41 ways to spend the summer in Dubai

Spend the day like a Caesar: The pool and beach day pass at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai is offering residents the chance to unwind, recharge and soak up some much needed Vitamin D. The day pass starts at Dh150 per person on weekdays, with Dh100 redeemable on food and beverage, and Dh245 per person at the weekends, with Dh150 in credit to spend on lunch and refreshments.

Try one of the city's best Karaks at Koukh Al Shay: For Dh2, this cafe is one of the top mentioned karak spots in Dubai. Koukh Al Shay have more than one location but their Diyafa location is the most popular.

Visit the Dubai Aquarium for under Dh100: This summer, a special deal allows you to buy a ticket at a reduced price from Dh175 to just Dh75 per person. The 10-million litre Dubai Aquarium tank, located on the Ground Level of The Dubai Mall, is one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world. It is home to thousands of aquatic animals, comprising over 140 species. Over 300 sharks and rays live in this tank.

Try Wild and the Moon's new summer menu: Give your body the reboot it deserves with a clean and light plant based diet as Wild & the Moon’s new summer menu offers in-season whole foods recommended by nutritionists and health food chefs. The 100 per cent plant-based and organic café has launched their new Summer Menu made up of wild, local and organic, seasonal dishes. Give veganism a chance. Location: Al Serkal Avenue, Gate Avenue DIFC, Downtown Dubai, Qasr Al Hosn Abu Dhabi. Cost: Approx Dh100 for two

Try the highest ladies night in the world: Ladies are invited to party 122 floors up in the sky every Tuesday and enjoy three hours of unlimited beverages. Between 9pm and 12am, the deal also includes a selection of canapes. This is one to really dress up and party in the sky – because, really, who needs an excuse? Location: Burj Khalifa. Cost: Dh200 per person. When: every Tuesday from 9pm to 12am

Go shopping for great deals this summer: The 23rd edition of Dubai Summer Surprises kicks off on July 9 and continues until August 29. shopping deals, chances to win, family fun, new experiences and endless entertainment to create a memorable summer season.

Try the brand new Maine Land Brasserie: Located at Zaha Hadid’s Magnum Opus in Business Bay, The Maine Land Brasserie is the newest opening for the Maine man, Joey Ghazal. A beautiful venue that fuses past with the present, it feels like a timeworn, old-world steakhouse/brasserie/speakeasy. The Maine Land Brasserie menu features everything from shellfish to snails and fish to steak cuts that are aged just the way carnivores like them. A few favourites from the original Maine menu in JBR have been included on the menu. Expect good quality food, great service and a very cool vibe. Location Business Bay, The Opus Cost: Approximately Dh360 for two

Explore one of Dubai’s oldest neighbourhoods: A visit to Al Fahidi Neighbourhood offers a great opportunity to get acquainted with Dubai’s old way of life, reflected in the traditional buildings featuring wind towers (Barajeel) built out of stone, gypsum, teak, sandal wood, fronds and palm wood. Wander through the narrow alleys, pathways and public squares, and discover the beauty of old Dubai. Don’t miss the area’s various art exhibitions, specialised museums, cultural centres and quaint cafés, restaurants and guesthouses.

Try one of the best burgers in town: My number one, undisputed burger spot, for the best, juiciest, simplest, yet most unique burger in town is Meat Me There. If you were to mention this place to your friends, most of them probably wouldn't know about it. Their burger patty is made with lamb meat, rather than beef, which I think actually works to its advantage. Some may be put off about that fact, since some people prefer beef to lamb meat, but this one just works. It’s succulent and juicy. They also have a very unique white bread bun, sprinkled with black sesame. Their cheese fries are served with melted Gruyere cheese, rather than that plastic stuff that comes out of a pump. It’s the perfect burger and my favourite one to indulge in. Location: Al Souq Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai Cost: Dh38 for the Meat Me Burger and Dh25 for the fries

Enjoy an amazing show at Dubai Festivial City: The ‘Imagine’ show is Dubai Festival City’s record-breaking attraction, which uses the power of light, water and fire to offer a kind of sensory experience. They use 30 fountains and surround sound to give the audience a unique multisensory show. Location: Dubai Festival City Mall promenade Cost: Free Timings: Weekdays: Star Dancer show at 7pm and 9pm, A Child’s Dream show at 8pm and 10pm, Weekends Star Dancer show at 7pm and 9pm, A Child’s Dream show at 8pm and 10pm and 11pm

Be the first to see one of Dubai's newest foodhalls: Gate Avenue at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has launched an exciting new dining destination, South Market, an urban upscale food hall. Spread over 9,000 square feet the new food hall is a buzzing combination of 15 gourmet kitchens and rotating artisan food kiosks offering cuisines from across the globe. South Market is expected to become one of the trendiest, most popular casual dining destinations in Dubai. A number of the international concepts are new to the UAE, so will give foodies reasons to come back time and time again.

Get to know the culture: Located in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, one of the oldest in Dubai, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) serves traditional Emirati lunch in the ambience of a beautifully restored wind-tower house where visitors can enjoy a meal with local flair while chatting with an Emirati host about UAE culture and customs. There literally is no better way to get to know Emirati culture than to sit and enjoy their traditional food, while asking anything.

Cool Off at Aquaventure Aquaventure at Atlantis has also introduced an amazing summer deal at almost half off of their usual ticket prices. Kids can enter the waterpark for Dh99, while adults can enjoy it for Dh119. Aquaventure offers a way to beat the heat with a splash-filled break for the entire family. Choose from record-breaking rides and slides, close encounters with sharks and rays, or simply relax on their 700 metre private beach.

Go to a drive-in cinema: To give you some entertainment during the pandemic, cinemas in Dubai are offering a safe alternative to going to a movie theatre. Head down to either Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates to enjoy a movie night out.

Try a Karak flavoured Crazy Shake: Black Tap, the cult New York burger and shakes brand, has introduced a new Arabic inspired CrazyShake blended with camel’s milk to mark the re-opening of its flagship Jumeirah Al Naseem branch. Drawing inspiration from the deserts, the Crazy Camel CrazyShake is a karak-flavoured camel shake served with a vanilla frosted rim with coconut, cardamom-infused camel milk, topped with a camel milk chocolate bar, whipped cream and crushed pistachios. Much-loved in regional circles, Karak is a popular blend of milk tea with a strong flavour of spices. Location: Available exclusively at Black Tap in Jumeirah Al Naseem. Cost: Dh69 for one shake. Timings: Weekdays from 11am-12am and weekends from 10am to 1am

Enjoy a two-for-one deal: The Green Planet is teaming up with Roxy Cinemas to give customers access to two of Dubai’s leisure attractions. For every customer who purchases an admission ticket to The Green Planet, until the July 20, will receive a complimentary Roxy Cinema’s ticket, for a silver or gold experience at Roxy Cinemas, City Walk. The limited-time offer will be redeemable from Sunday through to Wednesday and encourages families to get out and enjoy two, destinations for less. Location: The Green Planet, City Walk and Roxy Cinemas, City Walk. Offer: Buy a ticket to The Green Planet for Dh110 online and receive a complimentary ticket to watch any movie at Roxy Cinemas, City Walk. Timings: From Sunday through to Wednesday, offer running until July 20

Enjoy unlimited seafood: The Fish Market at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek has reopened following the latest health and safety restrictions and is now offering unlimited seafood dishes every single day of the week. The restaurant offers a weekday deal and a Friday brunch package. From Saturday to Thursday, between 12:30pm to 10:00pm, seafood lovers can enjoy unlimited servings of their favourite seafood dishes from the award-winning restaurant’s new a la carte menu for Dh199 per person. Location: Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek. Cost: Dh199 per person for all you can eat seafood. Timings: Daily from 12.30pm to 10pm

Enjoy a free access pool day: The super chill beach club in Dubai Marina offers everyone complimentary pool and beach access every day of the week. Ladies can enjoy a special deal on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday each week, where they can benefit from 50 per cent off food and watersports at the venue. Location: Al Sufouh, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Pool and beach opening hours: Daily from 10am to 10pm, Sunday to Tuesday are ladies day Price: Free entry

Have a family pool day: Meydan Hotel To celebrate their reopening, Meydan Hotels and Hospitality have launched a new daycation at Dh249 for a family with up to two kids. Meydan Hotel has also recently received the prestigious Bureau Veritas’ Safeguard label – to ensure high hygiene standards throughout the hotel and resort. All staff have undergone professional infection control training equivalent to a hospital grade process.

Visit the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary: Translated as ‘Cape of the Creek’, Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary sits at the mouth of the Dubai Creek and is among the few protected urban areas in the world – a critical staging ground for the wintering birds of the East African to West Asian Flyway. This wildlife haven covers an area of 6 sq km and features a combination of salt flats, intertidal mudflats, mangroves and lagoons, supporting over 20,000 water birds and 67 species. The site is also home to more than 500 species of flora and fauna and is one of the best-managed arid wetland zones in the region.

Go to the beach: You don’t need to spend money at a fancy resort to enjoy beach access in Dubai. Kite Beach or The Beach in JBR are two of the city’s nicest beaches and the entry is free for everyone. Bring your own juices and lunch and you won’t need to spend a penny. Kite Beach even has free Wi-Fi and a running track if you’d rather exercise on land than in sea.

See the Dubai Mall Fountain: It’s a favourite go-to spot among residents and tourists. The Dubai Mall fountain is back and it's an unforgettable experience that really just moves everyone because of its beauty and synchronized dance and song. Location: Dubai Mall Cost: free; Timings: Afternoon show at 1pm and 1.30pm; Evening shows: daily from 6pm to 11pm, every 30 minutes

Visit the Jameel Arts Centre: It's a contemporary art space in Jaddaf Waterfront. The Centre, which is now open to visitors in batches with a limit of two hours per visit, is home to multiple gallery spaces and curated art commissions, projects, and solo and group exhibitions, drawn both from the Art Jameel collection and through regional and international artist collaborations. The art pieces displayed are amazing and the venue itself is located in a very peaceful beachfront area in town. Jameel Arts Centre gardens have been designed by renowned landscape architect Anouk Vogel. Conceived as a series of seven sustainable, open-air courtyards, the gardens funnel light into the Centre. Location: Al Jaddaf Waterfront Cost: free Timings: Daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, closed on Tuesday.

Spend a family day painting: Grab the little budding artists in the family and head over to Al Quoz, where the creative concept, the Jam Jar, has just re-opened to all ages and offers a unique space to get the imaginative juices flowing. The studio and project space offers the region’s first Public DIY Painting Studio, perfect for a family to spend hours painting.

Try a tradtitional Filipino boodle fight: Head to Boodle Fight Resto, a Dubai eatery that offers the communal dining, where the seafood is dumped on a table of rice and diners get to eat with their hands. Boodle Fights has become a very trendy way of dining out in the Philippines and this trend has been all the rage in Dubai over the last few years. This style of eating was inspired by the Filipino military way of eating where food is piled on top of banana leaf spread across a long table.

Free pool day for ladies: Ladies of Dubai can get their swimsuits ready for a free pool day on Mondays and Wednesdays at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre. It’s that time of the year again and with this summer’s heat a pool is always a good idea. You can also enjoy an Ice Frappe for Dh17. On all other days the pool pass is priced at Dh120 for adults and Dh80 for kids.

Have a long leisurely lunch for less: Pai Thai at the luxury Jumeirah Al Qasr, has launched a brand-new, three-course lunch deal for travel-restricted UAE residents to experience a long and leisurely taste of Thailand. Available every Wednesday and Thursday from 3pm to 6pm and every Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 6pm, Pai Thai’s new Kin Samrap menu – which translates from Thai as ‘eating fine food’ – is available for Dh150 per person, including tea and coffee. Diners who opt for the special lunch menu can also take advantage of a 30% to 55% discount on a wide selection of beverages. Location: Al Qasr Hotel, Jumeirah. Cost: Dh150 for a three course lunch Timings: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3pm to 6pm and Weekends from 12pm to 6pm.

Take advantage of Ski Dubai's summer offer: Discover the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. The mountain-themed wintery setting gives you the chance to ski, snowboard, toboggan and of course, meet some penguins. A perfect activity for people who want to try winter sports in the UAE. Location Mall of the Emirates Cost Summer passes starting from Dh190 per child Timings Daily from 10am to 10pm

Watch the premier league out with your buddies: Following the three-month hiatus, the English Premier League has returned and is showcasing plenty of games throughout. So why not head down to Black Tap Dubai and enjoy their meal deal, while watching the game with your buddies. Diners can score with the ‘Burger and Hops’ offer which includes the All-American burger and a selection of hops for Dh69. Location: Black Tap’s Rixos Premium Offer: Burger and hops or Dh69.

An unbeatable summer brunch deal: The Distillery has introduced two new brunches to its weekly offering, now taking place every Friday and Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. The Distillery Brunch invites diners to enjoy three hours of unlimited food and beverages, all served to the table, in a laid-back, casual setting, paired with the sounds of rock classics and hits of today. The menu includes wagyu beef tartare, popcorn prawns, a pound of wings and so much more. Location: Souk al Manzil, Downtown Dubai Cost: Friday for Dh149 with soft drinks, Dh279 with house beverages and Saturday from Dh149 with soft drinks and Dh229 with house beverages.

Spend the day at Cove: Located on Bluewaters Island, guests can enjoy a Single Sunbed on the beach for Dh200 per person, which is fully redeemable on F&B. Remember to bring your own towels.

'Park n Dine' with Society Cafe: f you're still a bit nervous to go out to eat, the Jumeirah neighbourhood eatery is now open and has launched their ‘ParkNDine’ concept. Which means you can benefit from their parking lot. Residents who have a car can drive on down where they will be greeted in the parking lot by a waiter who will take their order and return with trays of your favourite meal. Choose from the French Toast with berry compote, caramel, peanut crumb and frozen yoghurt, the Wagyu Beef Burger with gruyere, dill pickles, truffle mayo, crispy onions and rocket.

Take advantage of the Seven Sisters Happy Hour deal: On weekdays from 5pm-7pm, Seven Sisters offers a Sunset Edition Happy Hour. Guests can unwind with selected beverages for Dh25 and a special food menu starting from Dh30 alongside beautiful sunset views that reflect on the Dubai canal and waterfall.

Go paddleboarding on kite beach: Kite beach itself is free to access for all UAE residents, but if you wanted to rent a paddleboard, it would cost you Dh50 per person and it’s worth every penny. There’s something to escapist about paddleboarding and it’s a very peaceful, yet also a great workout. Location: Jumeirah Beach Road Cost: Dh50 per person to rent the paddleboard Timings: Available until sunset

Try this All You Can Eat Pizza, Wings and Hops deal: Feast on unlimited pizza, wings. On offer is the Pizza Sopressata, Margherita and Cremini Mushroom with plenty of Alette Diavola - fried chicken wings with chili oil, thyme mayo and unlimited hops or grape. Location: JA Ocean View Hotel, JBR Cost: Dh199 including house beverages Timings Every Friday from 1pm to 4pm

Try the XLine in Dubai Marina for half the price: At 1km long, running from a height of 170m and with speeds of up to 80km/hr across the Marina, the zip line reopening will give adventure-seekers a thrilling experience on the world’s longest urban zip line, in Dubai Marina. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 3.30 to 6.30pm. The summer offer is across both its both Solo and Double Trouble experiences. Solo flyers can take the leap from Dh399 per person (regular rates at Dh650), while pairs can fly fast together on the XLine’s two zip lines for Dh699 per pair. Usually the regular rates are at Dh1,200.

A luxury staycation for less: Anantara The Palm Dubai has launched an UAE Residents Staycation Special. Located on the Palm Jumeirah the deal gives you access to the resort’s private 400 metre beach and on-site restaurants including Mekong, The Lotus Lounge and Revo Café. This summer, UAE residents can enjoy a premier lagoon view room for Dh585 a night. For direct beach access you can choose one pf the Beach Pool Villas or for the ultimate island living.

Fish n Chips deal at the London Project: Every Sunday, the London Project has aa buy one get one free deal on their Fish & Chips dish. The quintessentially British dish, battered cod, chunky triple cooked chips, mushy peas, roast garlic tartar sauce, and grilled lemon will be available on promotion all day every Sunday. Take advantage of the deal and the dish will cost you Dh63 per person.

Take the kids out to Xpark Junior: This park is a great place to take your kids and gives them a chance to play in nature. Expect lots of dirt, water and grass. Xpark is a habitat which invites children to play, to get dirty (because that’s okay!) and to run freely. They’ve recently re-opened their water area, so the kids can run through the fountains and beat the heat. Location: Jumeirah, across from Kite Beach Dubai Cost: Dh80 for two adults and one child, which includes 2 hours of play + 1 free activity Timings: Daily from 8am to 9pm

Go for a fancy business lunch for less: The best way to enjoy an expensive restaurant is through a business lunch. A great one is BB Social Dining’s business lunch. The homegrown restaurant delivers the meal served within 45 minutes, ideal for grabbing a fresh bite with colleagues or friends. The lunch menu can be tailored to indulge or you can keep it healthy, with their vegan and low carb options. You can choose from three different types of Bs: A bite, a bao and a bowl. The lunch menu lets you choose three Bs or two Bs. Location: Gate Village 8, DIFC, Dubai Cost: 3Bs for Dh100 or 2B’s for Dh80 Timings: Lunch is served daily from 12pm to 3.30pm

Go to the Museum of Illusions: Offering a great summer deal, you can now visit the Mind-bending museum of illisions for just Dh49 per person. The attraction, which is located in the heritage and cultural Al Seef development near Dubai Creek, plays all kinds of tricks on people’s brains, from making people wonder if the world around them is moving upside down to believing that a picture on the wall is pulsating. The Dubai edition of the Museum of Illusions is the biggest one to date with over 80 interactive exhibits designed to challenge the minds of people of all ages.