There will be no shortage of New Year's Eve celebrations in Abu Dhabi this year, from late-night soirees to luxurious dinners at a host of restaurants around the emirate.
Here's a list of the best offers in the capital. If you are also looking for places to spend Christmas weekend at, you can check our guide on where to dine in Abu Dhabi on December 24 and 25.
Emirates Palace
The five-star hotel has prepared an eventful evening for New Year's Eve, which will be capped off by its own fireworks display and a lively after-party. A glitzy welcome reception will start the evening at the hotel's Grand Dome, followed by a gala dinner on the terrace.
Numerous performances are on schedule, including a fire show, a desert dance performance, pole acrobats and other entertaining acts.
Starts 7pm; Dh2,800; West Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Hakkasan
The Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant will launch a special three-course set menu with views of the Abu Dhabi skyline. On the menu are a dim sum platter and Alaskan king crab salad with yuzu for starters; charcoal-grilled Chilean sea bass and signature Peking duck for mains; and a pear compote with chocolate and caramel mousse for dessert.
9pm-midnight; from Dh888; West Corniche Road, Emirates Palace; 02 690 7739
Coya
This restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island will host the Golden Inca Empire New Year's Eve party, as a nod to its South American influence. Guests are encouraged to incorporate gold in their looks. Various seating options are available, including out on the waterfront terrace, inside the restaurant, or within the venue's Pisco Bar.
Starts 6:30pm; minimum spend of Dh800 from 8:30pm; Al Maryah Island; 02 306 7000
49er's Steakhouse and Club
Diners can enjoy a Wild West saloon party, complete with a massive dance floor at the Le Meridien dining spot. The night will feature a DJ and live band, as well as a gaming zone for little ones. On the menu will be smokehouse favourites including a variety of steak, chicken and seafood options. Pizzas and burgers will also be available.
10pm-4am; entry tickets from Dh200, food prices vary; Al Zahiyah; 02 645 8000
Giornotte
The New Year's Eve gala dinner at the Ritz-Carlton restaurant will expand the celebrations on to the promenade of the five-star hotel. On the menu are oysters, Wagyu beef, foie gras as well as a variety of live stations. American singer Tracey Preston, a former contestant on The Voice, will provide live entertainment.
7pm-midnight; from Dh888; The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal; 02 818 8282
Observation Deck at 300
The capital's New Year fireworks will be especially prominent from Observation Deck, a venue on the 74th floor of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers. The late-night soiree will last for an hour and a half, with special drinks and canapes to be served throughout.
11pm-12:30pm; Dh250; Corniche Road; 02 811 5555
BBQ Al Qasr
A New Year's Eve dinner by the sea awaits guests at this Emirates Palace spot. The five-course sharing menu will feature fresh seafood dishes, such as barbecue oysters, sea urchin roe and caviar tartlet.
8pm-1am; from Dh1,500; West Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Vakava
The Peruvian restaurant will serve a sharing-style four-course menu, inspired by the vibrant gastronomic culture of Latin America, curated by Peru-born chef Eber Villalobos. South American beats and tunes will get the party going, while diners enjoy premium beverages.
7pm-11pm; from Dh500; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Tori No Su
Japanese food connoisseurs are invited for a New Year's Eve dinner at this Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers venue. On the a la carte menu are a selection of maki rolls, sashimi as well as traditional teppanyaki rolls. Signature cocktails will also be served.
7pm-midnight; a la carte prices, averaging Dh545 for two people; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Li Beirut
Flavours from Lebanon will be showcased at the New Year's Eve Layali night brunch in the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers restaurant. This includes a spread of hot and cold mezze, a selection of grills and aromatic delicacies. Diners can choose from various seating options, including an al fresco terrace with views of the Arabian Gulf.
7pm-midnight; from Dh300; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Glo
The rooftop night spot at Rosewood Abu Dhabi will host a masquerade party for New Year's Eve. A live DJ, saxophonist, percussion and singer will provide upbeat entertainment for guests, who can enjoy a view of the capital's glittering skyline. A pop-up shawarma stand will also be on site. Individual and group packages are available.
9pm-4am; Dh150 for standing with one house beverage, from Dh1,500 for table bookings; Al Maryah Island; 02 813 5550
Dai Pai Dong
Roaming food trolleys featuring Chinese specialities await guests at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi restaurant. The Yum Cha New Year's Eve brunch will serve a selection of dim sums, dumplings, roast meats and Asian-inspired desserts. The basic package comes with free-flowing hops, grapes, house spirits and fizz.
7:30pm-midnight; from Dh688; Al Maryah Island; 02 813 5588
The Foundry
The gala dinner at the Southern Sun Abu Dhabi venue will feature a seafood ice bar, caviar and blinis station, prime rib carvery, salmon coulibiac carvery and a pistachio-crusted lamb rack. The chef pattisier’s New Year dessert creations will round up the dinner, which will also include live entertainment.
8pm-midnight; from Dh325; Al Zahiya, Tourist Club Area; 02 818 4888
Aqua
The waterfront venue at Rosewood Abu Dhabi will host a New Year's Eve brunch with an international buffet. Expect oysters and other seafood, home-made pasta and pizza, as well as Asian specialities such as sushi, spicy tandoori and Peking duck. Guests will be able to enjoy majestic views of the island's New Year fireworks from the terrace.
7:30pm-midnight; from Dh855; Rosewood Abu Dhabi; 02 813 5550
Teatro
The fine-dining venue at Park Rotana has created a set menu for New Year's Eve, showcasing its popular dishes. The four-course dinner will feature a selection of sushi and sashimi, seared Atlantic scallops, truffle mushroom risotto and miso Chilean sea bass, plus a dessert buffet. The venue's resident DJ Rachel Leah will set the mood.
8pm-1am; from Dh699; Al Salam Street Eastern Ring Road; 050 341 9446
Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
The resort is staging its own fireworks display on its boardwalk, where a pay as you go bar will be available for house beverages and nibbles. A buffet dinner will also be hosted by three spots throughout including poolside dining venue Mare Mare, Levantine restaurant Tean and rooftop terrace The Lounge. Each venue will offer its own New Year's Eve package.
11pm-2am at the boardwalk; dinners start at 8am; packages from Dh500; 02 811 4342
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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if you go
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
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The biog
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