPORA GROVE) (2023) BY SHEZAD DAWOOD Al Kasir Beach is where you’ll Ànd Shezad Dawood’s Coral Alchemy (Acropora Grove). The piece promotes environmental awareness, as the acropora coral species, which is endemic to the Abu Dhabi region, is endangered. Dawood worked with Noura Al Mansouri at the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, to create Coral Alchemy, as well as AI to create a pathway that would replicate the growth patterns of Acropora in the wild. The piece has been coated with a custom thermochromic paint which changes colour based on the temperature outside, and is meant to mimic the impact of humans on reef ecosystems through climate change. MEMORIES OF A HARBOR (2023) BY AHMED AL AREEF The Abu Dhabi Chamber Building is being transformed by a video protection featuring archival photos of the capital’s skylines from both past and present. Ahmed Al Areef chose this building in particular for both its location overlooking the Corniche, but also because it was recently named a modern heritage building. Footage comes from the collection of the upcoming Zayed National Museum, and has been reworked to evoke both Abu Dhabi’s ecological environment and everyday life in the capital. THIS HORIZON INSIDE OF US (2023) BY SHILPA GUPTA Shilpa Gupta’s piece on the Corniche is presented in Arabic, English and Urdu, and reÁects on humans’ ability for change. CITY (1992-2019) AND YAFA (1992-2019) BY SAMIA HALABY Samia Halaby has two pieces along Corniche Beach, both of which use LED screens. The artist, who began work on these kinetic paintings in 1990, created the pieces using a programme in the C language. They are meant to give a concrete body to visual ideas, and the abstract motion of each of the pieces is meant to show the growth of things and their development. EASTERN MANGROVES DAWARAN (2023) BY AYESHA HADHIR, RAWDHA AL KETBI AND SHAIKHA AL KETBI A trio of unique sculptures have been hidden along the kayak route through the Mangroves. The Àrst is a carousel adorned with ladders, a satellite dish, and a giraffe sculpture; the second, three Áoating female Àgures on buoys, carrying utensils about their heads; and the third, a large staircase leading to a door with a fan hanging over it. This Horizon Inside of Us by Shilpa GuptaMANAR ABU DHABI 28 Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 timeoutabudhabi.com The sculptures are meant to represent the artists’ collective roots, and you’ll need to take a boat to visit them. There are special boat trips planned for viewing these artworks, departing from the dock between 5.30pm and 11.30pm. Tickets are Dhs25 for adults, or Dhs10 for kids aged between two and 10. FAHID ISLAND SELF SIMILAR (2023) BY JIM DENEVAN Over on Fahid Island, Jim Denevan has created a huge installation using sand. The piece has 448 pyramids and mounds formed in 19 concentric rings, forming a mandala pattern, and is illuminated by more than 1,000 solar lanterns at night. You can view the installation from two viewing points on either end of the piece, or enjoy the artwork by foot and walk to the centre. By standing in the centre, you can see the imperfect nature of the mounds, which were hand sculpted. According to the artist, “Self Similar is an unspoken invitation to interact and discover multiple vantage points and perspectives” using the human scale. It should take around 40 minutes to walk to and from the installation’s centre. LULU ISLAND FLYING SHIPS (2023) BY NUJOOM AL GHANEM Nujoom Al Ghanem’s Flying Ships celebrate the UAE’s seafaring past with the creation of a huge dhow boat. The ships were used for centuries for Àshing, pearl diving, war and trading, and Al Ghanem’s piece is meant to act as a tribute to ancestors who sacriÀced their health to provide for their families. To reach Lulu Island, you’ll need to take a boat from Al’Alam Street dock. The journey will take 15 minutes, and you’ll be able to see the piece from the water. Boats run between 5.30pm and 11pm, with the last boat back at midnight. Tickets are Dhs25 for adults, Dhs10 for kids up to the age of 10, and free for those under two. LUCIFERIN SHORES (2023) BY JUMAIRY This work from Jumairy celebrates the ethereal beauty of bioluminescent Abu Dhabi beaches by merging sound, digital technologies and light. As you stand at the shore, you’ll see light and water constantly changing as you listen to a musical composition created for the piece. The piece is meant to make you think about the interplay between nature and human intervention, and the fragile beauty of our planet’s aquatic ecosystems. By the end of your time on Lulu Island, it is hoped you’ll have a deeper appreciation for natural world. Self Similar by Jim DenevanMANAR ABU DHABI timeoutabudhabi.com Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 29 Next >