Eastern New Year, or “the east is a delicate matter.” UAE New Year New Year in Arab countries traditions

It’s nice to go from cold winter to summer, which is why tourists love to spend New Year’s holidays in the UAE. We talk about the weather, places to celebrate the New Year 2020 in Dubai, prices for tours and hotels. We share reviews and tips from tourists.

Weather in Dubai for New Year

New Year 2020 in the UAE will bring you many pleasant experiences. The weather in Dubai in the middle of winter pleases residents of the middle zone, northern regions of Russia and Siberia. No wonder! When we have frosts, in an Arab country the daytime temperature does not drop below +24°C. Rains are very rare here, and they are not prolonged.

In the evenings in Dubai the air cools down to +13...+15°C, and in the desert - to 0°C. Therefore, take warm clothes and a windbreaker with a hood.

The Persian Gulf is warmed up to +18...+21°С. Heat-loving Arabs do not swim in the cold season, but Russians and residents of Northern Europe, accustomed to cool water, are happy to go into the sea. In addition, many hotels offer guests the opportunity to swim in outdoor swimming pools heated.

Preparations for winter celebrations in the UAE begin long before December 31st. A lot of tourists come to Dubai from different countries the world, it's huge modern city offers guests a variety of New Year's entertainment.

Watch fireworks and salutes. Colorful light shows are staged in different parts of Dubai. The most spectacular are the fireworks over the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah and. Pyrotechnic shows turn into amazingly beautiful light and music performances!

The area in front of tall building The world is filled to capacity with tourists. Up to 1 million people come to see the bright New Year's extravaganza at Burj Plaza! A beautiful view of the fireworks opens from entertainment complex Souk Al Bahar, from the Dubai Canal, from the trendy City Walk shopping center and nearby hotels. To enjoy full review fireworks show in Downtown, some tourists from the center go to the Meydan racetrack or meet New Year in hotels along Sheikh Zayed Road.

To admire the light show on Palm Jumeirah, you need to come to the Atlantis complex. Multi-colored fireworks are clearly visible from the long Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk and from the island's hotels.

(Photo: Armin Rodler / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Dance in nightclubs. Do you want to spend New Year 2020 on the dance floor in Dubai? Incendiary dances are held in nightclubs and lounge bars in the city. Famous DJs are invited here, and the most popular establishments organize concerts of world famous bands and performers. Ticket costs from 590 AED.

Please be aware that it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age in Dubai! Some nightclubs set a stricter limit - 25 years.

Have fun at the New Year's party. Festive banquets and entertainment programs offers most of the city's restaurants and beach clubs. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the New Year with friends or family. The restaurant menu includes unusual dishes from the chef. Guests relax under live music, and small children can play in the children's corner or have fun at a children's party.

A pleasant evening in budget restaurants will cost 770-1250 AED per person. Celebrating the New Year in one of the five restaurants of the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel costs from 8,000 AED. Don't forget about the stylish and elegant dress code!

According to tourists, the brightest New Year in the UAE happens in the famous Atlantis complex. People come here to show off their best outfits, enjoy delicious food, dance to live music and watch the pyrotechnic show. Entrance to the party for adults costs 2900 AED, and for guests 12-20 years old - 2030 AED. Children under 12 years old can attend a free themed party.

Many tourists strive to get to the At.mosphere restaurant for a holiday, which is located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa. From here the whole city is visible at a glance! From 19:00 to 1:00 the restaurant holds two New Year's programs - for families with children and for adults. A seat at a table will cost 2700-2900 AED.

Take a boat trip. A good solution is to celebrate the New Year in Dubai on board a large wooden dhow Rustar or a comfortable yacht Amwaj Al Bahar. Marine vessels cruise along Creek Bay, while their passengers are entertained by a DJ and try delicious dishes prepared in the city's restaurants. From the water you can clearly see the new city blocks and the fireworks over the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. The holiday cruise lasts from 22:00 to 1:00 and costs 800-1500 AED.

Celebrate in the desert. Tourists who want to celebrate the New Year in the UAE in comfort, but in a more secluded environment, choose the 5* Bab Al Shams Desert Resort hotel and Spa. It is located in the sand dunes, 45 minutes from the airport. The hotel complex was built in the style of an exotic Arabian fort and has green gardens and cozy courtyards with fountains.

Tourists can ride jeeps or camels into the desert or relax at the Satori Spa. On the main night of the year, the hotel restaurant Al Hadheerah Desert surprises guests with traditional Arabic cuisine.

Have a beach picnic. Pack a picnic basket and spend time with friends at New Year's Eve on the seashore! The pyrotechnic show at the Burj Al Arab hotel is clearly visible from any of the beaches of Jumeirah.

(Photo: marcelocampi / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

What to do during the holidays

Tourists who come to the UAE for New Year can easily find entertainment to their liking. Some people are shopping recklessly and trying to profit from New Year's sales. Others, despite the middle of winter, enjoy swimming and sunbathing.

Desert Safari. For those who are not indifferent to Arabian exoticism, trips to the sand dunes on SUVs and ATVs are popular. Such excursions are organized by several travel companies, for example, Platinum Heritage. During your trip, you can admire picturesque sunsets, take part in a falcon show, visit a Bedouin camp and taste Arabic dishes. A trip for adults costs from 2090 AED, and for children from 5 to 11 years old - 1740 AED.

On the sand on a sandboard. From the Dubai-Hatta highway (E44), the large Big Red dune is clearly visible. It offers rides on boards similar to snowboards. This is exciting entertainment for fans active rest! Local tour operators offer full-day excursions that include desert driving and sandboarding lessons.

(Photo: Daniel Jo / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Skiing. To everyone who came to the winter vacation V hot country, it’s hard to imagine what actually big city UAE is real ski center. Ski Dubai is located in the modern Mall of the Emirates. At 22.5 thousand sq. m equipped with five tracks and a freestyle area. There is a snow park with caves and slopes for sledding, a real alpine cafe and a small penguinarium.

Amusement parks. It is interesting to visit the Global Village, a city seasonal park, with a child. During the winter holidays there is a festive parade, stunt performances, theatrical performances under open air, fountain shows and other entertainment for adults and children. A visit to the park per family will cost about 100 AED.

For family vacation great rides theme park Riverland Dubai. It is located on the territory of Dubai Parks and Resorts. To see animals from different parts of the world, you should go to Dubai Safari.

Last minute tours search on services and they will find best deals among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.

Winter trips to the UAE are in demand among vacationers, so prices for tours to Dubai for the new year 2020 cannot be called cheap. At the end of December, trips from Moscow for a week for two cost from 92 thousand rubles. For similar all-inclusive tours you need to pay from 117 thousand rubles, and when staying in a 5* hotel - from 184 thousand rubles.

If you want to save money, buy tours in advance or, conversely, look for last-minute tours.

(Photo: Sarah_Ackerman / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Hotels

Search hotels with discounts on Hotellook. Here are the main ones.

We recommend booking a hotel several months in advance - this will allow you to find the best option in terms of price and quality. According to reviews, housing prices in Dubai jump closer to the New Year. Here's the cost double room on New Year's Eve in hotels of different categories:

Weather in Dubai for New Year

In the evenings in Dubai the air cools down to +13...+15°C, and in the desert - to 0°C. Therefore, take warm clothes and a windbreaker with a hood.

Preparations for winter celebrations in the UAE begin long before December 31st. A lot of tourists from different countries of the world come to Dubai, because the huge modern city offers guests various New Year's entertainment.

The square in front of the tallest building in the world is filled to capacity with tourists. Up to 1 million people come to see the bright New Year's extravaganza at Burj Plaza! Beautiful views of the fireworks can be seen from the Souk Al Bahar entertainment complex, from the Dubai Canal, from the fashionable City Walk shopping center and nearby hotels. To get a full view of the fireworks display in Downtown, some downtown tourists travel to the Meydan Race Course or ring in the New Year at hotels along Sheikh Zayed Road.

To admire the light show on Palm Jumeirah, you need to come to the Atlantis complex. Multi-colored fireworks are clearly visible from the long Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk and from the island's hotels.

(Photo: Armin Rodler / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Please be aware that it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age in Dubai! Some nightclubs set a stricter limit - 25 years.

Have fun at the New Year's party. Festive banquets and entertainment programs are offered by most restaurants and beach clubs in the city. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the New Year with friends or family. The restaurant menu includes unusual dishes from the chef. Guests relax with live music, while young children can play in the children's corner or have fun at a children's party.

Take a boat trip. A good solution is to celebrate the New Year in Dubai on board a large wooden dhow Rustar or a comfortable yacht Amwaj Al Bahar. Sea boats cruise along the Creek, and their passengers are entertained by a DJ and try delicious dishes prepared in the city's restaurants. From the water you can clearly see the new city blocks and the fireworks over the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. The holiday cruise lasts from 22:00 to 1:00 and costs 800-1500 AED.

Celebrate in the desert. Tourists who want to celebrate the New Year in the UAE in comfort, but in a more secluded environment, choose the 5* Bab Al Shams Desert hotel Resort and Spa. It is located in the sand dunes, 45 minutes from the airport. The hotel complex was built in the style of an exotic Arabian fort and has green gardens and cozy courtyards with fountains.

Tourists can ride jeeps or camels into the desert or relax at the Satori Spa. On the main night of the year, the hotel restaurant Al Hadheerah Desert surprises guests with traditional Arabic cuisine.

Have a beach picnic. Pack a picnic basket and spend time with friends on New Year's Eve by the sea! The pyrotechnic show at the Burj Al Arab hotel is clearly visible from any of the beaches of Jumeirah.

(Photo: marcelocampi / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

What to do during the holidays

On the sand on a sandboard. From the Dubai-Hatta highway (E44), the large Big Red dune is clearly visible. It offers rides on boards similar to snowboards. This is exciting entertainment for fans of outdoor activities! Local tour operators offer full-day excursions that include desert driving and sandboarding lessons.

(Photo: Daniel Jo / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Skiing. It’s hard for anyone who comes to a hot country for the winter holidays to imagine that there is a real ski center in the largest city in the UAE. Ski Dubai is located in the modern Mall of the Emirates. At 22.5 thousand sq. m equipped with five tracks and a freestyle area. There is a snow park with caves and slopes for sledding, a real alpine cafe and a small penguinarium.

Amusement parks. It is interesting to visit the Global Village, a city seasonal park, with a child. During the winter holidays, there is a festive parade, stunt performances, open-air theatrical performances, fountain shows and other entertainment for adults and children. A visit to the park per family will cost about 100 AED.

The attractions at the Riverland Dubai theme park are perfect for a family holiday. It is located on the territory of Dubai Parks and Resorts. To see animals from different parts of the world, you should go to Dubai Safari.

Last minute tours search on the services and - they will find the best offers among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.

If you want to save money, buy tours in advance or, conversely, look for last-minute tours.

(Photo: Sarah_Ackerman / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Hotels

Search hotels with discounts on Hotellook. Here are the main ones.

We recommend booking a hotel several months in advance - this will allow you to find the best option in terms of price and quality. According to reviews, housing prices in Dubai jump closer to the New Year. Here is the cost of a double room on New Year's Eve in hotels of different categories:

In the United United Arab Emirates(UAE) New Year is celebrated twice. According to Western European tradition, it is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. The Muslim New Year falls on the first day of the month of Muharram according to the Islamic calendar.

New Year January 1

The customs of the European New Year have spread among local population thanks to the large influx of tourists.

The largest celebrations are held in Dubai. During New Year's holidays There is a large influx of tourists in the city. To cater to the tastes and customs of guests, streets, shopping centers and hotels are luxuriously decorated in European style. On New Year's Eve, Dubai hosts a grand fireworks show and laser performance. Fireworks of extraordinary scale and beauty attract hundreds of thousands of citizens and tourists. Events take place near tall skyscraper the city of Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab and Atlantis hotels, throughout the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah. The large-scale New Year's fireworks display allowed Dubai to enter the Guinness Book of Records twice - in 2009 and 2014.

For the older generation, the New Year on January 1 is inferior in importance to the Muslim holiday. They spend it in a calm home environment over a festive dinner. Young people have fun in bars, clubs, and take part in mass celebrations and parties on the beaches.

On the eve of the holiday, streets, squares, shops and restaurants in the UAE are decorated with shimmering garlands and elegant artificial Christmas trees. In the windows you can see unusual New Year's decorations. Santa Clauses in disguise walk around shopping centers and invite children to visit their residences.

Cities and resorts

The New Year in the UAE will bring new emotions and immerse you in an atmosphere of warmth and exoticism.

rest in largest cities- Dubai and Abu Dhabi - will delight you with a rich program of events. On New Year's Eve, restaurants, hotels, bars and nightclubs offer entertainment shows with a luxurious dinner and performances by popular pop music groups. At beach parties you can party until the morning with the fiery music of star DJs. Dubai and Abu Dhabi host midnight fireworks shows where you must reserve a seat in advance.

Romantics will love New Year's cruises on the Persian Gulf. To do this, you need to reserve seats on an Arabian dhow or a comfortable motor ship. For a big noisy company good option rent a yacht.

Exotic lovers will be delighted with the New Year's safari in the Arabian desert. Riding ATVs, jeeps or camels will bring new emotions. You can celebrate midnight in a Bedouin settlement with a festive dinner and colorful dancing.

Feel yourself in winter's tale will allow indoor ski resort Sky Dubai in the center of Dubai. Visitors can expect a variety of entertainment: snowboard and bobsleigh tracks, a snow shooting range, ice cave with a frozen waterfall. You can rent at the resort necessary equipment and take advantage of the instructor's lessons. The Santa Claus residence has been created for children, where interesting competitions, entertainment and gifts await the youngest visitors.

Shopping lovers will be delighted by the large shopping festival, which begins in Dubai on January 2 and lasts for a month. During the festival in shopping centers and shops pass big discounts and sales. In boutiques you can purchase exclusive items at low prices.

Nadezhda Burmak, director of the tour operator PROtravel, tells how you can celebrate the New Year in the United Arab Emirates and whether you can save money.

Question: How is New Year celebrated in the United Arab Emirates?

Answer: Many tourists from all over the world are eager to celebrate the New Year in Dubai to see the famous fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa. At the beginning of 2014, the fireworks display was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest and longest lasting in the world. The main problem is that a lot of people gather in the square every year - real pandemonium! – therefore, to see the fireworks, you will have to come to the square in advance. Immediately after the end of the fireworks, it is impossible to go back to the hotel either by metro - the nearest stations are closed, or by taxi - due to traffic jams.

To celebrate the New Year in the UAE economically, you can choose to stay in a hotel in an inexpensive emirate, for example, in Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah or Ajman, and book a table in a restaurant within walking distance from the center of Dubai to celebrate the New Year until the main stream subsides tourists, and calmly return to the hotel by bus in the morning.

The ideal, most comfortable, but also the most expensive option is to choose a hotel near the tower for your holiday, book a table for the New Year's show directly at the hotel, watch the fireworks, the New Year's show program and return to your room after it ends.

Question: What is the weather like in the United Arab Emirates in January?

Answer: Personally, I vacationed with my family in Dubai in January several times, and I can note that it doesn’t happen from year to year. Despite the fact that January is considered the coldest month of the year in the Emirates, the air during the day is from +20°C to +25°C in the sun, so a great tan is guaranteed. In the evening the temperature drops to +14°С..+19°С, so a warm sweater would be useful for evening walks. The water warms up to +23°C during the day, however, for those who are used to warm seas South-East Asia, water even in Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean, which are considered the warmest, will seem cool. In addition, in January there are rains and quite windy weather. One option is to choose a hotel with a heated pool. In the UAE there is a very large selection of hotels of different star ratings, where there are pools with water at a comfortable temperature for swimming.

Question: Is it possible to somehow save money on a vacation in the UAE?

Answer: If we are talking about a trip for the New Year, then in order to stay within a reasonable budget, we need to start organizing our New Year's trip back in the spring. Firstly, you can buy air tickets in advance at the lowest possible airfare. Secondly, at the beginning of the year there will still be a fairly large selection of hotels. As a rule, by the summer, there are no more places for New Year's dates in the most popular hotels, as well as places for New Year's shows in famous restaurants. In the United Arab Emirates, hotels do not provide any discounts for the period from December 27 to January 7, but starting from January 8 you can relax much cheaper.

Hotels on the first beach line are very expensive, as well as in the center of Dubai. For more economical holiday You can consider hotels on the outskirts of Dubai or in one of the other emirates. Another a budget option– stay in an apartment hotel with a kitchenette. Basic products in supermarkets cost about the same as in St. Petersburg, so you can save on food.

If you don’t consider New Year’s dates, then for the promotion early booking you can win 20-30% of the cost of your stay, depending on the hotel.

Question: Are there any difficulties in obtaining a visa to the UAE?

Answer: For almost nine years of work, we have not had a single case of refusal of a visa to the UAE. Every year, visa formalities are becoming more and more simplified - now you can get a visa in one working day.

Traditionally, the New Year in the United Arab Emirates is celebrated with a wide feast and is celebrated during the first two weeks of January. It is typical for native Emirates to finish dinner with the last chime, which has long been reflected in the operating hours of restaurants resort towns, which began to close at 12 o'clock. Over time the owners hotel business took into account the peculiarities of the Russian people, for whom the main festivities, on the contrary, begin after midnight. Most hotels hold a special holiday program designed for Russian tourists, with competitions, songs, dances and the obligatory participation of Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. The event comes to an end at the beginning of 3-4 am. When purchasing a ticket to the Emirates for New Year's Eve from a tour operator or booking a hotel room on your own, be sure to check whether the holiday program held at the hotel includes the opportunity to watch fireworks.

How to save money on vacation? First of all, choose the right tour to the Emirates.

An extraordinary New Year's Eve in the Emirates

For adventure lovers who can remember New Year's Eve for the rest of their lives, the UAE offers a lot of unusual places:

A distinctive feature of the New Year celebrations in the UAE is the fireworks display on a global scale, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records in terms of the number of salvos. Fireworks are traditionally launched in the area of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper and the Burj Al Arab hotel on Jumeirah Beach. Those wishing to celebrate the New Year under deafening volleys begin to gather on the beach at about 19 o'clock, by 23 o'clock they will find comfortable spot, from where the fireworks will be visible in all its glory is almost impossible. Every year, special musical accompaniment is developed for the launch of the fireworks. After the final salvo, there is a 10-minute performance using laser special effects. The rest of the Emirates also celebrate the New Year, but on a smaller scale. Another fireworks display that may be worth watching is being launched in Abu Dhabi. In all other areas, fireworks are identical in scale to those launched by residents of Russian cities in their backyards.

New Year in Dubai, video:

Features of New Year's Eve in the Emirates

When planning to celebrate the New Year in the UAE, be sure to take into account the features characteristic of the night from December 31 to January 1:

Transport. If your accommodation hotel is located far from the center of Dubai or in a completely different area, be sure to think about how to get to and from the New Year celebration. On the eve of the holiday, most roads in the Emirates are filled with traffic jams, in which you can stand for several hours. Experts recommend giving preference to the metro.

When going to a distant country, it is advisable to get acquainted with the cuisine in the Emirates.

Alcohol. Drinking alcohol on the street in the UAE is prohibited, even on New Year's Eve. There is a “dry law” in Sharjah, according to which it is forbidden not only to drink alcohol, but also to appear drunk in public places and on the streets. Otherwise, tourists face a fine, including deportation from the country.