Destination Abu Dhabi: An F1 fan’s guide

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix closes the season at the Yas Marina Circuit, where a 1.2km straight between Turns 5 and 6 sets up overtaking, and the race starts in daylight and finishes under floodlights.

Beyond the track, Abu Dhabi sets its past beside a modern cultural district. Qasr Al Hosn, the city’s oldest standing structure, began as a watchtower in the 1790s, while on Saadiyat Island Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi sits beneath a latticed dome 180 metres wide. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the world’s largest, is crowned by 82 white marble domes.

From a cup of gahwa inside the city’s oldest fort to a paddle through the mangroves, there is plenty to fill the days around the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Introduction to Abu Dhabi

Race Dates – 4–6 December 2026, with the Grand Prix held on Sunday
Time Zone – UTC+4
Language – Arabic
Currency – UAE dirham (AED)

Good to Know – Credit and debit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are found in malls, major supermarkets and at the airport, but smaller notes are useful in the souks and smaller shops. Modesty is appreciated in most public places, and clothing that covers the shoulders and knees is recommended, while swimwear is perfectly acceptable at beaches and pools. Respectful clothing is required to enter the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, an active place of worship that closes its main prayer hall to visitors during Friday prayers. Road signs are in both Arabic and English.

Race weekend falls at the start of Abu Dhabi’s winter season, which runs from December to mid-March and brings average daytime temperatures of around 25C, with occasional rain. Pack lightweight clothing and sun protection, plus a light jacket for the evenings.

Attractions in Abu Dhabi

Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

One of the world’s largest mosques, it was the vision of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE. Its 82 white marble domes, the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet and crystal chandeliers designed to resemble upturned palm trees are explained on free guided tours, which point out details such as the gold-leaf calligraphy around the domes. After dark, the lighting on the facade follows the lunar cycle, turning its deepest blue when there is no moon.

Step inside Louvre Abu Dhabi

The first universal museum in the Arab world stands in the Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island. Jean Nouvel, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect, drew on the traditional Arabic dome for its centrepiece: a 180-metre, eight-layer latticed dome that filters sunlight into what he called a “rain of light”. Inside, works from different cultures and centuries sit side by side.

Explore Qasr Al Hosn

Abu Dhabi’s oldest standing structure began as a watchtower built in the 1790s to guard the coastal trade routes, and grew into the Inner Fort in 1795. Home to the ruling Al Nahyan family for generations, it opened as a museum in 2018 after more than a decade of restoration. Within the site, the House of Artisans hosts demonstrations of traditional Emirati crafts, and Bait Al Gahwa shows how Arabic coffee is ceremonially prepared and served.

Paddle through Mangrove National Park

Minutes from central Abu Dhabi at Eastern Mangroves, the park is protected by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and makes up almost 75 per cent of the UAE’s total mangrove forest area. Kayaking along its channels is one of the best ways to see it, and flamingos and herons can be spotted from the boardwalks.

Food and drink in Abu Dhabi

Order machboos and harees

Machboos, a signature Emirati dish, is rice cooked in a spiced broth with chicken, lamb or fish. Its distinctive sour, floral note comes from loomi, dried lime. Look out too for harees, wheat and meat slow-cooked until smooth and finished with ghee, clarified butter – the dish of Ramadan and weddings.

Browse Mina Market

Where the boats come in, Mina Market piles up fresh fish, spices and dates by the kilo. Fish is the star of many local dishes, among them madrooba, a mix of salted fish, spices and a thick sauce. Khalas is the date variety locals rate highest – smaller and less sweet than Medjool – and sellers expect you to ask for a taste before you buy.

Accept a cup of gahwa

Gahwa, as Arabic coffee is pronounced in the Emirati dialect, is brewed with cardamom and saffron and poured from a dallah, a long-spouted pot, into a finjan, a small cup without a handle. The guest is served first, and the cup is filled only a quarter full so that it can be refilled. One to three cups is the respectful amount, and dates always come with it. When you have had enough, gently shake the cup from side to side. Arabic coffee was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015.

Finish with luqaimat

Luqaimat are small fried dumplings, crisp outside and soft within, drizzled with date syrup and best eaten hot. The stalls around Mina Zayed fry them freshest in the evening. For breakfast, try chebab, thin Emirati pancakes topped with date syrup. Between a plate of machboos and a final cup of gahwa, the spices of Abu Dhabi’s old trade routes are never far from the table.

Getting to Abu Dhabi

Zayed International Airport, formerly Abu Dhabi International Airport, is the emirate’s main gateway, and Yas Island is a short drive away. Silver taxis wait at the kerb around the clock, ride-hailing apps operate across the city, and the A1 airport bus runs to the Central Bus Station for onward connections. The free Experience Abu Dhabi Shuttle Bus also serves the airport.

Entry requirements vary by nationality, so check the official UAE government guidance before you travel.

Getting around Abu Dhabi

Walk the waterfronts

The Corniche runs for 8km along the city’s waterfront, with separate paths for walkers and cyclists. On Yas Island, a palm-lined 3km boardwalk connects Yas Bay Waterfront, and Yas Marina is easy to explore on foot.

Ride the buses and shuttles

Abu Dhabi’s air-conditioned public buses are equipped for wheelchair users; check Abu Dhabi Mobility’s own information on how to pay. The free Experience Abu Dhabi Shuttle Bus links Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, the city centre and the Grand Canal area, while the free Yas Express connects hotels and attractions across Yas Island. Silver taxis can be hailed on the street or booked by app, and water taxis link stops including Yas Bay and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Reach the circuit

The Yas Marina Circuit sits on Yas Island, just to the east of the city, and one of the Yas Express routes stops at the circuit. Full travel information for the weekend is published on the official Abu Dhabi Grand Prix website.