Where to escape this UAE long weekend: The stays worth packing for

As the UAE eases into a much-needed long weekend, the instinct is simple: pause, exhale, and find somewhere that feels different from the everyday. For some, that means staying close to home - by a rooftop pool, by the sea, by a quiet spa. For others, it’s the thrill of crossing a border for a landscape that feels otherworldly.

Whether you’re staying in the UAE or hopping over to Saudi Arabia for a short, cinematic escape, these are the stays that promise to turn a few days off into something memorable.

Desert Rock - Where the mountains hold the light

Carved directly into the rugged Hijaz mountains, Desert Rock isn’t so much a resort as a geological dreamscape. Villas sit tucked into cliffs or balanced on rock pinnacles, each with a private pool overlooking a desert that shifts colour with every hour. Days unfold through Akun - Red Sea Global’s adventure arm - offering mindful hikes, via ferrata, cliff climbing, abseiling, and electric-powered explorations through untouched terrain.

Evenings bring a slow descent into stillness: Indian-inflected plates at Basalt, wood-fired cooking at Nyra, Peruvian brightness at Wadi, or pastries and night-sky gazing at The Observatory, reached by a suspension bridge above the valley. Awarded two Michelin Keys, Desert Rock balances architectural audacity with true desert quiet. A long-weekend bonus: 20% off villa stays of three nights or more. 

The Chedi Hegra - A UNESCO world of stone and silence

Hegra is the sort of place that stops you mid-step. Sandstone tombs, ancient facades and monolithic outcrops stand against a desert horizon untouched for millennia. The Chedi Hegra sits gently within it - just 35 rooms and suites restored from original dwellings and historic railway structures, reimagined with the elegance of Milan’s Gio Forma studio.

Guests move between courtyards, the 700-metre Shadow Canopy, and dining spaces where heritage is woven softly into the experience: a restored station at Prima Classe, a gleaming 1906 locomotive beside the Golden Hour Lounge, and Saudi coffee traditions retold in the Coffee House. Wellness draws from AlUla’s natural pantry - rosemary, moringa, dates -while expert guides offer deep, thoughtful tours of the UNESCO site.

Six Senses Southern Dunes - A reset written in sand and sky

If the week has felt too fast, Six Senses Southern Dunes moves at the opposite tempo. Surrounded by rolling desert and cooled by winter breezes, it offers a stay rooted in nature, wellbeing, and the brand’s signature sense of calm. The long-weekend package - Stay 3, Pay 2 - is a nudge toward slowing down properly: spacious villas, curated dinners, morning light over the dunes, and a spa built for total restoration.

Expect breathwork, desert-inspired therapies, and sensory rituals that feel both grounding and expansive. This is the long-weekend choice for anyone craving space - literal and metaphorical. 

Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab - The city’s nautical landmark

One of Dubai’s newest luxury opening is also one of its most striking: a sweeping, yacht-inspired resort anchored on its own golden peninsula. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab delivers what the city does best - scale, spectacle, and that particular blend of beach-meets-glamour that feels like an escape even when you haven’t left town.

Rooms and suites open onto sea views, a private marina curves elegantly into the shoreline, and landscaped terraces step gently towards the surf. With multiple pools, Talise Spa, and destination dining, it’s a polished, easy, close-to-home long-weekend choice. 

Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh - A city break with luxury

Riyadh in winter has its own appeal - clear evenings, open-air dining, and the city at its most social. Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah leans into that atmosphere with seasonal dining, terrace moments, and a stay package built for easy indulgence. For those who want a city break with warmth, detail, and a hint of ceremony, this is a refined way to spend the long weekend. 

Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai - A rooftop pause above the city

Back in Dubai, Mandarin Oriental Downtown offers a staycation that feels like a breath drawn deeply and slowly. Designed with Asian serenity and Emirati touches, it’s a hotel built around the idea of renewal.

Noia by the Pool - perched on the 11th-floor terrace - is a day-long refuge of Mediterranean beats, bright coastal bites, and a 25-metre infinity pool overlooking the city skyline. In the spa, three standout rituals shape the weekend: the energising Solar Ceremony, the calming Lunar Ceremony, and the beautifully crafted Sidr Secret, a two-hour treatment honouring the revered Emirati Sidr leaf.

New movement programmes like Sensopro and performance training with Fit Labs London complete the staycation’s “reset” promise. 

SIRO One Za’abeel - Dubai’s urban wellness reset

For a staycation that’s all about recovery and realignment, SIRO One Za’abeel brings Dubai its first fully wellness-focused hotel. Built around fitness, sleep and performance, it swaps traditional luxury for clean lines, calming spaces and high-tech wellbeing. Rooms come with circadian lighting and in-room recovery tools; days move between the vast Fitness Lab and the Recovery Lab, where cryotherapy, stretching and compression therapies offer instant recalibration. With functional menus and mindful programming, it’s a sleek, city-centre escape for anyone wanting to recharge with purpose.

The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi - Sun, sand and slow mornings 

For a long-weekend escape by the sea, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort offers a luxurious mix of leisure and indulgence. Start your day at Oléa, where breakfast is served until 1:00 PM, letting guests linger over coffee, savour a global buffet, wellness-focused dishes, and live cooking stations. With pristine white beaches, turquoise waters, and Mediterranean-inspired elegance, the resort combines restful luxury with signature St. Regis service for a seamless coastal retreat.