Hotels in Abu Dhabi were given the green light to begin reopening pools at the weekend, after almost four months of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of the capital's hotels have already reopened their pools, while more are expected to open over the coming days.
Among those that have already reopened, there a number of pool day deals on offer.
While it's best to check ahead for each hotel's safety precautions, each property will be following guidelines set out by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
These include employees being tested for Covid-19 before returning to work and then being tested regularly, guests bringing their own towels, and sunbeds and loungers being placed two metres apart.
The National will continue to update this list as more pools open.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
The pool at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr is now open. Weekday passes cost Dh149 per person, while at the weekend, entry costs Dh199. Booking in advance is recommended to guarantee a spot. All guests will be required to bring their own towels and follow strict social-distancing measures.
Jumeirah Etihad Towers
Jumeirah Etihad Towers is offering a daycation deal that gives guests access to a room and the newly reopened pool from Dh350 plus taxes for a single or double room, meaning the cost can be split between two people. At the weekend, the price is Dh450 plus taxes. The deal gives guests access to the hotel between 10am and 7pm. Guests will be required to check for availability on the day or the day before arrival, as the deal cannot be booked in advance.
The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa
The Westin’s pool and pool bar are now open and ready to welcome guests back to cool off this summer. It has a number of day pass deals on offer, including a family pass for Dh650 for two adults and two children, which includes use of a deluxe room, plus breakfast and lunch.
It is also offering weekday pool passes for Dh125 for adults and Dh50 for children, and weekend day passes for Dh175 for adults and Dh50 for children. The hotel is enforcing strict social-distancing measures and guests are required to bring their own towels. Booking in advance is essential.
Le Meridien Abu Dhabi
The pool at Le Meridien Abu Dhabi is open and the hotel is offering weekday passes for Dh55. At the weekend, passes are Dh88, or guests can take advantage of the hotel's daycation deal, which gives visitors use of a room for Dh315, with Dh150 back to spend on food and drinks.
Aloft Abu Dhabi
Aloft Abu Dhabi’s Splash Pool has reopened, and is offering day passes to visitors for Dh100, which is fully redeemable at hotel’s Glow restaurant. Booking in advance is recommended.
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- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
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Scoreline
Germany 2
Werner 9', Sane 19'
Netherlands 2
Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
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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
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OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
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Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
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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
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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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
