Free entertainment UAE from Alan's blog

The UAE is a country of luxury hotels, white beaches,dune buggy rental, a comfortable and expensive vacation, but even here a budget and curious traveler will find many free or almost free entertainment.

Dubai Museum, Al Fahidi Fort

Life in Dubai 50 years ago was radically different. Originally, there was a small pearl mining and trading artel around the Creek Bay. In just 40 years, the city has not only developed rapidly, but has changed beyond recognition. You can find out what Dubai was like during the time of the Bedouins and emirs for free at the Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort.

The National Museum is the main museum in the Emirate of Dubai. It is located in the ancient Al-Fahidi Fort. In different historical periods, it was the residence of the emirs, a fortress, a barracks and a prison.

Since 1970, after restoration, a museum has been housed here. After a serious reconstruction of the fortress due to soil subsidence (1987 - 1995), an underground gallery-exposition was opened. At the gate of the fort, tourists are greeted by old ship cannons. In the courtyard there are fishing boats - dhow and shasha (dug out of palm wood), barrels for fresh water and English cannons. The expositions feature a Bedouin's house, ancient weapons, jewelry, musical instruments.

The main exhibition is located in the underground. Here you can watch a short film about the history of Dubai, see the "Desert at Night" panorama, visit the school at the mosque, learn how rich merchants lived, how artisans worked and Bedouins roamed.

 +971 4 3531862

Al Fahidi Street, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, at Al Fahidi Fort, United Arab Emirates

Jumeirah Mosque

The largest  mosque in the city is Jumeirah. There are free guided tours every day at 10:00 (except Friday).

Organizer - Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding.

The duration of the excursion is 75 minutes. Visitors can ask any questions about Islam and the culture of the Emirates. There are several lovely cafes in the immediate vicinity. Think over your appearance: entrance to the territory for women is possible only in a dress, knees and shoulders must be covered.

Free beaches and parks

The coastline in Dubai is 40 kilometers. Of course, most of the beaches are hotel beaches, and the entrance to them costs a lot of money. But there is the beach of the public park Jumeirah Beach Park, the entrance to the territory of which costs only 5 dirhams ($ 1.35). It is just a great place to relax for families with children - there are many shady meadows, sun loungers and umbrellas, shops with soft drinks and ice cream. In addition, the beach is guarded.

There are also municipal beaches, although there is only sea and sand, and they are completely free.

Dubai has a beautiful green oasis -  Alfa Safa Park  with picnic areas. Many Arab families come here for the weekend. The entrance to the park costs 3 dirhams ($ 0.8). On Sundays, there is a spontaneous market where they sell all sorts of things, as well as the Archive cafe of Middle Eastern culture.

The restored district of Bastakia.

Few historical buildings remain in ultra-modern Dubai, and most of them survive in the restored Bastakiya district, bordering Creek. This old lot, consisting of several dozen buildings, was built in the early 20th century by traders from Iran and only thanks to the intervention of the heir to the British crown, Prince Charles, it survived during the mass development of Dubai in the 1980s.

Bastakiya is not like the rest of Dubai: narrow streets are divided by old houses, on the roof of which unique air conditioners of the old times - wind towers - are installed. Today the old district has been completely renovated and serves as one of the main tourist attractions in the city. Here are the famous  hotels and restaurants, art galleries, as well as the oldest building in Dubai - Al-Fahidi Fort, which houses the National Museum.

Attraction address: Historic Bastakiya Area, Dubai.

Dubai Mall 

To visit the United Arab Emirates, to come to Dubai and not see one of its particularly beautiful gems - the magnificent  Dubai Mallwould be an unforgivable mistake. Even if you are completely indifferent to the joys of great shopping, it will not ruin your day at this place.

Getting to the mall from neighboring cities and even other emirates is easy - many hotels provide this service (bus travel) for free.

The indoor aquariumbuilt there   is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It is very unexpected to find such a colossus with 10 million liters of water on the territory of the Dubai Mall. The main thing is that the external facade is available for public viewing for free! Of course, you can get into the inner tunnel for a fee, and this, by the way, is very inexpensive, but if suddenly there is a queue and you are in a hurry, then you can be content with an external free inspection. Believe me, it will not leave you indifferent - the view opens from three tiers of the shopping center. It is a magnificent sight, it is worth seeing.

If you go up to the second floor and go as if behind the aquarium, there are restaurants where you can sit and look at the fish, and you can also go to the glass itself.

Dubai Aqurium  is the largest hanging aquarium in the world !!! The 10 millionth tank of the Dubai Aquarium is located on the ground floor of  The  Dubai Mall. From the outside it looks like something unimaginable and even fantastic. There are more than 33 thousand marine animals in the tank of the aquarium, 400 of which are sharks.

Lovers of sweets must visit  Candylicious. Its visitors are faced with a difficult choice - in a huge store you can taste sweet delicacies from all over the world.

There is another amazing picture - a huge waterfall, in which water falls from a height of four levels of the center (24 m) in a thirty-meter strip. The brilliant figures of the pearl divers are equally beautiful in any light.

A visit to the  Dubai Mall  will add a lot of vivid impressions to the memories of a trip to one of the most attractive oriental countries.

Fountains of dubai

Singing fountains in Dubai are known far beyond the borders of not only the city, but also the country. There are many similar structures in the world, but only Dubai Fountain amazes with its size, beauty and power. It is located on an artificial lake with an area of ​​more than 12 hectares. The length of the structure is 275 m, and the width is 150 m. The height of its jets reaches more than 150 m, which corresponds to the height of a 50-storey building.

The effect is stunning! It is best to watch the show in the evening, when the water jets are also highlighted.

Time of performances: From Saturday to Thursday - 13-00 and 13-30; from 18-00 to 23-00 every 30 minutes;

Friday: 13-30 and 14-00; from 18-00 to 23-00 every 30 minutes.

Museums and art galleries

In addition to relaxing on the beach and shopping in Dubai, you should go to  museums and art galleries.  Artists from all over the Middle East come to Dubai, working in completely different styles. For some of the more unusual art movements, head to Al SerkalAvenue to the  Al Quoz Gallery. It is a true oasis of creativity located in an industrial area. For more classic displays, check out the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) community of galleries. Every month they open their doors free of charge to everyone. Perhaps this is the only place where you can meet local hipsters and creative bohemians.

Abu Dhabi

Heritage village

Situated on a breakwater next to Marina Mall and the Corniche, hidden in the shade of magnificent gardens, the ethnographic Heritage Village boasts a rebuild of an oriental bazaar, a traditional mosque and recreated Bedouin camps and a barasti hut built from dry palm branches.

There are workshops here, where you can see how artisans make products from clay and glass, engrave on brass and weave on traditional looms.

Opening hours:  from Saturday to Thursday from 9.00 to 17.00, on Fridays the complex is open to the public from 15.30 to 21.00.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 

The awe-inspiring Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is only superlative. Situated on an area equal to the area of ​​five football fields, the mosque can accommodate almost 50,000 worshipers. The columns are lined with over 20,000 marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shells and mother of pearl.

The mosque has four 107-meter minarets, light-reflecting pools, colorful mosaics and the world's largest chandelier. It is a breathtaking architectural ensemble and must-see when visiting Abu Dhabi.

Tour times:  Sunday-Thursday: 10:00, 11:00 and 17:00, Friday: 17:00 and 20:00, Saturday 10:00, 11:00, 17:00, 20:00

Добраться до мечети можно на туристическом автобусе или такси. На городском автобусе, следующим от главного автовокзала Абу-Даби Также можно воспользоваться городскими автобусами, следующими от Главного автовокзала Абу-Даби (Hazza bin Zayed the First Street и East Road). Ближайшая автобусная остановка находится примерно в 10 минутах ходьбы от Мечети шейха Заида.

Выставки на острове Саадият

Туристический центр острова — Манарат аль-Саадият — знакомит посетителей с жизнью острова. В настоящее время для публики открыты 2 галереи: постоянная «История Саадият», повествующая об истории и культуре острова, а также Художественная галерея Абу-Даби, в рамках которой проводятся выставки и ведутся образовательные программы.

The UAE Pavilion  is a stately structure in the form of sand dunes, designed by the famous London company Foster + Partners, was transported piece by piece from Shanghai, where it was visited by about 2 million people during World Expo 2010. Now the pavilion is located near the center of Manarat Al-Saadiyat, becoming one of the cultural attractions of the island.

Working hours: from 9:00 to 20:00 daily

Address: about. Saadiyat, UAE

Phone: + 971 2 657 5800

P ark  " Paradise"

There is a flower park in the small town of Al Ain, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. You can visit it completely free of charge, but it is worth remembering about a certain existing routine. So, on Wednesdays and Sundays, only women are allowed here, on Fridays and Saturdays - only families. On all other days, the park is open to everyone. Al Ain is separated from Dubai by about 120 km or about 1.5 hours by car.

In 2010, Al Ain Paradise was honored to be in the Guinness Book of World Records as the planet's largest garden of hanging flower beds in baskets. In total, more than 3 thousand flower baskets await guests in the park, from which various compositions have been created by skilled gardeners.

The total area of ​​Al Ain Paradise is 21 thousand square meters.

Among the attractions of the park are the large flower pyramid, the avenue of flower hearts, a 12-meter copy of the Eiffel Tower and an artificial stream, which has a closed system and passes through the entire territory of the flower park.

At night, the park becomes even more like a fairyland, thanks to the original lighting.

If you decide to visit this flower paradise, it will not be superfluous to inquire about its work in advance: over the past 5 years, the park has been closed for repairs and reconstruction several times.

Address: Building No. 1, Street No. 15, Sweifi District, Zakher Area, Al Ain, park, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Tel .: +971 3 7820788

Al Ain oasis

Al Ain Oasis is a small oasis area located in the heart of the city, covering an area of ​​about 1200 hectares.

In this palm paradise, you can hide from the bustle of the city and the hot sun. Previously, the oasis, which was laid out near the Museum-Palace, was the personal garden of the ruler of the country, this oasis has been cultivated for more than 3000 years and date farms still operate on palm plantations, where you can look at functioning examples of traditional irrigation systems used to supply water from underground sources.

Now the oasis is home to many beautiful ponds, sculptures and fine examples of landscape architecture. In addition to all this, there are museums, hot springs, a zoo, an aquarium, an ice skating rink and the Fun City amusement park on the territory. Here you can also climb the Jebel Hafeet Mountain, from where you will see a wide panorama of the surroundings.

Contact Information Al Mutawaa Site Address - Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

G Alere I  Barakat

The gallery specializes in ancient art, featuring relics from China, Egypt, the Middle East, Africa, Pre-Columbian America, Ancient Greece and Rome. Any exhibit can be bought.

Working hours:  from 10.00 to 14.00 and from 17.00 to 22.00.

Address:  Hotel  Emirates Palace, Ras Al-Akhdar

G alerey Ghaf

The gallery, which features the best works of up-and-coming local and foreign artists, has earned the name of one of the most interesting places in the city.

Opening hours:  from Saturday to Thursday, from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00.

Адрес:  Khaleej Al Arabi Street

F ort Al-Jahili

Fort Al-Jahili is the birthplace of the founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, and one of the most famous historical buildings in Abu Dhabi.

The fort was built in 1891 to protect the city and its beautiful palm groves. Also, at one time, the fort served as the residence of the local ruler, when the building was the headquarters of the Scouts of Treaty Oman. Initially, the building consisted of two buildings, a round tower and a square.

The fort now hosts exhibitions of the work of Sir Wilfred Teziger, a British traveler who traveled through the Rub Al Khali desert in 1940.

The building also houses a tourist information center and an audiovisual installation dedicated to the history of Al Ain.