The impressive capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, is chock full of intriguing sightseeing locations, exciting excursions, and glamourous shopping sure to entertain all members of the family who vacation here. If you are interested in soaking up the emirate’s unique heritage and culture, one place comes to mind: the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.

This unique site is located on Sheikh Zayed First Street, and it is also off Khalifa Street in close proximity to the White Fort in downtown Abu Dhabi. It was established in 1981 as a place for art and learning, and it is managed by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. Thus, it is in fact the cultural hub of the metropolitan and a great spot for art lovers to hang out and explore the history and culture of this land.

It is a combination of a number of important locations in the city such as National Library, the Institute of Culture and Art and also the National Archives. There are numerous events taking place at the premises and they range from exhibitions, concerts, movie screenings, lectures, theatre performances, language classes, cooking classes, poetry readings, and various other types of classes related to art and culture and even art workshops.

It is open from Saturdays to Wednesdays from 8 am to 2 pm and then again from 5 pm to 9 pm. On Thursdays it is open from 9 am to noon and reopens later on from 5 pm to 8 pm. The premises is also on the grounds of an old fort by the name Qasr Al Hosn, which is not open to public, although photographs can be taken from outside.

This is indeed a great place to go to explore the local culture and heritage and also to mix and mingle with like-minded people especially if you are planning on living in the city for a longer period of time. It is accessible from a number of prestigious UAE Hotels. There are diverse Middle East hotels catering to diverse clientele for anyone planning to visit this city. Whether you are here on a family vacation or a business trip, there are great establishments which will meet all your needs. One of the finest amongst them, whether you are here on work or pleasure, is the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East, which is located in a convenient location and provides the best of facilities.

Jayani Senanayake is a writer who dabbles in travel and all things exotic. Under the pseudonym of Caliope Sage, she writes of the allures that must simply be discovered.

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