DUBAI AND ABU DHABI FOR FREE

1. Movies Under the Stars

prac_info Wafi City, Oud Metha Rd, Dubai • 04 324 4100 • www.pyramidsrestaurantsatwafi.com

Grab a beanbag and settle down to enjoy a free open-air film-screening every Sunday (8:30pm) from October to May in the pretty rooftop garden above the Wafi City complex.

2. Free Museums

Museum admission rarely costs more than a few dirhams, but some places – including Dubai’s Coffee Museum, the Traditional Architecture Museum, Heritage House, Al-Ahmadiya School and the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village – are completely free.

Exhibits at the Coffee Museum

3. Sheikh Zayed Mosque

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Abu Dhabi’s single biggest tourist attraction (see Sheikh Zayed Mosque) is absolutely free to enter – and there are even gratis guided tours.

The striking white façade of Sheikh Zayed Mosque, a principal religious site

4. Dubai Trolley

prac_info Open 5pm–1am daily

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Free rides around Downtown Dubai are available every evening except in peak summer aboard the cute Dubai Trolley, an antique-style trolley-tram running on tracks along Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. Sit upstairs for cooling breezes and the best views.

5. Art for Free

Dubai’s many art galleries offer endless scope for seeing the work of leading Middle Eastern and other artists at zero cost – unless you want to take a piece home.

6. Amazing Malls

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Some of Dubai’s malls are virtual tourist attractions in their own right. Top picks include the extravagantly decorated Ibn Battuta Mall and the upscale Mall of the Emirates, which has surreal views of the snow-clad slopes of Ski Dubai, complete with the occasional penguin.

7. Waterside Walks

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The breezy walks along the Bur Dubai side (south) of the creek in Dubai and along the Abu Dhabi Corniche are spectacular. You’ll see some of the best sights in these intriguing cities and it won’t cost you a penny.

8. Free Beaches

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The huge sandy beach at the Dubai Marina is a popular local destination, with plenty of facilities available, including water sports. In Abu Dhabi, there’s a fine stretch of free soft white sand and clear blue sea fringing the city’s beautiful Corniche.

9. Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

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Settle into a hide and watch colourful flocks of bright pink flamingos and other birds (see Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary) framed against a surreal backdrop of skyscrapers. It is free to use the hides but groups of 10 or more require a permit.

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

10. Dubai Fountain

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Dubai’s record-breaking choreographed fountain, set in the middle of Burj Khalifa Lake, can be enjoyed for free every evening and most afternoons from any part of the broad pedestrianized walkway running around the lake. This must-see experience offers close-up views of the dancing jets and watery swirls as they rise up, accompanied by dramatic music.