Abu Dhabi launches new guide to explore more than 200 islands

New digital guide maps islands, water sports, operators and visitor access

Last updated: September 15, 2026 | 07:56

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

Abu Dhabi launches new guide to explore more than 200 islands

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Dubai: Visitors looking to explore Abu Dhabi by sea can now use a new digital guide covering the emirate’s more than 200 islands, water sports, marine environments and licensed operators.

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The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has launched the Abu Dhabi Islands and Water Sports Guide, bringing together itineraries, activity recommendations, operator listings, marine protected area information and an interactive map in one platform.

The guide was launched alongside DCT Abu Dhabi’s participation in Arabian Travel Market 2026 and is intended to make it easier for visitors to plan sailing trips, island-hopping experiences, kayaking excursions and other coastal activities.

Which islands can visitors access?

A key part of the guide is information on where visitors can go and which locations have restrictions.

Islands are categorised as highly recommended, accessible, limited access, marine protected areas, privately owned or locations with no visitor access.

The platform also includes coastal guidance and information intended to help visitors understand Abu Dhabi’s marine landscape before planning a trip.

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Visitors can use the guide to find experiences including sailing, island hopping and kayaking through mangrove ecosystems, while also connecting directly with licensed operators.

"Our ancestors were sailors, and the sun, sand and sea have always been central to Abu Dhabi’s identity," said Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. "With the launch of the Abu Dhabi Islands and Water Sports Guide, we are inviting sea and water enthusiasts to experience the beauty of our waters while equipping them with the knowledge to explore safely and responsibly. In doing so, we honour our maritime heritage in a way that is authentic and sustainable."

Part of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030

The guide forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider effort to expand outdoor, nature-based and coastal tourism experiences.

Tourism Strategy 2030 targets 39.3 million visitors annually by 2030, alongside 178,000 new tourism jobs and an increase in the sector’s contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy to Dh90 billion.

DCT Abu Dhabi said the new platform will also highlight lesser-known destinations and expand access to outdoor experiences, while supporting efforts to encourage longer stays and repeat visits.

The guide was developed with the Department of Government Enablement, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Department of Economic Development, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Maritime.

It is available on the Experience Abu Dhabi website under Plan Your Trip and Islands and Water Sports Guide.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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