Saadiyat Island: The ‘Island of Happiness’ near Abu Dhabi

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(CNN) At less than 10 square miles, Saadiyat Island is less than half the size of Manhattan — but with its world-class culture, pristine nature and plenty of vacation-friendly activities, it’s full of charm.

Floating on the Persian Gulf north of Abu Dhabi’s city centre, Saadiyat combines nature, culture, food and tranquility – but if you’re looking for thrills and a party, it’s got you covered too. No wonder its Arabic name translates to “Island of Happiness”.

dolphins outside the dunes

Abu Dhabi itself is home to ostentatious modern architecture, while Saadiyat – just 20 minutes from the city center and Abu Dhabi International Airport – is a natural wonderland surrounded by small sand dunes.

Bottlenose and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are frequent visitors to the island’s clear waters. They are often joined by endangered hawksbill turtles, who nest in the dunes along Saadiyat’s 5.5-mile-long beach from March to June. Each nest can hold about 100 eggs—although only one in a thousand hawksbills survives to adulthood.Elevated boardwalks protect them from beachgoers – created by Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort and its in-house marine biologist.

Gazelle on the golf course

Wildlife is not only in the water. Arabian red foxes and peacocks are wild inhabitants of the island, and players at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club often have to time their shots between the moves of the Arabian gazelle.

Over 300 bird species are counted in Abu Dhabi every year. Saadiyat Beach Golf Club It’s even been designated as a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary—meaning it improves natural areas and wildlife habitat while minimizing the golf course’s potentially harmful impacts. Thanks in part to the club’s environmental stewardship practices, more than 150 different bird species can be seen on and around the course.

Looking ahead, the Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum will open in 2025 in the Saadiyat Cultural District – an area dedicated to art, heritage and culture, featuring seven world-class museums and performing arts centres.

A massive nearly 400-square-foot facility with attached teaching and research facilities, the new addition will showcase some of the rarest and most precious specimens ever found on Earth, from meteorites to T-Rex skeletons.

blue flag beaches

Another participant in the Sea Turtle Conservation Project is Saadiyat Beach Club, A seaside resort with a Blue Flag-certified beach – claimed to be one of the best in the Middle East – and entertainment for the party crowd.

The Instagram-friendly outdoor pool is surrounded by cabanas and day beds, while DJs play throughout the day alongside live jazz and R&B musicians. A gym, spa and sauna help members stay in shape.

The hotel features a Mediterranean restaurant, Safina, while Cabana 9 serves Arabic dishes and has a shisha lounge.

open all year round, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Featuring Gary Player’s signature 18-hole golf course. The player himself – the legendary South African golfer – has also hosted charity tournaments here in past years.

When played from the optional black tees, the course becomes the longest in the UAE at 7,784 yards – and is made even more intimidating thanks to the multiple bunkers.

However, experienced coaches and generous pin placement ensure everyone has a good time, no matter their standards. Neighboring hotels such as the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort also offer stay and play packages.

50 Meals Around the World

The coastal community of Mamsha Al Saadiyat has a spectacular promenade overlooking a long stretch of white sand and the clear waters of the bay. Eating out is certainly one of the favorite pastimes in the UAE, and there are plenty of options here.Coffee and healthy dishes such as smoked salmon tataki sauce, figs and burrata on zaatar flatbread are a la carte of the day, including Ten 11 Beach and Artia Cafe. Beirut-sur-Mer It serves classic Lebanese dishes to a soundtrack of popular music from the country.

Roman-style pizza made with a 50-year-old sourdough starter is an Italian restaurant highlight antoniaalthough Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes Promise of authentic food from New York.then modern japanese restaurant Tomewhich has sushi, wagyu beef and oven-baked lobster.

Culture worthy of the Louvre

Completed in 2017, Louvre Abu Dhabi It is the largest overseas cultural project in France. Its extraordinary exhibits are displayed in an architectural booth designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Jean Nouvel.

The museum takes visitors on a journey of global civilizations from prehistoric to modern times. The permanent collection of 700 treasures includes ancient Greek amphorae, Roman gold jewelry, Chinese porcelain and paintings by the likes of Bellini and Manet. In addition, other museums around the world supplement the collection with 300 loans annually, 100 of which come from the Louvre in Paris.

There are also regular temporary exhibitions, and you can even take a moonlit kayak tour of the museum to see the architecture from a whole new perspective.Tickets can be purchased from the Louvre Abu Dhabi website.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi isn’t Saadiyat’s only high-end venue – there are also two world-class educational institutions behind the dunes.

Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music has its first Middle Eastern outpost in the Cultural District—a 42,000-square-foot arts education center celebrating contemporary music and the performing arts, with studios, performance spaces, multimedia technology labs and more.

NYU Abu Dhabi is the degree-granting campus of another prestigious institution. Since opening in 2010, it has hosted students from 120 countries in 25 majors. Its public-facing program includes performances, art exhibitions and lectures, all of which are open to visitors.