• The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi opened to the public in November. All photos by Ruel Pableo for The National
    The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi opened to the public in November. All photos by Ruel Pableo for The National
  • It is the first attraction to open in Al Qana, a new waterfront destination.
    It is the first attraction to open in Al Qana, a new waterfront destination.
  • Inside The Sub, one of 10 zones in the aquarium.
    Inside The Sub, one of 10 zones in the aquarium.
  • The Red Sea Wreck zone.
    The Red Sea Wreck zone.
  • The UAE's Natural Treasures zone.
    The UAE's Natural Treasures zone.
  • The Ring of Fire zone where guests can learn about volcanic caves and how islands are formed.
    The Ring of Fire zone where guests can learn about volcanic caves and how islands are formed.
  • Children outside of the National Aquarium on opening day.
    Children outside of the National Aquarium on opening day.
  • Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. Prices start at Dh105 ($28).
    Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. Prices start at Dh105 ($28).
  • Visitors explore the Red Sea Wreck zone.
    Visitors explore the Red Sea Wreck zone.
  • The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is set to be joined by other attractions at Al Qana.
    The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is set to be joined by other attractions at Al Qana.
  • The aquarium is home to 46,000 creatures, representing 300 species.
    The aquarium is home to 46,000 creatures, representing 300 species.
  • Covering more than 9,000 square metres, it is the largest aquarium in the Middle East.
    Covering more than 9,000 square metres, it is the largest aquarium in the Middle East.
  • An underwater tunnel at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.
    An underwater tunnel at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.
  • Visitors can book the aquarium tour or a behind-the-scenes tour.
    Visitors can book the aquarium tour or a behind-the-scenes tour.
  • The Flooded Forest zone is home to Super Snake – a female reticulated python, aged 14, that weighs 115 kilograms.
    The Flooded Forest zone is home to Super Snake – a female reticulated python, aged 14, that weighs 115 kilograms.
  • Inside the Red Sea Wreck zone visitors can can come face-to-fin with hundreds of fish.
    Inside the Red Sea Wreck zone visitors can can come face-to-fin with hundreds of fish.
  • At the Atlantic Cave zone visitors can discover what really lives beneath the ocean's surface.
    At the Atlantic Cave zone visitors can discover what really lives beneath the ocean's surface.
  • The Frozen Ocean zone.
    The Frozen Ocean zone.
  • The Ocean Magic zone.
    The Ocean Magic zone.
  • Inside Bu Tinah Island zone.
    Inside Bu Tinah Island zone.
  • The Ocean Magic zone contains a car filled with fishes.
    The Ocean Magic zone contains a car filled with fishes.
  • The Flooded Forest zone.
    The Flooded Forest zone.
  • The UAE's Natural Treasures zone explores the country's rich pearl diving history.
    The UAE's Natural Treasures zone explores the country's rich pearl diving history.

Lifestyle

Family

National Aquarium Abu Dhabi: when does it open and how much will tickets cost?

The newest attraction in the capital is ready to open its doors to the public

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau

November 10, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is the first project to open in Al Qana, a new waterfront destination in the capital that stretches 2.4 kilometres. The attraction is home to 46,000 creatures and 300 species spread across 10 zones.

It will be the biggest aquarium in the Middle East when it opens and the wildlife that live there will be cared for by a team of 80 sea-life experts and specialists. Ahead of its opening, here's a guide to everything you need to know.

When does The National Aquarium open to the public?

The National Aquarium opens to the public this Friday.

What are the opening hours?

The opening hours are 10am to 8pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and 10am to 10pm from Thursday to Saturday.

How much are tickets for The National Aquarium?

There are four tiers of ticketing for the attraction: General Admission (Dh105), Beyond the Glass (Dh130), Bu Tinah Dhow (Dh150) and VIP (Dh200). Annual passes are also available for Dh399. Children under the age of 3 can enter for free.

General Admission offers a tour through the 10 zones of the aquarium.

The Beyond the Glass ticket includes the aquarium tour as well as a behind-the-scenes tour that features a walk on a glass bridge.

The Bu Tinah Dhow ticket has the aquarium journey as well as a glass-bottom dhow tour and fish feeding.

The VIP ticket includes all the aforementioned activities.

Where can I buy The National Aquarium tickets?

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at thenationalaquarium.ae.

  • The National Aquarium in Al Qana, Abu Dhabi, is set to open on Friday, November 12
    The National Aquarium in Al Qana, Abu Dhabi, is set to open on Friday, November 12
  • The attraction will house more than 200 sharks and rays that represent more than 25 aquatic species
    The attraction will house more than 200 sharks and rays that represent more than 25 aquatic species
  • The new attraction will house the largest collection of sharks and rays in the Middle East
    The new attraction will house the largest collection of sharks and rays in the Middle East
  • Guests will be able experience live feeding demonstrations with both sharks and rays
    Guests will be able experience live feeding demonstrations with both sharks and rays
  • As well as hammerhead sharks (pictured), the aquarium will house sand tiger sharks, lemon sharks, zebra sharks and blacktip reef sharks
    As well as hammerhead sharks (pictured), the aquarium will house sand tiger sharks, lemon sharks, zebra sharks and blacktip reef sharks

What other experiences can be booked?

The aquatic attraction also offers animal encounters for Dh180. Visitors can choose from swimming with sharks, feeding stingrays or feeding puffins.

How do I get to The National Aquarium?

The aquarium is located in Al Qana off of Khaleej Al Arabi in the Rabdan area near the Maqta Bridge. There are taxi and bus stops around the area as well as 3,000 surface and basement parking spaces for guests.

What are the Covid-19 safety precautions?

Those aged 16 and above will be required to show a green pass on Al Hosn app or a negative PCR test with less than 96 hours validity to enter. Face masks must be worn at all times.

More information is available at www.thenationalaquarium.ae

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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained

Defined Benefit Plan (DB)

A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.

Defined Contribution Plan (DC) 

A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie 

Four out of five stars 

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Company%20Profile
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Updated: November 16, 2021, 7:14 AM
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