After a few days in the desert, we decided we’d need a few more people around us so we travelled onwards to Abu Dhabi and then to Dubai before heading back home.
tl;dr – Want to watch a video instead?
Abu Dhabi
As the federal capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi is a very cultured and noble city, with world-class museums, beautiful houses of worship and an impressive Presidential Palace. At the same time, Abu Dhabi feels more relaxed than busy Dubai. Personally, I would always recommend spending some days in Abu Dhabi when in the UAE!
Louvre
This was my second visit to the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi and I highly recommend it. The museum gives a very global perspective on the development of human art and civilization. Particularly the comparison – and the similarities – of ancient Roman and Indian art were eye-opening to me as they show just how interconnected the world was even thousands of years ago.
Abrahamic Family House
Located very close to the Louvre is the newly opened “Abrahamic Family House” – an interfaith centre with a mosque, a syngogue (the first synagogue to be opened in the the UAE in centuries) and a church built around a common area. The complex is hoped to strengthen interfaith co-existence while preserving the unique character of the religions represented and thereby build bridges between human civilization. The three houses of worship are built in a similar architectural style, but with different stylistic details based on different religious traditions.
Hint: make sure to book a free ticket and a tour in advance online!
Grand Mosque
For sunset, we headed to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the main mosque of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Built between 1994 and 2017, the Grand Mosque is one of the most splendid examples of modern islamic architecture. It is open for visitors, who can access the riwaq (the arcade around the central courtyard) and get a glimpse into the prayer halls. If you want to take beautiful photos of the mosque, make sure to be there around sunset – the evening light is really special!
Hint: as with the Abrahamic Family House, make sure to book a free ticket in advance and arrive about half an hour early to get from the visitor’s entrance to the mosque.
Presidential Palace
As the seat of government of the UAE, Abu Dhabi is also home to the Presidential Palace, usually referred to as “Qasr Al Watan”, which can be visited since 2019. It hosts the central offices of the government and is used to welcome foreign dignitaries to the country. The palace is intricately designed and ornately decorated and topped by an imposing dome.
Hint: check online whether Qasr al Watan is open before heading there as it is might be closed during state visits. Entrance sosts 65 AED and can be bought at the entrance.
Dubai city scapes
After visiting traditional Al Ain and splendid Abu Dhabi, Dubai was quite a shock for us. Dubai is a city dominated by huge skyscrapers and motorways and feels much bigger and faster than. The city conveys an atmosphere of “anything-goes”… whether that’s good or bad is on a different page. But if you like shopping, Dubai is the paradise on earth: some of the biggest and most luxurious shopping malls can be found in the city – including one where you can go skiing indoors while its 40°C outside, if you like that kind of stuff.
For the UAE National Day, we headed to Burj Khalifa, the highest building in the world, to watch a wonderful music and water show at Dubai Fountain (which usually operates from sunset to 23:30).
Old Dubai
Head down to Dubai Creek and you can still feel a bit of the old Dubai before the skyscrapers and shopping malls. Even though the old dhows (wooden boats that transport goods to Africa and India) slowly disappear, the Souk is turning more and more into a tourist attraction and the older parts of the town get renovated one building after the other, Dubai still feels a bit like Arabia here – but I’m afraid this might be completely lost very soon. So go there while it lasts!
Global Village
Our last evening before heading home to Austria was spent at Global Village – a recommendation given to us by locals from Al Ain. Global Village is like a mix of a theme park and an outdoor market where you can have food from all over the world, shop or ride a roler coaster, while mingling with locals and tourists alike. While all of Dubai can feel like a theme park at times, this one is at least super colourful and lets you taste delicacies from everywhere.
Bengt Beier - travels and photography 