Abu Dhabi · Desert & dunes
Into the Empty Quarter
Drive south past Liwa to where the dunes stop being scenery and start being terrain. Moreeb rises more than 300 metres and the silence at the top is total.
Full day or overnightAED 650 from
Region · Abu Dhabi
Al Dhafra
Al Dhafra is the western half of Abu Dhabi and most of the country's land area — date oases at Liwa, salt flats and gravel plain, and then the dune belt of the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert on earth. It is where the country stops being a coastline, and the distances are real: plan fuel and daylight.
What marks it out
- Liwa's date oases, along the edge of the dunes
- Moreeb Dune, and the hill climbs run on it
- Al Dhafra Festival in December: a camel competition, not a show
Getting there
Two and a half hours from Abu Dhabi city to Liwa. Beyond the oases the tracks need a guide and a second vehicle.
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23.6560, 53.7060
Abu Dhabi
Experiences in this emirate
Abu Dhabi · Heritage & forts
The Grand Mosque before the crowds
Arrive as the courtyard marble is still cool. Eighty-two domes, a carpet woven in one piece, and light that changes the building every twenty minutes.
2 hoursFree
Abu Dhabi · Arts & museums
Louvre Abu Dhabi, slowly
Twelve chapters of human history under a dome that rains light. Two hours is the minimum; the sea-facing galleries are the ones people miss.
2–3 hoursAED 63 from
What's on
What is on in this emirate
Sport
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Early December
The closing round of the Formula 1 season at Yas Marina, run into the dusk, with concerts on the same tickets.
Ticketed
Grandstand and general-admission tickets are sold by the race promoter, and the concerts are included in the race ticket.
Abu Dhabi
Heritage
Sheikh Zayed Festival
November to March
A months-long heritage and culture festival in Al Wathba, with national pavilions, souks and a nightly fireworks record attempt or two.
Free entry
Entry to the festival grounds is free. Individual rides, shows and food inside are paid at the stand.
Abu Dhabi
Heritage
Al Dhafra Festival
December
A camel beauty and heritage festival deep in the Western Region, where the judging criteria are older than the country.
Free entry
Entry is free. It is a working competition rather than a show, and the days start early.
Abu Dhabi
Regions
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