Nurai Island

Secluded from the city, Nurai Island is a man-made vacation spot. It is a few minutes away from Abu Dhabi’s coastline and can be accessed via ferries and boats. A boutique island resort, an ocean-side spa, holiday homes, a beach club and many fine-dining restaurants and bars all make Nurai Island a much-hyped holiday destination and one of the top tourist attractions in Abu Dhabi.

Besides luxurious holiday homes and 11 hectares of pristine white sandy beaches, the island has a lot to offer for a romantic getaway or family vacation. It is home to Zaya Nurai Island, a 5-star beach resort offering a range of amenities and activities for kids and adults alike. This exclusive island resort is set amidst lush vegetation, soft white sand and clear waters.

• Built along the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi
• 15 minutes away from Abu Dhabi’s shoreline
• One of the best residential islands in Abu Dhabi
• Accessible from Saadiyat Beach and the airport
• Offers luxury holiday homes overlooking the sea
• Home to a seaside spa, 5-star resort and beach club
• A popular vacation spot for couples, families and friends
• Hosts beach parties, corporate events, festivals and more

Nurai is a small natural island that was transformed into a high-end residential and hotel development. You can easily take a stroll around the entire place in about an hour. The island boasts clean air and a healthy environment; therefore, you won’t get to see many cars on the streets. Since it is an active community, guests and residents either enjoy fun activities on the land, watersports at the beach or an event hosted by the resort.

Some areas on the island are landscaped while others are pleasantly rustic. There are sandy tracks, mocktail bars and surfboard counters at short intervals. A helipad is also built at the top of the resort and guests can choose to arrive via boats or ferries by prior bookings and arrangement.

The 5-star resort, Zaya Nurai Island is developed by Nadia Zaal who also partnered for the development of Al Barari Dubailand, an exclusive residential address in Dubai.

From 1 and 2-bedroom beachside villas to exclusive 6-bedroom mansions, Nurai has a range of properties on offer. A quick trip down the street reveals a series of luxurious properties for sale on Nurai Island, starting from upwards of AED 12M. These are usually high-priced and a favourite option for those looking to own guest houses and holiday homes that can reap profitable returns. While one wouldn’t find any rental properties on Nurai Island as of now, there are options in the 5-star resort for those planning a short stay.

These independent properties are surrounded by grass canopies and offer views of the ocean. Each 4-bed villa on Nurai Island comes with luxurious lifestyle amenities including gourmet mini-bars, outdoor lounges and dining spaces, outdoor showers and pools and loft-style living rooms. The 4-bedroom water villas for sale are a popular choice.

If you are looking for a private getaway, you can consider the properties part of the Zaya Nurai Island Resort. Options in the resort include 1-bed Beach Villas, 2-bedroom Beach Houses, 2-bed Sea View houses, 4-bed Water Villas and 5-bedroom Estate Villas. All these properties feature palm-fringed lawns and terraces as well as a minimum of one private infinity swimming pool.

Nurai is a small island. It does not have sub-communities but clusters of villas varying in sizes and configurations.

Bayut has worked on creating separate 2D and 3D layouts for each property type. You can find Nurai Island floor plans for each cluster and unit-type by simply browsing on the website.

Nurai is home to one of the top resorts in Abu Dhabi, Zaya Nurai Island. It is a 5-star boutique private island resort and a 32-villa hotel. Tourists from around the globe flock here to spend vacations. It is a complete staycation destination with five restaurants and bars, a spa and multiple leisure facilities.

Guests usually take a walk to get around Nurai Island. The island does not promote the use of cars. But the resort has dedicated spaces for parking. Those searching how to get to Nurai Island from Abu Dhabi can use boats or water taxis. First, guests arrive at the Nurai Welcome Center via car or taxi. This meeting point is located at the edge of Saadiyat Island. From there, boats depart every hour for the main island.

You will be required to check-in from Saadiyat Island, a short 15-minute boat ride from the island. To check-in IDs and personal information is required. Make sure that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the departure to complete the check-in process.

Nurai is a small island secluded from the bustling life of the city. It is accessible from Saadiyat Island in around 15 minutes via a boat ride. The Nurai Welcome Centre located on Saadiyat Island is also accessible via taxis hired from the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

There are many fine-dining restaurants, cafes and bars on Nurai Island. Frangipani has a friendly ambience. It offers organic seasonal produce from local farms for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you want to try Mexican food, you can go to Dusk. Smokin’ Pineapple serves oven-hot pizzas, Hooked is an outdoor casual restaurant and Ginger Mermaid is poolside lounge featuring Asian cuisine.

The beach on Nurai Island is always packed with events and activities. From classic water sports like kayaking, paddle boarding and fly fishing to more adventurous and thrilling activities like snorkelling, jet ski, banana rides and windsurfing, Zaya Nurai Island has something to offer for every liking. One can also go fishing and take their catch to Hooked for live grilling. Moreover, families often choose to take a boat trip and explore the island. Some of the villas on Nurai Island come with private beaches of their own.

Out of the many activities and leisure facilities on the island, kids can spend time in Petit Z, a dedicated kids’ club. It offers a fun-filled program throughout the day in different slots for different age groups. Some popular activities include gaming and book corners, art and crafts and educational and recreational programs.

Furthermore, there is a water park with four slides, a water bucket, a splash pool and relaxing sun loungers. The snack and drinks corner is also part of the waterpark, one can also enjoy home-made ice cream here.

Zaya Nurai Welcome Center is about 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport from where you can hire a taxi. Also, Nurai is around 13 minutes away from Yas Links Golf Course and 10 minutes away from Yas Mall, a popular shopping destination offering everything under one roof and a favourite hangout spot for residents and tourists in Abu Dhabi. There are quite a lot of fun activities in Yas Mall besides shopping from rock climbing adventures, a gaming arcade and a kids’ play zone to a range of dining venues and a VOX Cinemas.

Nurai is all about outdoor activities. You can either take your bikes or hire one and explore the area. There are also many activities arranged on the beachside where you can play beach volleyball, badminton and other sports or take private lessons for tennis in an outdoor tennis court.

Further, the island has a separate yoga pavilion where wellness retreats are organised on request. A sea-view spa offers relaxing treatments outdoors. It also has a glass gym, Jacuzzi and herbal tea corner.

Zaya Nurai Resort has a calendar of events. It is also a hotspot for destination weddings, corporate events and birthdays. The resort has a dedicated event planning team to coordinate with clients. Besides, beach parties, fun activities and events like Nurai Fest (a music festival) keep guests busy.

But those planning to visit Nurai Island Abu Dhabi during winter months must keep some warm clothing as nights might get cold here. Nurai Island also offers remote private residences, one would need a boat to reach the rest of Abu Dhabi.

There is one way to reach Zaya Nurai Island. You can take a boat ride from Saadiyat Island, boats run every hour, prior booking is required.

Nurai Island is around 20 km from central Abu Dhabi.

The road distance between Dubai and Zaya Nurai Island Resort, Abu Dhabi is 86 km.

Nadia Zaal is an Emirati entrepreneur who founded Zaya Retreats based in Abu Dhabi. She owns the project on the island that opened back in 2014 as a holiday destination in Abu Dhabi.

There are over 200 islands and man-made archipelagos in Abu Dhabi.

The leisure spot is close to Saadiyat Beach Club, Hamilton’s Gastropub and Fun City.

Yes, guests can avail free parking spaces on the resort.

There are airport shuttles to the resort for guests but it is recommended to call ahead and avoid any inconvenience.

Guests in Nurai Island Resort have access to the swimming pools, the spa and multiple fitness facilities.

• Located off the shore of Abu Dhabi
• The resort is built on the Arabian Gulf
• A 15 to 20-minute boat ride from Saadiyat Island
• Next to Ras Al Ghurab Island
• A 25 to 30-minute taxi ride away from Abu Dhabi International Airport