This spring, I had the opportunity to take part in the Ramadan Journey Fam Trip, a themed familiarization tour organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. Over the course of several days, together with colleagues from Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, I explored the emirate's cultural heritage, visited its most iconic landmarks, and discovered the traditions of Ramadan.

Alongside an extensive sightseeing program, participants—including travel agents—had the opportunity to meet representatives of airlines, hotels, and the emirate's leading tourist attractions in person, gaining a deeper understanding of everything Abu Dhabi has to offer.

The weather during spring was ideal for sightseeing, but after getting to know the emirate, I can confidently say this: if your vacation falls in summer—or especially if you're traveling with school-aged children—don't hesitate to choose Abu Dhabi. It's close, affordable, and incredibly rewarding.

High temperatures are nothing new for Abu Dhabi. They are not the result of recent decades but have been part of everyday life here for centuries. The people of this land have long adapted to the harsh desert climate, developing distinctive architectural solutions, daily routines, and traditions that made life in the desert not only possible, but comfortable.

Today, centuries of adaptation are complemented by cutting-edge technology. Thoughtfully designed urban spaces, air-conditioned walkways and bus stops, modern entertainment complexes, and an abundance of indoor attractions mean that both residents and visitors can enjoy the city with minimal concern about the summer heat. You can even venture into the desert without hesitation.

Al Ain Region and the Falaj

Water is the key to survival in the desert. Finding it, channeling it, and distributing it has always been crucial.

Thousands of years ago, the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula's deserts devised not only ways to dig wells and draw water from them, but also methods of directing that water underground and using it for irrigation. Even more remarkably, they developed a system for distributing it fairly among everyone. Thanks to this innovation, the oasis of Al Ain—known as the "Garden City"—was established in ancient times. It continues to flourish today and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A falaj is an irrigation system that relies solely on gravity to transport water. First, a well is dug down to the groundwater. Then a gently sloping underground channel—sometimes stretching for several kilometers—is constructed, allowing water to flow continuously. Once it reaches the oasis, the water is diverted into a network of smaller canals that distribute it throughout the settlement. Interestingly, in ancient times water was measured not by volume but by the amount of time it could be used. The falaj system is often compared with ancient Roman aqueducts. The difference is that while the Romans built open waterways, the people of Arabia created underground channels where virtually no water was lost to evaporation—a crucial advantage in the desert.

You can learn all of this at the Al Ain Museum, the oldest museum in the UAE. It was established in 1969 at the initiative of Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, before the United Arab Emirates itself was founded. The museum is a vivid reminder that although the UAE is one of the world's youngest nations, the land on which it stands preserves the memory of countless generations.

Weapons, tools, Bronze Age pottery, ancient jewelry, and seals reveal that the region's inhabitants were connected to trade routes linking Mesopotamia, Iran, and the Indus Valley thousands of years ago. Horse and camel burials testify that caravans were already passing through this land during the Iron Age.Qasr Al Muwaiji Fort

Qasr Al Muwaiji Fort

The Al Ain region is the birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the second President of the UAE and the son of the nation's founder, Sheikh Zayed. Qasr Al Muwaiji served as the ancestral residence of the Al Nahyan family. Its mud-brick walls, austere interiors, and complete absence of luxury offer a glimpse into how the country—including its rulers—lived before the discovery of oil.

Al Ain Zoo

It's difficult to describe the feeling when an enormous giraffe bends down and pokes its head through the window of your electric buggy to gently take a treat from your hand. Then, using its impossibly long tongue, it deftly plucks a carrot from your fingers before ambling away.

The giraffes wander through the wooded areas in peaceful herds, completely unfazed by either vehicles or people.

Nearby, zebras and rhinoceroses roam freely, while only the gazelles dart away at the sound of the electric buggies.

These are dama gazelles, one of the world's rarest species, saved from extinction thanks to the creation of this zoo. The Arabian oryx—the national symbol of the UAE—and the sand cat have also been rescued here. They are bred in captivity—if a territory the size of 560 football fields can really be called captivity—and later released back into the wild.

Lions sit proudly atop a rise, surveying everything below them. The zoo has been designed so that predators also roam freely, but carefully engineered barriers ensure they can never reach areas where their "potential prey" might be.

Like many of the UAE's landmark attractions, Al Ain Zoo was established by the country's founder, Sheikh Zayed.

Ramadan and Iftar in Abu Dhabi

Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam, and Abu Dhabi takes on a unique atmosphere during this time. Daily life follows the rhythm of the month: rising before dawn, fasting, praying, performing acts of kindness, and sharing the day's first meal only after sunset. Iftar, the meal that breaks the long day's fast, is traditionally enjoyed with family and friends over sweet dates and specially prepared dishes.

If you're visiting as a tourist, you are free to eat during the day in public places. Many cafés and restaurants continue operating as usual specifically for visitors. Even so, don't miss the opportunity to experience iftar in Abu Dhabi. It's one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local atmosphere and connect with the culture.

Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum

Around seven million years ago, the area that is now Abu Dhabi was far greener and far richer in water than the desert we know today. Ancient elephants, antelopes, and many other remarkable animals once lived here. You'll discover this story at the Natural History Museum, one of the newest and most distinctive museums on Saadiyat Island.

The museum itself is an immense futuristic structure that appears to have risen directly from the desert rocks, echoing their natural forms.

Inside, you embark on a journey through 13.8 billion years of history. Rather than simply observing the past, you become part of it. Advanced technology creates a truly immersive experience.

Visitors are welcomed by Stan, the gigantic skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, standing like the guardian of an ancient world. Healed fractures visible on its bones tell the dramatic story of a predator that survived devastating injuries millions of years ago.

Towering sauropods, a 25-meter blue whale, the tiniest prehistoric organisms visible only through a microscope, and a fragment of the famous Murchison meteorite—older than our own planet. Standing before this small rock, it's hard to believe that it contains clues to the earliest stages of the Solar System's formation.

The journey takes you from the Big Bang all the way to the present day. But what comes next? Interactive installations explore the future of Earth, reminding visitors of the planet's fragility and humanity's responsibility for its fate.

You leave feeling certain that you'll return. Because one "night at the museum" is clearly not enough, and this story deserves a sequel.

Zayed National Museum

The newest addition to Saadiyat Island's museum district tells the story of the formation of the United Arab Emirates and of the man whose name is inseparable from the birth of the nation—Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Five soaring falcon wings rise toward the sky, symbolizing falconry, one of the Bedouins' most cherished traditions. Yet these wings are more than an architectural statement: they also function as wind towers, helping cool the museum's interior spaces.

The moment you step into the central hall, your attention is immediately drawn to the enormous Magan boat, as though it has just returned from a voyage across the millennia. More than 4,000 years ago, Magan—the name the Sumerians gave to the territory of present-day UAE and Oman—was one of the Middle East's most important centers for maritime trade and copper production. It was aboard vessels like this that goods were shipped from here to Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

It's hard to believe this is not an archaeological discovery, but an exact reconstruction of an ancient trading vessel.

Bronze and Iron Age artifacts, pottery, jewelry, tools, coins, and clay tablets inscribed in ancient languages reveal that long before the UAE became a nation of soaring skyscrapers, merchants, farmers, and craftsmen lived here. Saddles, weapons, navigational instruments, and everyday Bedouin belongings tell the story of how people survived among the sands for centuries.

The "Abu Dhabi Pearl" is one of the oldest natural pearls ever discovered in the region. It was unearthed on Marawah Island during excavations of a Neolithic settlement dating back around 8,000 years. The discovery confirmed that pearls were being harvested in the Arabian Gulf long before the advent of written history.

The exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of Sheikh Zayed features photographs, documents, and archival footage illustrating how a collection of small principalities evolved into one of the world's most modern nations. It traces the journey of the man who united the emirates, invested the country's oil revenues in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and at the same time preserved the traditions of his people.

Saadiyat Island, home to Abu Dhabi's principal cultural institutions, is also home to two other exceptional museums: the world-renowned Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, an immersive art space where digital technology, light, and creativity transport visitors into a surreal, dreamlike reality.

The museum buildings themselves are remarkable works of art, and before long they will be joined by another architectural and technological masterpiece: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Anahit Sargsyan