The view from the Bridge lifestyle hub at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. Vidhyaa Chandrmohan / The National
The view from the Bridge lifestyle hub at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. Vidhyaa Chandrmohan / The National
The view from the Bridge lifestyle hub at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. Vidhyaa Chandrmohan / The National
The view from the Bridge lifestyle hub at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. Vidhyaa Chandrmohan / The National

Al Qana: the ultimate guide to Abu Dhabi's waterfront destination


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

Cinemacity is the newest offering to open at Al Qana, the dining and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi. Other attractions already unveiled include The National Aquarium, The Bridge Lifestyle Hub and Al Qana Marina, with more still to come, such as Pixoul Gaming.

The 2.4-kilometre waterfront destination also houses a number of exciting restaurants and cafes, many of which can only be found at Al Qana. So for those looking for a bite to eat or a place to go for a leisurely stroll, here's your guide to the entertainment spot.

Cinemacity

Cinemacity is now home to one of the largest cinema screens in the capital, with a 26-metre-wide screen. Its 15 theatres cater to a number of cinema experiences such as VIP, 3DMax, arthouse and a children's theatre. The three VIP theatres offer fully reclining seats with a dine-in option including an on-demand waiter service.

In all, Cinemacity can accommodate up to 9,000 moviegoers and shows regional, Hollywood and Bollywood films. The space also has three culinary concepts: Graffiti Lounge, Backlot Cafe and Azul Lounge.

Pixoul Gaming

Pixoul Gaming will open its doors on November 4. The huge esports and virtual reality gaming complex aims to attract gamers to the capital by offering something for everyone.

There's a virtual reality gaming zone that has 10 virtual and augmented reality games, ranging from first-person shooters to roller coasters, paragliding and escape rooms. There's also an esports bar that will show global gaming events while visitors can enjoy watching with food and drinks. The space will have big screens, beanbags and a choice of consoles to play.

Pixoul Gaming will also have an area with high-spec equipment to make streaming easier.

The National Aquarium

The aquatic attraction was the first project to open its doors at Al Qana. The aquarium, which opened in November, is spread across 10 zones, and is home to 46,000 creatures and 300 species.

It is the biggest aquarium in the Middle East and its flora and fauna are cared for by a team of 80 marine experts. There are also animal encounter experiences with puffins and freshwater rays, as well as a glass bridge walk experience and Bu Tinah Dhow tour in a glass-bottom boat.

The Bridge

The 8,000-square-metre wellness space sits across four floors with a gym, spa, restaurant, juice bar, nutrition corner, shop, indoor running track and rooftop garden.

More than simply a fitness destination, The Bridge aims to fuse all aspects of wellness through a holistic approach, by connecting people through seven specialised offerings: Move, Pause, Taste, Choose, Seek, Expand and Learn.

Al Qana Marina

Enjoy views of the Abu Dhabi skyline from the sparkling Al Qana Marina. Watersport enthusiasts and yacht owners can enjoy the picturesque spot, which can berth up to 106 vessels. However, it isn’t only for boating fans, as there are also plenty of restaurants, cafes and lounges around the marina.

Grandiose Supermarket

Grandiose Supermarket has opened a food hall in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Al Qana
Grandiose Supermarket has opened a food hall in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Al Qana

Spanning more than 1,264 square metres, Grandiose Supermarket is a community-minded gourmet-dining concept complete with a food hall, where there are live cooking stations that include fresh pizzas, pasta, sandwiches and shawarmas.

Visitors can expect a culinary hub, with everything from a cafe and bakery, to a deli and cheese section.

Adrenark Adventure

The family-friendly activity space will have a large indoor park as well as a number of activities for children, such as foam pits, parkour track, ziplines, wall-running and a dodgeball court.

The focus of the space is interaction and immersion, as well as providing a safe environment for children and adults to exercise in and test their skills.

Cafes and kiosks

There are a number of places to stop for a quick bite to eat. Cafes open at Al Qana include La Ballena, art cafes Tazal and Notorious, Space Cafe, Cartel Coffee Roasters, known for its speciality coffee, and Tjaarz, a multi-concept space.

Still to open are Joud Cafe, Puffs Coffee Bar, Off Record Coffee, Blue Waves Cafe, The Cave Cafe and Lavazza, among others.

Kiosks on site include Turkish restaurant Mado, Gelato Divino, Baklawaa, AD Cafe and Nomad Cafe, which has a nice spot near the water. Phantom Karak, ChocoFruits and Frites for potato lovers are others worth a visit for bite-size treats. Meanwhile, Fifty Fifty is for those who enjoy Emirati food, sweets and speciality coffee.

Restaurants

If you're looking for a sit-down dining spot, Al Qana offers a variety of restaurants that cater to all tastes. Otoro offers modern Japanese, while Taste Restaurant & Anti-Bar serves dishes whipped up with organic ingredients. There's also the Mediterranean fine-dining concept Oii.

Other restaurants still to open include traditional bakery Simitci Dunyasi, seafood favourite Pinky Fish and Grand Beirut, which offers traditional Lebanese fare.

Shops

Shops at Al Qana include Maison Mallow Beauty Lounge, a Medicina pharmacy and artisan chocolate shop Fonce. There's also the Concept Store, a lifestyle-driven store that sells eco-friendly, sustainable and toxin-free products for those who want to live a holistic lifestyle.

Other activities

Enjoy an abra ride around the Grand Canal for Dh25 per person. The trip lasts 20 minutes. No booking is required, with rides departing from pontoon H and E with only card payments accepted. Rides run daily from 5pm to 1am.

There will also be more watersport activities, including kayaking, standup paddling and paddle-boating coming soon.

A version of this story was first published on April 4, 2022

Scores

Day 2

New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227

New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

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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.

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4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

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2 Kuwaiti teams

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Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
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“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

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"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

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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
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Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

RESULT

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')

Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

Most F1 world titles

7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)

7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)

5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)

4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)

4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')

Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)

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NEW ARRIVALS

Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m 

FA CUP FINAL

Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

THE TWIN BIO

Their favourite city: Dubai

Their favourite food: Khaleeji

Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach

Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll

Updated: October 26, 2022, 5:01 AM`