Bur Dubai
Opened in January 2018, this 150m rectangular 'picture frame' sits in Zabeel Park, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of…
Must-see attractions in United Arab Emirates
Sharjah
This museum goes a long way towards demystifying Emirati culture for visitors. Each of the five galleries examines different aspects of local life, from…
Dubai
This rare vestige of pre-oil times was built in 1955 as the summer retreat of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the father of current ruler Sheikh…
Dubai
Al Barsha Pond Park is a welcome patch of greenery surrounding a pretty manmade lake where you can hire a kitsch swan boat for a paddle around the water…
Sharjah
It's impossible for the desert to miss the rain with the opening of this installation, where you can walk beneath a never-ending downpour of 2500 litres…
Bur Dubai
Opened in September 2018, this museum is fast becoming a favourite for families and Instagram fans, with several of the 'illusions' frankly looking a lot…
Sharjah
Paths meander past art sculptures amid landscaped gardens on this island across a bridge behind the Al Noor Mosque. The main draw is the wavy-roofed…
Sharjah Art Foundation New Art Spaces
Sharjah
Urban meets traditional in this cluster of white-cube galleries set within restored Emirati homes in the Heritage Area, behind Al Zahra Mosque…
Sharjah
A fine example of early Emirati architecture, this 1845 house was once home to pearl merchant Obaid Al Naboodah. Note in particular the teak-wood ionic…
Dubai
With shops, restaurants, a waterpark, a beachfront with hammocks and a huge playpark, La Mer is Dubai’s newest beachfront destination. Opened in 2018 …
Sharjah
Don't think calligraphy is worthy of your time? Think again. The two galleries here showcase this swirling, beautiful art form at its best with works by…
Bur Dubai
Truly impressive and truly green, this living wall is touted as the Middle East's largest, measuring some 6m in height and 212m in length. Its green cred…
Bur Dubai
Step back in time to retrace history at the Dubai Creek House, part of the Al Shindagha Museum restoration project. The Birth of a Nation exhibit takes…
Abu Dhabi
This luxurious, exclusive beach club, spa and fitness centre is open to day visitors and offers an expanse of pristine beach with plenty of sun-loungers…
Sharjah
Renowned French-Tunisian street artist eL Seed brought his trademark 'calligraffiti' street art to Sharjah in 2015 with this snake-like design sprawling…
Downtown Dubai
With the energetic Malini Gulrajani at the helm, this gallery has brought some of the foremost names in India’s contemporary art scene to Dubai since 2009…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Riva Beach Club is a popular independent beach club (ie not attached to a hotel), especially among expats. The entrance fee will score you a sunbed and…
Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde
Downtown Dubai
This edgy gallery has developed relationships with artists from Europe, Latin America and Africa whose work has some connection to the Middle East. Part…
Downtown Dubai
A co-venture by two Emirati business tycoons and British art dealer Charles Pocock, this blue-chip gallery is dedicated to presenting the masters of…
Abu Dhabi
If you're a fan of cutting-edge art, the temporary art exhibitions held here, in the art gallery of New York University's Abu Dhabi campus, focus on…
Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre
United Arab Emirates
Thirty mountain species, including Arabian leopards and gazelles, can be seen at this small wildlife centre, which opened in 2016. A shuttle whizzes…
Downtown Dubai
Founded by prominent Iranian collector Ramin Salsali, SPM is the first private museum for contemporary Middle Eastern art in the region and has made it…
Sharjah
If you're interested in digging a bit further into Sharjah's trading history, this small shop space in Souq Al Shanisiyah has been turned into an exhibit…
Downtown Dubai
Green Art has been around for more than four decades and played a key role in championing modern Middle Eastern art, including such masters as Fateh…
United Arab Emirates
This huge mural, painted as part of the Dubai Street Museum Project, encompasses the entire outer wall of the Hatta Dam, which you pass by on the road up…
Downtown Dubai
This minimalist white-cube space serves as a gateway to the UAE art scene for accomplished artists from around the world, and vice-versa. Some of them…
Dubai
Fancy a nighttime swim with the twinkling Burj Al Arab as a backdrop? Since 2017, you can legally take a post-sunset dip along a 125m stretch of beach…
Downtown Dubai
Don't be deceived by the relatively small gallery space here; the emphasis is firmly on quality rather than quantity. This is one of the pioneering…
Downtown Dubai
This fabulous, vast 700-sq-metre space is associated with the prestigious Waddington Custot gallery in London. The exhibitions promote such major masters…
Downtown Dubai
This prestigious New York import presents cutting-edge art from emerging and mid-career artists from the Middle East, Central Asia, southeast Asia and…
Sharjah
If you're interested in modern art, it's worthwhile checking Maraya's website to see if there's an exhibition on while you're in town. This art centre has…
Sharjah
For a salty introduction to the UAE, visit this charming museum that displays enough traditional dhows (cargo ships), exhibits on pearling and fishing…
Sharjah
Street-art fans should make a short detour from the Al Qasba waterfront area to view this joyous mural by British-Iraqi artist Marwan Shakarchi of…
Sharjah
This 60m-high observation wheel is the place to head for bird's-eye views of the Sharjah skyline. Hop into one of the 42 capsules here to do a full circle.
United Arab Emirates
This late-18th-century fort served as the ruler’s residence until 1970 and also saw a stint as the police station. Now its rooms hold a higgledy-piggledy…
Bur Dubai
Dubai’s tallest minaret (70m high) lords over the more than 50 small and large domes that give the city's largest mosque its distinctive silhouette. Today…
Bur Dubai
Ancient Egypt gets a Dubai-style makeover at this lavishly designed hotel, residential, restaurant and shopping complex, complete with pyramids,…
Abu Dhabi
Housed in a postmodern building with an eye-catching honeycomb mantle, Manarat Al Saadiyat ('place of enlightenment') hosts regular art courses and…
Bur Dubai
This cute private museum in a historic Emirati home offers an aromatic bean-based journey around the world and back in time. Learn about the importance of…
Bur Dubai
This is a highly specialised museum which will appeal to anyone with an interest in rare and historic coins. Located near the Diwan Mosque in the Al…
