Visitors to Abu Dhabi are sure to be delighted by the wide variety of sports and activities available, from the wonderfully indulgent to the adrenaline-fuelled. Winter (October to March) is the best time to enjoy outdoor activities (although many visitors take part in such pursuits all year round), whether it’s mainstream sports like golf and tennis or alternative options such as caving, mountain biking, rock climbing and skydiving. For those less keen on the summer heat, there are plenty of indoor activities available, and most hotels have excellent gym facilities.
During the hotter months, early mornings and late evenings are the best options for outdoor activities, be it watersports, a round of floodlit golf, or a walk along the Corniche.
If you are interested in having a go at adventure activities such as climbing, off-roading, mountain biking, dune buggying or quad biking, then there are a number of reputable tour operators that offer tailored activity trips. Taking a trip out into the wilderness is a must, and there are various tours on offer. Places to see include the Rub Al Khali or ‘Empty Quarter’ (the last great frontier of uninhabited desert), the many oases hidden among the dunes or the dramatic wadis and jagged mountains rising out of the desert. If you’ve got the confidence (and the insurance) and are in a group you can hire a 4WD, pick up a copy of the UAE Off-Road Explorer and explore the unpaved expanses yourself.
Over the past few years, Abu Dhabi has made quite a name for itself on the international sporting scene. The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit is now a fixture on the Formula One calendar, and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, which hosts several of the world’s best golfers, is the curtain-raiser for the European PGA Tour. And after a successful hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009, Abu Dhabi will again host the event in 2010.
