The federal capital ninety minutes down the road, with the mosque, the Louvre and rather more oil than Dubai ever had.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, the largest of the seven emirates by a very long way, and the one with the oil — around 90 per cent of the country’s reserves. Dubai’s oil is nearly exhausted and never amounted to much, which is precisely why Dubai built an economy on trade, logistics, property and tourism instead.
The two cities are about 140 kilometres apart and feel quite different: Abu Dhabi is lower, greener, more governmental and considerably less frenetic.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The reason most people come. Completed in 2007, it holds around 40,000 worshippers, has 82 domes and four 107-metre minarets, and is finished in white Macedonian marble inlaid with semi-precious stone.
Inside is the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world — around 5,600 square metres, made by about 1,200 Iranian weavers — and seven Swarovski chandeliers.
Entry is free and non-Muslims are welcome, on timed slots booked online in advance. Free guided tours run several times daily.
Dress code is strict and enforced. Ankles, wrists and shoulders covered for everyone; women must cover their hair. Abayas were formerly loaned at the mosque; that provision has changed, so bring your own headscarf and appropriate clothing rather than relying on it.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Jean Nouvel’s building on Saadiyat Island, opened in 2017 under a thirty-year agreement with France, with a 180-metre perforated dome that drops a “rain of light” onto the galleries beneath.
The collection is arranged chronologically across civilisations rather than by region — a deliberate argument that the same human questions recur everywhere — and it works remarkably well. Loans from French museums supplement a growing permanent collection.
The building alone is worth the trip.
Qasr Al Watan
The Presidential Palace, opened to the public in 2019. Enormous, white, and unapologetically ceremonial, with a Great Hall under a 37-metre dome and a library. Ticketed.
The rest
Qasr Al Hosn, the oldest building in Abu Dhabi, an eighteenth-century fort with a good museum. Yas Island with Ferrari World, Warner Bros World and Yas Waterworld, plus the F1 circuit. The Corniche for a beach and a walk.
Getting there
Buses E100 and E101 run from Al Ghubaiba and Ibn Battuta respectively to Abu Dhabi’s central bus station, roughly every twenty to forty minutes, taking around two hours, and cost very little. Once there you need taxis — Abu Dhabi is spread out.
Driving takes about ninety minutes on the E11. Note that speed cameras are everywhere and fines follow you to the rental company.
Doing the mosque and the Louvre in one day is comfortable. Adding Qasr Al Watan is pushing it.
