Why Abu Dhabi for Your Next Meeting or Event?
Abu Dhabi, the capital and the largest of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), offers the best of the modern and the traditional. Here are cutting-edge meeting facilities, soaring spires of commerce, stunning white beaches and shimmering turquoise waters. Attendees can explore the rich cultural bounty of Qasr al Hosn, Abu Dhabi city’s oldest stone building, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first universal museum in the Arab World. Your group also will enjoy authentic local culture, expanses of awesome desert and unforgettable experiences replete with menageries of horses, camels, falcons and salukis (gracefully swift, silky-coated dogs), artisan crafts and charming legends.
Only in Abu Dhabi
- The Louvre Abu Dhabi, an offshoot of the famous French repository of art, has produced a new video, “We Are Not Alone,"
which takes viewers on a trip through the facility’s unique
architecture. The story is told as a futuristic science-fiction tale
narrated by celebrities such as American actor Willem Dafoe and German
filmmaker Wim Wenders. The museum, which recently celebrated its second
anniversary, is on Saadiyat Island, rapidly becoming a major cultural
center with numerous other museums and more in the works. The building
takes the shape of a filigreed half-sphere resting on a low base
intersected by channels of water. Inside, find some 600 stellar works
from around the world spread among 23 galleries.
- The largest house of worship in the
United Arab Emirates, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can hold more than 40,000 people and is an essential stop for visitors of all faiths. Completed
in 2007, the mosque’s stunning design incorporates stunning touches from
different Muslim civilizations and includes ornate onion-top domes, a
reflective pool that engulfs the courtyard, and the iconic prayer hall
with what is said to be the world’s biggest chandelier.
- Yas
Island, just 20 minutes from downtown Abu
Dhabi, is a fast-growing leisure and entertainment district bristling with
colorful theme parks (like Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld), sports
and shopping (Yas Mall). The sparkling new Hilton Abu
Dhabi Yas Island, with 24 meeting rooms and a total
of 27,512 square feet of event space, is just one premier venue here.
Travel Essentials
- Taxes: Abu Dhabi city tax, 6%; municipality tax, 4%, plus US$4 per night; total tax on hotel rooms,10% plus US$4 per night
- Convention Centers:
• Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center; number of meeting rooms, 24; total exhibit space, 785,765 square feet indoors, 601,702 square feet outdoors. The venue includes the 86,111-square-foot International Convention Center, the emirate’s largest indoor auditorium, which can accommodate 6,000 guests seated and 8,000 standing.
• Al Ain Convention Center; number of meeting rooms, 7; total exhibit space, 992,518 square feet - CVB: Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau. The bureau has launched the Stay Connected microsite to communicate with local MICE industry stakeholders and global clients during the pandemic. The site includes free webinars and online courses, plus a calendar of virtual industry events.
- Local Currency: UAE dirham (AED or Dhs); US$1 equals about AED 3.67
- Power: Standard voltage, 220 V; standard frequency, 50 Hz
- Time Zone: Four hours ahead of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, formerly known as GMT). There is no daylight saving.
- Transportation: Abu Dhabi International Airport, about 20 miles from the city center. Transfer cost by taxi, about US$22
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