TOP entertainment centres in Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, families with children can visit the world-famous entertainment destinations of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. There is also Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi which offers exciting rip-roaring waterslide and a lazy lagoon for people of all ages to enjoy. Not forgetting the new Snow Abu Dhabi resort, which was opened in 2023, and is where you can practise your skiing technique even when it’s 40℃ outside.

There are a lot of entertainment centres in Abu Dhabi for families with both young and older children to enjoy. Here is a list of just some of the best destinations to visit when you’re in the capital.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

This is a world-famous theme park on Yas Island, with 40 attractions for people of all different ages to enjoy. Restrictions on rides depend on the height of the individual, which is a minimum height of 2.9 ft.

Guests can experience the world’s fastest roller coaster, called Formula Rossa, as well as enjoying other popular attractions including the Flying Aces roller coaster, Formula Rossa Junior, Mission Ferrari and Turbo Track, Turbo Tower, Speedway Race and Flying Wings. The multisensory simulator Viaggio in Italia, karting for adults and children and the 4D adventure Speed of Magic, are also available at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. For active recreation, children are offered a soft playground called Nello’s Adventureland and a Junior Training Camp climbing area.

The infrastructure of the park includes different Italian cafes and restaurants, as well as the world’s biggest Ferrari showroom with a collection of branded goods, including cars, clothes and accessories. There are changing rooms and areas dedicated for feeding children in the park. You can rent a pram for AED 40 (USD 11), a storage box for AED 35 (USD 10) and a luggage locker for AED 50 (USD 14) per day.

Tickets online cost from AED 345 (USD 94). At the ticket office, the price varies from AED 360 (USD 98) to AED 380 (USD 103).

Pay attention! Prices and working hours of entertainment centres are valid for August 2023. To clarify the information, you can check the official website.

Opening hours: daily from 11AM to 8PM

www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi

An amusement park in the style of the Warner Bros. Studio. The development includes six locations with 29 attractions, called Warner Bros. Plaza, Dynamite Gulch, Bedrock, Cartoon Junction, Metropolis and Gotham City. The opening of the first Harry Potter zone in the Middle East is expected to be located here in the future.

At Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi guests are greeted by animators in costumes from their favourite movie characters, and the park also hosts entertainment shows for children, and cartoon and movie showings throughout the day.

The minimum height for visiting attractions is 2.6 ft. The Flintstones Bedrock River Adventure, which is a zone for solving the detective story of Scooby Doo: The Museum of Mysteries and the maze of The Joker Funhouse, are perfect destinations for families on holiday. Other exciting rides in the theme park comprise Justice League: Warworld Attacks, Scarecrow Scare Raid, The Riddler Revolution, Tom and Jerry: Swiss Cheese Spin and Batman: Knight Flight.

The park offers a restaurant, cafes and different eateries, as well as several souvenir shops. There are rooms for mothers with small children, prayer halls, lockers for personal belongings and a baby stroller rental.

The cost of one ticket on the website is AED 345 (USD 94). At the ticket offices, you can buy a ticket from AED 360 (USD 98) to AED 380 (USD 103).

Opening hours: daily from 11AM to 8PM until August 27

from 12PM to 8PM from August 28

www.wbworldabudhabi.com

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi

This is one of the most famous water parks in the region, in the style of traditional Arabic architecture. The whole park is designed in the theme of the legend of the lost pearl, which was created based on the history and culture of the emirate.

The park features more than 40 water slides and attractions, including the Bubbles Barrel surfing area, the largest wave pool in the region called AMWAJ, the Marah Fortress splash pads, the 984-ft Al Raha River and Water Wars water projectiles. The most popular slides are Liwa Loop, Hamlool’s Humps, Dawwama, Jebel Drop and Slithers Slides. Children with a minimum height of 2.6 ft are allowed on the slides.

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi provides a wide range of services, including a fully equipped room for mothers and babies, and the rental of prams and lockers.

Before visiting the water park, you should study the dress code. At Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, it is forbidden to visit in underwear, open swimsuits, long flowing clothes, street clothes, and anything with metal objects that may come into contact with the surface of the slide.

The cost of one ticket online is AED 295 (USD 80). The price at the ticket office varies from AUD 305 (USD 83) to AED 325 (USD 88).

Opening hours: Sunday — Thursday from 10AM to 8PM, Saturday until 9PM

Friday — Yas Ladies from 1PM to 8PM

www.yaswaterworld.com

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi

A marine centre with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Visitors will be able to travel from the poles to the tropics due to eight exciting zones: Abu Dhabi Ocean, One Ocean, Antarctica, Arctic, Tropical Ocean, Rocky Point, Endless Ocean and MicroOcean. You can see dolphins, flamingos, sea lions and seals, sharks, turtles, walruses, stingrays, otters and many other species all under one roof.

The world’s largest aquarium called Endless Ocean Aquarium, is located in Sea World Abu Dhabi, and offers scuba diving lessons for visitors from 12 years old and underwater walks in a wetsuit for children from 10 years old accompanied by an adult.

Visitors can choose from 17 restaurants, 13 retail outlets and lots of entertainment venues. The centre offers an area with different attractions, including Manta Coaster, Jelly Plunge, El Racer, Hypersphere 360°, Turtle Twist, Octozoom!, Shipwreck Cove, and many more.

The ticket price for SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is AED 375 (USD 102) for adults and AED 290 (USD 79) for children.

Important! At Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and Sea World Abu Dhabi, special offers for the purchase of several tickets are available to visitors. There are also annual passes available, with access to all four parks on sale at a price of AED 1,295 (USD 353).

Opening hours: daily from 10AM to 8PM

www.seaworldabudhabi.com

Air Maniax Abu Dhabi

The entertainment centre of Air Maniax Abu Dhabi is located in Marina Mall, Al Marina and Yas Mall on Yas Island. The complex is open to guests from 2 to 65 years old.

The destination offers inflatable arenas with an area of 15,070 sq. ft, where children and adults can play. In the Ninja Warrior location, shells for ninja sports are available, and there is an obstacle course for agility and speed in Warrior Assault. The multifunctional inflatable sports arena serves as a playground for football, basketball and volleyball. The Meltdown attraction is designed for a team jumping game. In the centre, there is a ZipZag downhill and a roller coaster for riding cheesecakes. A Mini Warrior Assault play area is provided for children up to 3 ft tall. Air Maniax Abu Dhabi also offers a cafe with drinks and snacks.

The starting cost of a shared access ticket is AED 85 (USD 23) per hour.

Opening hours: Sunday — Thursday from 10AM to 10PM

Friday — Saturday from 10AM to 12AM

www.airmaniax.com

CLYMB Abu Dhabi

A sports and entertainment complex with the world’s biggest covered camera for skydiving with a height of 105 ft, where visitors from three years old are allowed to have a go. CLYMB Abu Dhabi has the highest indoor climbing wall in the region, at 138 ft, for guests from 4 years old who must be under the supervision of a parent or guardian until the age of 18.

Tickets are designed for both beginners and experienced athletes. The CLIMB Combo fare costs AED 315 (USD 86), and includes 60-minute access to three indoor climbing walls, two flights, instructor supervision and equipment rental.

Opening hours: Wednesday — Sunday from 12PM to 9PM until August 27

Wednesday — Sunday from 1PM to 9PM from August 30

www.clymbabudhabi.com

Snow Abu Dhabi

One of the world’s biggest indoor snow parks, which is designed in the style of an enchanted forest. The temperature is maintained at minus 2°C here, while the depth of snow cover is 19.6 inches. The complex is located on the second floor of Reef Mall, on Al Reem Island.

Visitors can choose among 20 attractions, including Polar Express Train, Crystal Carousel, Flight of the Snowy Owl, the Snowflake Garden and the Enchanted Tree, as well as Ice and Floes Toboggan Race and Grauppel’s Summit Escape. There are cafes, restaurants and an event hall in Snow Abu Dhabi.

The park provides winter boots, trousers, jackets and disposable pairs of socks from S to 4XL, as well as helmets, which must be worn by visitors of up to 13 years old. Children under 2 years old cannot enter the centre, and guests under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult over 16 years old.

The starting cost of a ticket to Snow Abu Dhabi is AED 215 (USD 59). The price of an annual subscription is AED 795 (USD 216).

Pay attention! From July 17 to August 31, from 9AM to 5PM, a summer camp is open for children from 4 to 10 years old in Snow Abu Dhabi. The price of one day constitutes AED 350 (USD 95), a week — AED 1,500 (USD 408) and a month — AED 4,000 (USD 1,089).

Opening hours: Sunday — Thursday from 10AM to 10PM

Saturday — Friday from 10AM to 12AM

www.skidxb.com/en-ae/snow-abu-dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, families can not only visit entertainment centres, but they can also enjoy cultural attractions, where plenty of activities for children are provided.

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Children’s Museum at Louvre Abu Dhabi is situated in Louvre Abu Dhabi, where interactive exhibitions are held. The museum is located on Saadiyat Island.

The exhibition “Picturing the Cosmos”, which is located across three floors, is open for visitors. Guests are invited to embark on a journey from Earth to Mars with a stop at the International Space Station.

During the exhibition, you can enjoy works of art inspired by the cosmos and examine instruments that have helped people study the universe throughout history. Here visitors can also see two ancient meteorites and an astronaut’s spacesuit.

Children can enjoy their own mission to Mars. To do this, outdoor activities are carried out, including choosing vegetables for delivery on board and maintaining balance when jumping on a trampoline. At the entrance, visitors are advised to indicate their name, age and preferred language in order to receive a bracelet with a barcode for access to games and quizzes.

Children from 4 years old are allowed to visit “Picturing the Cosmos”. Children up to 18 years of age have free admission. The exhibition will last until June 2025.

Opening hours of Louvre Abu Dhabi: Tuesday — Thursday from 10AM to 6:30PM

Friday — Sunday from 10AM to 8:30PM

https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae

Manarat Al Saadiyat

The gallery is located in the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island. The centre hosts year-round exhibitions, film screenings, performances and seminars that are suitable for people of all ages. Manarat Al Saadiyat features an art studio, a photo studio and three galleries for temporary exhibitions.

The establishment also offers space for self-expression, for instance, art workshops for children and adults on self-portraits, drawing, engravings and ceramics. The centre includes an outdoor terrace for events, a theatre space with 100 seats, as well as a cafe and a restaurant.

Opening hours: daily from 10AM to 8PM

You can check the programme of events and the cost of tickets on the official website of manaratalsaadiyat.ae.