Al Ras Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi

Previously dubbed as the ‘Malibu of Abu Dhabi‘, Al Ras Al Akhdar is a large peninsula located at the western end of Abu Dhabi. While the area is popular for housing the 5-star Emirates Palace, one of UAE’s top tourist attractions, it is also home to the Presidential Palace, Founders Memorial and the iconic Etihad Towers Hotel Abu Dhabi.

The peninsula is separated from mainland Abu Dhabi by King Abdullah Bin Aziz Al Saud Street. It lies in proximity to notable neighbourhoods such as Al Bateen, Al Khubeira, Al Khalidiya and Marina Village.

• Peninsula in western Abu Dhabi
• Home to many tourist spots and government offices
• Best known for housing the Emirates Palace
• Close to Abu Dhabi Corniche and Al Bateen

Although Al Ras Al Akhdar is famous for housing the Presidential Palace and a couple of other tourist attractions, a few residential and commercial buildings are also located in the vicinity.

Qasr Al Watan, or the Presidential Palace, is not only one of the popular tourist attractions in Abu Dhabi but it is also used for official purposes. Emirates Palace and and Founder’s Memorial are also located in the area.

Properties in Al Ras Al Akhdar include apartments and offices available for rent. These apartments feature 1 to 4-bedroom units as well as 5-bedroom penthouses. The floor area of these units starts from 722 sq. ft. for a 1-bed unit and goes up to 2,788 sq. ft. for a 4-bedroom apartment.

Offices in Etihad Towers come in fully fitted and furnished configurations offering beautiful views of the Corniche. Covered area for these office ranges from 600 sq. ft. to 1,200 sq. ft.

You can rent apartments in Al Ras Al Akhdar as per the listed trends.

• 1-bedroom apartments for rent are available from AED 85K to AED 138K.
• The rent of 2-bedroom apartments ranges between AED 125K and AED 141K annually.
• 3-bedroom apartments have a rental range starting from AED 162K going up to AED 238K per year.
• The annual rent of 4-bed units ranges from AED 235K to AED 252K. 
• Fully fitted and furnished offices measuring between 600 sq. ft. to 1,200 sq. ft. will cost you between AED 66K and AED 120K annually.

Emirates Palace is a fortress-like hotel operated under the Kempinski Hotel group that was later taken over by Mandarin Oriental in January 2020. It consists of 394 rooms and suites. The hotel is frequented by renowned personalities from all over the world, making it amongst Abu Dhabi’s top luxurious hotels.

The peninsula is home to many other renowned 5-star hotels too, which are:

• Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana – W32, Al Bateen
• Bab Al Qasr – 176, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Bateen
• Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl – 180, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Bateen
• Conrad – Etihad Towers, 184, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Bateen

All the hotels including the Emirates Palace offer free and secured parking for its guests while the tourist destinations come with limited parking spaces. Apartment buildings come with ground or basement parking.

As far as public transportation near Al Ras Al Akhdar is concerned, there are a few bus stops on West Corniche Road. Corniche Street/Emirates Palace Hotel Bus Stop serves routes 009, 034 and 069. The opposite road that falls in Al Bateen area consists of Etihad Towers Bus Stop, which serves Route 034, while Bab Al Qasr Hotel Bus Stop serves Yas Express Pink Route.

A part of the public transport system of Abu Dhabi, taxis are also easily available in the area. Uber and Careem are also viable options for commuting.

Supermarkets in Al Ras Al Akhdar include:

• Seven Days Mini Hypermarket – Khalidiya D
• Waitrose – Etihad Towers

Seven Days Mini Hypermarket is a good option to buy groceries in the district. Located in Al Ras Al Akhdar, Waitrose is another popular supermarket chain ranked one of Abu Dhabi’s best supermarkets. In addition to all sorts of grocery items and non-food products, you can also purchase their fresh produce and baked goods.

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs Mosque is situated in the area. Another option is ADNOC Mosque, located near the ADNOC Headquarters in W42 district of Al Bateen.

Al Kareem Mosque, which is 10 minutes away from the area is located in Al Kasir Island. It consists of separate man and women prayer halls as well as Quran recitation rooms and a multipurpose hall.

You can drive around 20 minutes and access many of the churches in Abu Dhabi, such as:

• St. Joseph’s Cathedral – W24, Al Mushrif
• St. Andrew’s Church – W24, Al Mushrif
• New Vision Tamil Church Abu Dhabi – W24, Mushrif
• RCCG Spring of Life – St. Andrew’s Church
• Cathedral of the Great Saint Anthony – W24, Mushrif

All of these churches are located in the Al Mushrif area. St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the oldest church in the city. St. Andrew’s Church is a Catholic Church, whereas New Vision Tamil Church Abu Dhabi is a Tamil Evangelical church.

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Spring of Life Abu Dhabi has headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria and offers services under Pastor Adeniyi Ibrahim. Cathedral of the Great Saint Anthony is a Coptic Church operating on the teachings of Saint Mark.

28 minutes away in Musaffah, is Gurudwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. It is a small Gurudwara established by the Sikh community in Abu Dhabi. The Gurudwara is located amidst shops and retail outlets and appears like a regular shop from the outside.

BAPS Hindu Mandir, which will be the first Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, is 45 minutes away from Ras Al Akhdar.

The most well-known schools near Ras Al Akhdar include:

• Lycée Français Théodore Monod (LTM) – Al Bateen
• American Community School of Abu Dhabi – Al Bateen
• German International School – Al Zaab

Lycée Français Théodore Monod (LTM) is a French school founded in 2006 in Al Bateen. It follows French National Curriculum and is named after Theodore Monod, who was a French biologist, humanitarian and scientist.

American Community School of Abu Dhabi is a co-ed non-profit school that follows the American curriculum. For grade 11 and 12, it offers option for choosing International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

German International School is 17 minutes away in Al Zaab. It follows the State of Thüringen curriculum and offers classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The private and co-ed school ranked as one of the best schools in Abu Dhabi.

You can find a number of clinics and hospitals near Ras Al Akhdar, which are reachable within a drive of 10 to 15 minutes. A few of these include:

• Swedish Medical Centre – Villa A1, Al Awasir Street, Al Khalidiya
• Novomed Primary Healthcare Centre – 312, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Bateen
• Harley Street Medical Centre – A18, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Kasir Island

Areas near Al Ras Al Akhdar are:

• Al Kasir
• Al Bateen
• Al Khubeirah
• Nareel Island
• Abu Dhabi Corniche

Separated from Al Ras Al Akhdar by a breakwater, Al Kasir is also a peninsula, home to Marina Village and many other tourist attractions and residential buildings. Nareel Island faces Al Ras Al Akhdar on the south end and is a part of Al Bateen. A project of Aldar Properties, the area is currently under construction.

Opposite Al Ras Al Akhdar is Al Khubeirah, a waterfront residential community, while Abu Dhabi Corniche is the immediate neighbour, bordering Al Ras Al Akhdar. Last but not the least, Al Bateen is one of the most prominent residential and commercial neighbourhoods in Abu Dhabi, adjoined to Al Ras Al Akhdar towards the southeast end.

Many of the malls near Al Ras Al Akhdar are ranked amongst Abu Dhabi’s best malls. Some of them include:

• Marina Mall – Al Kasir Island
• Khalidiyah Mall – Al Khalidiyah
• Al Wahda Mall – Al Wahdah

Marina Mall is 10 minutes and houses more than 400 branded outlets along with a hypermarket, restaurants, bank offices and specialty shops. Also, you can be a part of the exciting Marina Mall activities. The attractions in the mall include Magic Planet, Bounce, Emirates Bowling Village and VOX Cinemas.

Khalidiyah Mall is located at a 14-minute drive and consists of more than 120 retail stores. LuLu Group International owns the mall, who have diversified it with miscellaneous eateries, a Carrefour Hypermarket and entertainment options such as Cine Royal Cinema and Sparky’s Amusement Centre.

Located 17 minutes away, Al Wahda Mall is another development by the LuLu Group International. It features more than 350 stores, a Gold’s Gym, spas, restaurants, cafes and many entertainment venues. The entertainment options include Al Wahda Cinema, Challenge Chambers Escape Room, Dungeon Games Hall, Games Corner, Orange Hub, Orange Wheels and Rolling Wheels Entertainment. It is located in the Al Wahdah community.

Most of the restaurants in Al Ras Al Akhdar are concentrated in Emirates Palace. Khalidiya by Rayhaan Rotana and Conrad Abu Dhabi boast many chic choices too. The 5-star Emirates Palace has a number of fine dining restaurants along with a bar, a café and a few casual dining restaurants.

Cafes and casual dining restaurants in Emirates Palace are:

• Legma
• Cascades
• Le Café

Legma is a grab-and-go outlet located in the visitor centre. Cascades is a Greek restaurant that comes with a play area for kids and a delectable menu to appeal. It is located in West Beach Club by the poolside. You can head over to Le Café for enjoying beverages along with herbal tea and a few European delicacies.

Bars and fine dining restaurants in Emirates Palace include:

• Havana Club
• Breeze Lounge
• Mezzaluna
• Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi
• BBQ Al Qasr
• Le Vendome
• Hakkasan

Havana Club is a Latin lounge where you can enjoy friendly gatherings with hand-rolled cigars and quick finger foods like popcorn shrimp, Wagyu beef sliders and cheese platters. The lounge offers live entertainment too. Breeze Lounge is another outdoor lounge that offers international cuisine.

Mezzaluna is an Italian restaurant while Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi is an Indian restaurant. BBQ Al Qasr, as the name suggests, deals in grilled and BBQ items with a special focus on steaks.

Hakkasan is one of Abu Dhabi’s top fine dining restaurants. It is also one of the best places for enjoying dim sum, a popular Cantonese snack. It is one of Abu Dhabi’s best Chinese restaurants too.

At Le Vendome, you can choose from a wide variety of cuisines including Thai, Mexican and European. Le Vendome is a popular Thai restaurant in Abu Dhabi.

Those interested in enjoying the seawaters can head over to the public beaches near Al Ras Al Akhdar, which are:

• Corniche Beach
• Al Bateen Beach

Corniche Beach is reachable within 10 minutes from West Corniche Street. It is located in the Abu Dhabi Corniche and offers views of the LuLu Island, in addition to facilities like separate sections for families and singletons, numerous parking spots and cabanas.

Al Bateen Beach is 16 minutes away and features a ladies beach too. Like Corniche Beach, Al Bateen Beach is also one of the best beaches in Abu Dhabi. It is a tranquil beach that stretches 800 metres and offers water sports, such as kayaking, paddle boarding and jet skiing.

Al Ras Al Akhdar is home to some of the most notable landmarks in the city, including the Emirates Palace, the Presidential Palace and Founder’s Memorial. Moreover, Etihad Towers, one of Abu Dhabi’s famous buildings, is also located in the community.

Landmarks in and near Al Ras Al Akhdar include:

• Founders Memorial
• Qasr Al Watan Palace
• Observation Deck at 300

The Founder’s Memorial is an ideal place to visit especially if you are interested in history of the country. Also known as Sheikh Zayed’s Founder Memorial, the place offers free entry.

Qasr Al Watan Palace features some of the largest public libraries in Abu Dhabi, in addition to art installations, different halls and other architectural marvels. At 7:30 pm, the palace hosts a 14-minute light show featuring a three-act story where you learn about the UAE’s past, present and future.

The Observation Deck at 300 is on the 74th floor of Etihad Tower and it is the highest vantage point in the city. One of Etihad Tower’s top activities, the observation deck offers a 360-degree view and houses a café too. Moreover, the area is a prominent place for a romantic date in Abu Dhabi.

Emirates Palace in Al Ras Al Akhdar comes with many activities and facilities, including spas, salons and much more. The Emirates Palace Spa stretches 1500 metres and offers many luxurious spa treatments and facilities, including a Moroccan Hammam, ice cave and Jacuzzi. Located in the area, Gentlemen’s Tonic is a gents salon where men can avail grooming services. Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio is a foot spa situated in the area.

Members of the Emirates Palace Beach Club enjoy full access to all sorts of recreational activities, including a watersports centre, a private beach, two resort pools and much more.

The Founder’s Memorial celebrates the UAE National Day and other events by organising special events.

Moreover, Emirates Palace also features various venues for holding events. Other hotels in the peninsula host a variety of events too throughout the year.

Al Ras Al Akhdar is an island that can be categorised as a tourist hub as well as a place for luxury living. Those looking for affordable properties can opt for the nearby areas, such as Al Bateen or Abu Dhabi Corniche.

• Abu Dhabi Corniche is only 5 minutes away
• 40-minute drive to Abu Dhabi International Airport 
• 20 minutes to central Abu Dhabi
• Yas Island is 40 minutes away