Yas Bay Waterfront: what to expect at the new Abu Dhabi destination


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

An Ibiza-style beach club, a renowned Mediterranean restaurant and a sprawling lounge with skyline views can all be found at Yas Bay Waterfront.

The new leisure and entertainment hub on Yas Island opened to the public on Wednesday and The National paid a visit. The destination is opening in phases, meaning not everything is fully functional yet but will be in the coming months. In the meantime, we got to explore what is currently on offer.

As the temperature cools, the three-kilometre boardwalk is bound to become a favourite. The walking space is wide and offers beautiful views of the Arabian Gulf as well as Al Raha Beach skyline. It’s also ideal for watching the sunset, with its peaceful surroundings and plenty of spaces to sit.

There are bespoke artworks that have been commissioned and dotted around the attraction. For example, behind Pier 71 is a giant astronaut resting on a bench, while near Etihad Arena is an unmissable large sculpture emerging from the water.

A giant bronze sculpture emerges from the water at Yas Bay Waterfront. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
A giant bronze sculpture emerges from the water at Yas Bay Waterfront. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

In terms of dining, even though there are still many exciting concepts to come, what is currently on offer is also a welcome addition to the capital. Asia Asia, Daikan, Lock Stock & Barrel, Paradiso and Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar are some of the restaurants that are now welcoming guests.

We tried out Paradiso, a Mediterranean restaurant helmed by Nicole Rubi, the woman behind LPM Restaurant, and Michelin-lauded chef Pierre Gagnaire. Originating in Cannes, France, the space has indoor and outdoor seating and offers everything from pizza to focaccia tartines and pasta to seafood dishes.

Pizza with tomatoes and oregano served at Paradiso at Yas Bay Waterfront. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Pizza with tomatoes and oregano served at Paradiso at Yas Bay Waterfront. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

We ordered the rigatoni with fresh truffle (Dh130), the pizza with tomatoes and oregano (Dh70) and a chicken dish with a side of rice pilaf (Dh110). While the food is tasty, the portion sizes are a bit smaller than I expected for the price. We also tried the frosted lemon paradiso (Dh60) – a lemon sorbet and cream in a half-frozen lemon served in a bowl of ice. It was served with three sugar sticks, making it a mix of sweet and sour.

For those who prefer something more relaxed, there’s Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar, which has outlets around the world including in Paris, Mykonos, Monte Carlo and Dubai. It offers stunning views of the surrounding area and also gives a front-row seat to the daily fireworks that will be ongoing until December 8.

But it isn’t only dining that Yas Bay has to offer. Popular Ibiza hot spot Cafe del Mar has also opened. The laid-back beach club has outposts in Australia, Thailand, Brazil and Azerbaijan to name only a few of its locations.

It brings with it an infinity pool that overlooks the water and cabanas that come with their own Jacuzzi. On the menu are Mediterranean-inspired dishes and Middle Eastern favourites. There’s also a DJ, which only makes sense as the beach club is famed for its legendary DJ sets.

While there’s still more to come, including The Central, a family entertainment complex, and Emmy Squared, an American restaurant known for its Detroit-style pizzas and handcrafted sandwiches, there’s plenty to be impressed with so far.

The biog

Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi

Age: 23

How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them

Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need

Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman

Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs 

Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing

Youth YouTuber Programme

The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:

- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots

- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing

- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience

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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

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BRIEF SCORES:

Toss: Nepal, chose to field

UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23

Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17

Result: UAE won by 21 runs

Series: UAE lead 1-0

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

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Race card:

6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.

8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.

8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.

9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.

10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.

Take Me Apart

Kelela

(Warp)

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Updated: December 02, 2021, 1:31 PM`