Other things to do

Some of the other reasons people visit the UAE include visiting friends and relatives, experiencing Arab and Islamic heritage, undergoing medical or cosmetic treatment, engaging in ecotourism, having fun in theme parks or enjoying as stop on a cruise.
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Visit friends and relatives

The 'visiting friends and relatives' (VFR) market is huge in the UAE due to the existence of a large expatriate community.

Some of the reasons the UAE attracts family members and friends of its expatriate communities, are its strategic location and the attractive package offers from the UAE-based airlines.

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Experience Arab and Islamic heritage

The UAE is the torchbearer of the Arab and Islamic heritage. It also has a long anthropological and political history to tell. Experience the beauty of this heritage and relive the olden times by visiting the museums, mosques, heritage villages, archaeological sites and forts in the UAE.

The UAE is the regional hub for cultural events. The UAE hosts the region's leading film festivals, food festivals, literature festivals and art and culture festivals.

Find out details in the events section.

Archaeological sites

The UAE has lived through the Paleolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. Discover the history of the UAE by visiting the:

Adventure and sports

The UAE offers a lot of thrilling activities for the adventure-friendly. Popular recreational and adventure activities include sky diving, golfing, desert safari, dune buggy riding, cycling, land sailing, quad biking, dune bashing, sandboarding, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, ice-skating and snow skiing.

In addition, the UAE regularly hosts championships, which involve renowned international players, big rewards and huge public following. Read about modern sports in the UAE.

Check sports and entertainment events through the UAE's official tourism websites.

 

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Participate in meetings, conferences and exhibitions

The UAE is a regional hub for meetings, conventions, conferences and exhibitions. Events are held in the fields of:

  • Cosmetics
  • Defence equipment and technology
  • eCommerce
  • eGovernment
  • Environment
  • Economy
  • Fashion
  • Food
  • FMCG
  • Health
  • Information and communication technology
  • Jewellery
  • Lights
  • Medical
  • Mechanics
  • Mining
  • Photography
  • Paper
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Plastic
  • Real estate
  • Sound
  • Telecommunications
  • Wood.

Some of the popular trade shows are:

Air shows

Boat shows

 

Find out what the events you would like to attend.

 

Venue options

Event organisers can choose from a wide array of venues for hosting events which include yachts, outdoor terraces, landscaped gardens, private beaches, grand ballrooms and convention centres. Some of the venues for trade shows are:

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Undergo medical or cosmetic treatment

The UAE is becoming a regional hub for medical and cosmetic treatment. Thanks to short waiting times, competitive pricing and high quality care, it serves an ideal destination for patients seeking treatment abroad.

An extensive network of hospitals and medical centres are located across the country that offer the best medical treatment and service. In addition to routine operations and cosmetic procedures, the UAE hosts specialised centres for quality services in:

  • Dentistry
  • Cosmetic and elective surgical procedures
  • General check-ups and diagnostics
  • Oncology
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes.

The Government has built medical complexes where one can get access to a variety of medical and cosmetic facilitates; they are Dubai Healthcare City, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) and Sharjah Healthcare City. 

Dubai Health Experience website from Dubai Health Authority is the world's first comprehensive medical tourism portal that provides all health, travel, hospitality and visa services. The portal enables international medical tourists to book medical procedure packages at any of the 26 private and public hospitals in Dubai along with special discounted airfares, visa, hotel stay, leisure activities, the Marhaba (meet and greet) service at the airport and medical insurance to cover malpractice, complication or medical liability.   

Read about healthcare providers in the UAE and patient and his/her companion's entry permits.

Ecotourism

The UAE has a rich natural environment offering a unique mix of diverse topography. The UAE is largely an arid land with vast sand deserts but is also characterised by sand dunes, oases, mountains, valleys, beaches, mangroves and salt plains. Every characteristic provides home to varied flora and fauna. This diversity attracts visitors to the UAE. 

Some of these natural reserves are:

  • Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve and Al Yasat Marine Protected Area in the emirate of Abu Dhabi
  • Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve in the emirate of Dubai
  • Wadi Al Helou, Meliha and Wasit nature reserve in the emirate of Sharjah.

There are many ways to explore the local flora and fauna. The options are extensive; from going on desert safaris to spot the Arabian Oryx to hiking up the mountains to catch a glimpse of birds and even camping in the desert to spot the nocturnal beings.

A rich marine life and breathtaking underwater seascapes also attract snorkellers and scuba divers. Diving enthusiasts will particularly love Martini Rock off the coast of Fujairah.

 

Useful links:

Agri-tourism

Agri-tourism is a new form of ecotourism in the UAE. Tourists and nature lovers can visit farms across the UAE to learn about the agricultural practices and enjoy recreational activities such as picking their own farm produce and petting farm animals. They can also purchase high quality, fresh, local farm produce directly from the source at a reasonable cost.

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Have fun at theme parks

There a variety of theme parks in the UAE, which guarantee entertainment to the whole family. Some of them are listed below. Check their websites to plan your visit and book the tickets.

Theme parks in the emirate of Abu Dhabi

 

Theme parks in the emirate of Dubai

 

Theme parks in the emirate of Sharjah

 

Theme parks in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah

 

Theme parks in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain

 

In addition, indoor recreation venues such as Magic Planet are located in various cities in the UAE.

Stop along cruise routes

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are popular stops on the itineraries of major cruise lines. The UAE's seaports provide modern facilities and fast processing of entry/exit at immigration counters. The ports provide easy transportation to the cities.  

You can cruise into the UAE through one of the following seaports:

 

Useful links:

Updated on:

20 Jan 2026

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