If you're in the capital over the last days of September, there's an unusually good spread of things to do between September 28 and October 1 — some free, some fancy, and one involving Picasso on a tote bag.
Start with dessert that doubles as a perfume counter. Hind Al Oud, a luxury Emirati fragrance house, has teamed up with ANA Restaurant at Dalma Mall in Musaffah on a dessert built around dark chocolate, honey, dried fig, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt — mirroring the scent's warm character. It costs Dhs47 and comes with a free fragrance sample, served Saturday to Wednesday from 10am to 10.30pm.
Art lovers can book a two-hour textile masterclass at Manarat Al Saadiyat on September 28 at 11am, where you'll make a Picasso-inspired fabric collage tote for Dhs100. Open to all skill levels, from total beginners up.
For something colder, homegrown scoop shop Mina Creamery in Mina Zayed churns flavours from local produce — past hits include karak chai with toasted biscuits, gahwa stracciatella and salted saffron halwa. Scoops from Dhs22, open Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday).
The big-ticket item is LIVEX 2026 at ADNEC, a free-to-register exhibition on city livability, infrastructure and investment running September 29 to October 1. Even if urban planning isn't your thing, Ryan Reynolds is scheduled to speak on tourism with soul, so celebrity-spotting is a reasonable excuse.
Fancy eating options are strong this week. Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island runs a three-course Mediterranean business lunch for Dhs100 daily from 12pm — tuna tartare, vitello tonnato, Angus flat iron, then a Tropezienne or Floating Island to finish. For a bigger night out, Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard at the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri offers four- and six-course French set menus at Dhs350 and Dhs550, with wine pairings from Dhs250.
Cheaper nights out: bowling at Central in Yas Bay (from Dhs50 a game, open until 2am on Fridays, with discounts via the Solutions Rewards app), and game nights at The Grove pop-up inside the Zayed National Museum every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday — no museum ticket required, so you can grab a bite and play for free.
