10 outdoor UAE attractions to visit before the summer heat kicks in

With spring officially upon us, the temperature is slowly creeping up across the UAE, meaning that the days of making the most of the country's incredible outdoor facilities are numbered — at least for a few months.

But don't panic, there are still a good few weeks of al fresco season left, so it's time to get outdoors and explore while we still can.

Here are 10 attractions across the UAE to enjoy before the summer is fully upon us ...

Dubai

Global Village

Dubai’s ever-popular family attraction Global Village will be open for four extra weeks this year, closing its doors for the summer on May 7.

This year, Global Village is marking its 26th season with 26 pavilions representing more than 80 cultures from around the world.

Among the countries and continents represented are: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Africa, the Americas, China, Egypt, Europe, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Russia.

Visitors can also enjoy internationally acclaimed dance show Burn The Floor, which has made its regional debut with a regular slot on the attraction’s main stage. The high-voltage show features daring choreography by a troupe of international dancers.

Sunday to Wednesday, 4pm-midnight, Thursday to Saturday, 4pm-1am; from Dh15, children under 3 and senior citizens over 65 go free; Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road, Exit 37, E311; 04 362 4114, www.globalvillage.ae

Dubai Safari Park

Visitors have until the end of May to enjoy Dubai Safari Park, before it closes its doors for the summer season to give the animals a break from the heat.

The park is home to more than 3,000 animals, including giraffes, lions, tigers, elephants and dozens more species. The attraction can be explored on foot or by bus.

Daily, 9am-5pm; from Dh50; Al Warqa, Hatta Road, Dubai; www.dubaisafari.ae

Dubai Miracle Garden

Dubai Miracle Garden will close for the summer to prepare for the next season. While the attraction is yet to announce its official closing date, it usually closes at the end of May.

Make the most of this season’s new attractions, including a Smurfs Village, complete with mushroom houses, and take pictures next to your favourite Smurf characters. A floral genie and magic flying carpet carved from foliage are some of the other new highlights at the venue this year, adding to the lush greenery and record-breaking attractions.

Daily; 9am-11pm; D55 for adults, Dh40 for children 12 years and under, free entry for children aged 3 and under; Dubailand; dubaimiraclegarden.com

Dubai Garden Glow

Another family favourite, Dubai Garden Glow, has just a few weeks left of its current season before it closes its doors for the summer on May 30.

The attraction features hundreds of colourful lanterns that move and sparkle, created using more than 10 million energy-saving light bulbs. It's newest addition, the Glowing Safari, features dozens of lanterns shaped like animals and flowers, while one of the the attraction's favourite areas, the Dinosaur Park, features more than 100 animatronic dinosaurs.

Daily; Sunday to Friday, 4pm-10pm, Saturday 4pm-11pm; Dh65; Zabeel Park, Dubai; 055 918 8126, dubaigardenglow.com

Hatta Dome Park

Hatta Dome Park will open its doors on Thursday, April 8. All photos courtesy Hatta Dome Park
Rates for booking at Hatta Dome Park start at Dh999 and can accommodate up to two adults and two children.
All domes come with a king-sized bed.
All the domes offer the same mountain views.
All domes come with two single sofa beds.
Each dome tent is also equipped with its own private barbecue and fire pit within a large terrace space.
Hatta Dome Park is a short walk from from Hatta Wadi Hub.

Featuring 15 dome-shaped luxury tents, Hatta Dome Park offers panoramic views of the Hajar Mountains. The tents on-site are all identical in layout and offer the same views. They are 40 square metres and come with a full range of amenities, including a television, Wi-Fi and a mini fridge.

The rooms are designed to accommodate up to two adults and two children by offering a king-sized bed, as well as two single sofa beds. Each dome tent also comes with its own barbecue and fire pit within a large terrace space.

Located a short walk from Hatta Wadi Hub, there are plenty of activities to try, including kayaking, mountain biking, trampoline jumping, zip-lining, wall-climbing, paragliding and more. There are also food and beverage options on-site, as well as a variety of food trucks.

Hatta Wadi Hub; www.visithatta.com

Abu Dhabi

Al Batha Nature Reserve

Visit Al Batha Nature Reserve, located near Hili Archaeological Park in Al Ain. This recently renovated eco-tourism project showcases the UAE’s flora and fauna and is home to ducks, birds, ghaf trees and a playground for youngsters.

It is the perfect place to go for a picnic on the undulating golden dunes and the best part is that it’s free to enter.

Daily, 8am-11pm; free; Al Nabbagh, Al Ain

Jubail Mangrove Park

Visitors look out over the mangroves at Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Mangroves play an important environmental role in the the UAE.
The sun sets over Jubail Mangrove Park.
Jubail Mangrove Park reopened to visitors in October 2020, after it was closed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The park first opened in January 2020 with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of mangroves in the UAE.
Residents take an evening stroll through the mangrove park at Jubail Island.
The one million-square-metre site features a winding boardwalk.

Take in the serenity of Abu Dhabi’s mangroves while it’s still comfortable to take any outdoor stroll. While it is primarily a mangrove sanctuary, the Jubail Mangrove Park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including fish and birds, all of which can be easily spotted from a two-kilometre boardwalk that runs through the site.

There are three different walking routes, the longest of which stretches two kilometres. The mid-range one is 1.6km and the shortest is 1km. Depending on the pace, the longest route can take anywhere between 35 to 90 minutes.

Daily; 7am-10pm; from Dh5; Al Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi; park.jubailisland.ae

Ras Al Khaimah

Ride the Jais Sledder

Be among the first to ride the Jais Sledder, Ras Al Khaimah’s new 1,840-metre toboggan run that winds down through the Hajar mountain range, offering riders panoramic views as they go.

The alpine coaster is capable of reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour, although each rider will be securely strapped in and have access to a braking system, allowing them to control their own speed.

Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-5.30pm; from Dh40; Jebel Jais Adventure Park, Ras Al Khaimah; visitjebeljais.com

Bear Grylls Explorers Camp

Make the most of the great outdoors and learn some vital survival skills while you’re at it. The Bear Grylls Explorers Camp offers visitors of all ages and abilities the chance to learn some of the British adventurer's top tips and techniques, via a selection of courses set on the Jebel Jais mountain.

The courses are run by experts trained at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy in the UK, and include half-day options, lasting three to four hours, as well as eight and 24-hour options. If you fancy staying the night in one of the camp’s overnight cabins, you can also try your hand at one of the 48-hour courses. On the Family Primal Survival Course, the minimum age is 8.

Open daily; 24 hours; from Dh450 for adults and Dh325 for children; beargryllscamp.ae

Sharjah

Sharjah Safari

Sharjah Safari, which claims to be the largest safari park outside of Africa, covers an area of eight square kilometres and is home to more than 120 species, including rare animals native to Africa, the rarest of which is the black rhinoceros. More than 1,000 native and African trees, including the umbrella-shaped Acacia tortilis, have been planted across the site.

Visitors can experience the safari through 12 themed "environments", each representing a region in Africa, and the life and terrain of the animals and birds that live in them.

The black rhinoceros, considered one of the rarest animals, is one of the star attractions. Another highlight is Wuhaida, the first female southern white rhino born in Sharjah Safari in August last year. Wuhaida's birth is the result of the Safari's breeding programme, supported by the UN, which focuses on African native species.

Various ticket categories are available for access to Sharjah Safari's 12 themed environments, including bronze, silver and gold.

Open daily, 8.30am to 6.30pm; from Dh120; Al Bridi Nature Reserve, Al Dhaid, Sharjah; visitsharjah.com

Seven cool and quirky desert pop-ups to try in the UAE: Not a Space to Klock

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.”

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

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019

1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points

2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points

3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points

4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points

5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points

Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule

Friday

First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm

Saturday

Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm

Sunday

Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm

Wicked: For Good

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Rating: 4/5

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

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now