There will be no shortage of New Year's Eve celebrations in Abu Dhabi this year, from late-night soirees to luxurious dinners at a host of restaurants around the emirate.
Here's a list of the best offers in the capital. If you are also looking for places to spend Christmas weekend at, you can check our guide on where to dine in Abu Dhabi on December 24 and 25.
Emirates Palace
The five-star hotel has prepared an eventful evening for New Year's Eve, which will be capped off by its own fireworks display and a lively after-party. A glitzy welcome reception will start the evening at the hotel's Grand Dome, followed by a gala dinner on the terrace.
Numerous performances are on schedule, including a fire show, a desert dance performance, pole acrobats and other entertaining acts.
Starts 7pm; Dh2,800; West Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Hakkasan
The Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant will launch a special three-course set menu with views of the Abu Dhabi skyline. On the menu are a dim sum platter and Alaskan king crab salad with yuzu for starters; charcoal-grilled Chilean sea bass and signature Peking duck for mains; and a pear compote with chocolate and caramel mousse for dessert.
9pm-midnight; from Dh888; West Corniche Road, Emirates Palace; 02 690 7739
Coya
This restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island will host the Golden Inca Empire New Year's Eve party, as a nod to its South American influence. Guests are encouraged to incorporate gold in their looks. Various seating options are available, including out on the waterfront terrace, inside the restaurant, or within the venue's Pisco Bar.
Starts 6:30pm; minimum spend of Dh800 from 8:30pm; Al Maryah Island; 02 306 7000
49er's Steakhouse and Club
Diners can enjoy a Wild West saloon party, complete with a massive dance floor at the Le Meridien dining spot. The night will feature a DJ and live band, as well as a gaming zone for little ones. On the menu will be smokehouse favourites including a variety of steak, chicken and seafood options. Pizzas and burgers will also be available.
10pm-4am; entry tickets from Dh200, food prices vary; Al Zahiyah; 02 645 8000
Giornotte
The New Year's Eve gala dinner at the Ritz-Carlton restaurant will expand the celebrations on to the promenade of the five-star hotel. On the menu are oysters, Wagyu beef, foie gras as well as a variety of live stations. American singer Tracey Preston, a former contestant on The Voice, will provide live entertainment.
7pm-midnight; from Dh888; The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal; 02 818 8282
Observation Deck at 300
The capital's New Year fireworks will be especially prominent from Observation Deck, a venue on the 74th floor of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers. The late-night soiree will last for an hour and a half, with special drinks and canapes to be served throughout.
11pm-12:30pm; Dh250; Corniche Road; 02 811 5555
BBQ Al Qasr
A New Year's Eve dinner by the sea awaits guests at this Emirates Palace spot. The five-course sharing menu will feature fresh seafood dishes, such as barbecue oysters, sea urchin roe and caviar tartlet.
8pm-1am; from Dh1,500; West Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Vakava
The Peruvian restaurant will serve a sharing-style four-course menu, inspired by the vibrant gastronomic culture of Latin America, curated by Peru-born chef Eber Villalobos. South American beats and tunes will get the party going, while diners enjoy premium beverages.
7pm-11pm; from Dh500; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Tori No Su
Japanese food connoisseurs are invited for a New Year's Eve dinner at this Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers venue. On the a la carte menu are a selection of maki rolls, sashimi as well as traditional teppanyaki rolls. Signature cocktails will also be served.
7pm-midnight; a la carte prices, averaging Dh545 for two people; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Li Beirut
Flavours from Lebanon will be showcased at the New Year's Eve Layali night brunch in the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers restaurant. This includes a spread of hot and cold mezze, a selection of grills and aromatic delicacies. Diners can choose from various seating options, including an al fresco terrace with views of the Arabian Gulf.
7pm-midnight; from Dh300; Corniche Road; 02 811 5666
Glo
The rooftop night spot at Rosewood Abu Dhabi will host a masquerade party for New Year's Eve. A live DJ, saxophonist, percussion and singer will provide upbeat entertainment for guests, who can enjoy a view of the capital's glittering skyline. A pop-up shawarma stand will also be on site. Individual and group packages are available.
9pm-4am; Dh150 for standing with one house beverage, from Dh1,500 for table bookings; Al Maryah Island; 02 813 5550
Dai Pai Dong
Roaming food trolleys featuring Chinese specialities await guests at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi restaurant. The Yum Cha New Year's Eve brunch will serve a selection of dim sums, dumplings, roast meats and Asian-inspired desserts. The basic package comes with free-flowing hops, grapes, house spirits and fizz.
7:30pm-midnight; from Dh688; Al Maryah Island; 02 813 5588
The Foundry
The gala dinner at the Southern Sun Abu Dhabi venue will feature a seafood ice bar, caviar and blinis station, prime rib carvery, salmon coulibiac carvery and a pistachio-crusted lamb rack. The chef pattisier’s New Year dessert creations will round up the dinner, which will also include live entertainment.
8pm-midnight; from Dh325; Al Zahiya, Tourist Club Area; 02 818 4888
Aqua
The waterfront venue at Rosewood Abu Dhabi will host a New Year's Eve brunch with an international buffet. Expect oysters and other seafood, home-made pasta and pizza, as well as Asian specialities such as sushi, spicy tandoori and Peking duck. Guests will be able to enjoy majestic views of the island's New Year fireworks from the terrace.
7:30pm-midnight; from Dh855; Rosewood Abu Dhabi; 02 813 5550
Teatro
The fine-dining venue at Park Rotana has created a set menu for New Year's Eve, showcasing its popular dishes. The four-course dinner will feature a selection of sushi and sashimi, seared Atlantic scallops, truffle mushroom risotto and miso Chilean sea bass, plus a dessert buffet. The venue's resident DJ Rachel Leah will set the mood.
8pm-1am; from Dh699; Al Salam Street Eastern Ring Road; 050 341 9446
Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
The resort is staging its own fireworks display on its boardwalk, where a pay as you go bar will be available for house beverages and nibbles. A buffet dinner will also be hosted by three spots throughout including poolside dining venue Mare Mare, Levantine restaurant Tean and rooftop terrace The Lounge. Each venue will offer its own New Year's Eve package.
11pm-2am at the boardwalk; dinners start at 8am; packages from Dh500; 02 811 4342
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
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Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
Oppenheimer
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Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
