Since its launch a year ago, Hudayriyat Island has become a must-visit destination in Abu Dhabi.
Home to Circuit X, the hot spot has already proved itself a haven for thrill-seekers and adrenalin junkies. But, if you've worked up an appetite after all that adventure, there are also plenty of places to grab a bite to eat.
Here are some cool concepts to check out at the waterfront location:
1. Cupcake ATM
Did you know that Hudayriyat Island is home to a 24-hour cupcake ATM? The quirky pastel-pink dispenser sits opposite Shrimp Pot and offers a number of flavours such as pistachio, Nutella, saffron, blueberry, Lotus and red velvet. All you have to do is select the one you want, make the payment, and your cupcake will arrive in a packaged box.
Open 24 hours daily; from Dh22 for a cupcake; instagram.com/cupcake_atm
2. Shrimp Pot
This is for those who fancy fresh, no-nonsense seafood with their water views. Choose between shrimp, mussels, lobster, crab and octopus (or go for the popular mixed option), choose your sauce, and your bucket of seafood will be served right to your table. Put on the gloves you’ve been provided and don’t be afraid to make a mess.
Open daily, noon-1.30am; 02 441 1842; instagram.com/shrimppot.uae
3. Muncheeze
This restaurant, which is located next to the skate park, was founded with the idea of revolutionising the humble American grilled cheese sandwich – with gourmet options such as the Angus beef steak and Mac n Cheese available. However, it has since acquired quite a reputation for its hearty burgers and an extensive breakfast menu. The portions are generous and there are beach views to boot.
Open daily, 11am-3am; 050 411 5459; muncheeze.ae
4. Projeto Acai
Here, guests can customise hearty acai bowls or choose between signature combinations. There are also wraps, poke bowls, salads, smoothies and breakfast items, making this a pit stop for any time of the day. The dishes are healthy and there are plenty of options for vegans.
Open daily, 8am-midnight; projetoacai.com
5. DRVN Coffee
The place has been garnering attention for its quirky interiors, which showcase vintage cars or “automotive art”, while the outside seating areas have some excellent beach views. On the must-try list are the artisanal coffees and Neapolitan pizzas. There are also quite a few breakfast options for a lazy weekend morning.
Open daily, 6pm-3am; instagram.com/drvn_coffee
6. Al Shader Restaurant and Grill
Another seafood restaurant that has opened up at the destination, Al Shader focuses on grilled, seared or batter-fried delicacies. The menu is largely Arabic (there are mezze items and tagines) and guests can also choose fresh fish or special dishes such as the mixed calamari or shrimp, served with rice and choice of sauce.
Open daily, 11am-11pm; 02 641 4040
7. Chimney’s Roll House
Those looking for something different can head to this cafe which specialises in chimney rolls, the popular Hungarian street food that's crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The venue sells a number of savoury options while sweet Chimney cakes can be found in several flavours including Bounty, Oreo and Kinder.
Open daily, noon-1.30am; 02 550 0996; instagram.com/chimneysrollhouse_ad
8. Drilled
You can customise a variety of ingredients to create the ice cream of your dreams at this speciality dessert spot. Guests can choose an ice cream base, crunch and toppings, or try one of their signatures. There are also some pretty unique pairings available such as ice cream with Chips Oman and Flamin' Hot Cheetos option. The spot also specialises in coffee, so you can pick up a lavender latte, "Drilled" latte or cold pistachio latte ahead of a walk on the beach.
Open daily, 10am-midnight; instagram.com/drilled.ae
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Read more:
Kingston 21: Inside Abu Dhabi’s new Jamaican restaurant with authentic bites and island vibes
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
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Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
Company%20profile
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
