Abu Dhabi – Luxury Tailored to You
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Crafted from opulent materials such as lustrous silks, soft rose petals and cozy cashmere, the creations of Abu Dhabi-based fashion designer Sara Tamimi embody the innate sense of luxury for which her city has become internationally renowned.
Lauded by Vogue as “hero pieces for career-minded, jet-setting women,” Tamimi’s designs range from tailored jackets to puff-sleeved dresses and glimmering organza shirts. “Our label has lots of shine and shimmer and texture to it—that’s what I really adore,” she says.
With Abu Dhabi as a source of inspiration for designs that are both feminine and luxurious, Tamimi seeks to “bring back the grandeur of an earlier time” while working with sustainable fabrics. “Luxury in Abu Dhabi is all around us. Clothing, cars, art—it’s everywhere,” she says. “We breathe it and we live it.”
Global recognition of Abu Dhabi’s status as an unrivaled destination for luxury came at the 2021 World Travel Awards, which showered the city with prizes.
The boutique Zaya Nurai Island Resort, a location that Tamimi describes as “exactly like the Maldives,” was designated the Middle East’s Leading Luxury Villa Resort by the 2021 World Travel Awards. A 15-minute boat journey from Abu Dhabi, Zaya Nurai Island Resort is home to exquisite beach houses flanked by sugar-white sands and glittering, turquoise sea. The spa includes an outdoor yoga pavilion and massage rooms with stunning vistas of the Arabian Gulf.
Key to Abu Dhabi’s ambience of effortless luxury is the service it offers.“Whether you are in a hotel or in a store, or you are going to have dinner with friends, customer service is incredible in Abu Dhabi compared to anywhere else in the world.”
— Sara Tamimi, Abu Dhabi-based fashion designer
On Saadiyat Island, part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s 200-island archipelago, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort is celebrating its World Travel Awards designation as Abu Dhabi’s Leading Luxury Resort. The conservation-minded, 300-room resort looks out over protected sand dunes where turtles nest, and guests can indulge in hammams and hydrotherapy treatments. “To me, luxury is time—having time to actually wind down and receive great service at a hotel or a spa,” says Tamimi.
In addition to leisurely pursuits, “There are lots of great places on Saadiyat Island,” notes Tamimi. The 27-square-kilometer island is home to cultural treasures including Louvre Abu Dhabi, which houses its own collection as well as works on loan from France’s Musée du Louvre, Musée D’Orsay and Centre Pompidou. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is slated to open in 2025.
According to luxury-hotels.com rankings, Abu Dhabi has more five-star hotels as a percentage of its total hotel offering than any city in the world, with 47 of its 146 hotels ranked as five-star.
Emirates Palace, a stunning five-star estate on the Abu Dhabi shoreline that was named the World’s Leading Luxury Beach Resort 2021, was built in the glittering colors of the Arabian Desert and boasts landscaped gardens and more than 100 domes. Meanwhile, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, which boasts a private beach and a 74th-floor observation deck overlooking the city, was named the World’s Leading Luxury City Hotel 2021.
Opulence can be found in the desert, too. To the south of the city, Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, is a retreat that combines Arabesque villas and horse riding, restaurants with views of the towering dunes and a large spa with snow caves and salt rooms. Al Wathba has been named the World’s Leading Desert Resort for the third successive year.
Tamimi notes that luxury means shopping for the finest goods. Abu Dhabi offers ceaseless temptation for serious shoppers, from its traditional souks to its five world-class malls.
“One of the key luxury locations for shopping is The Galleria Al Maryah Island, where you’ll find jewelry, clothing and leather goods,” Tamimi says. The Galleria boasts 400 high-end stores, including designer retailers such as Bulgari, Versace and Tiffany & Co.
“What I love about the stores is that you get the time to actually sit down with the vendors and explain exactly what you want,” she says. This premium service, she points out, is a consequence of the standards found in other aspects of Abu Dhabi life. “Everybody knows that we have high expectations, and stores cater to that,” she says.
The Galleria is also home to more than 20 fine restaurants. Tamimi recommends LPM Restaurant & Bar, popular among locals for its world-class French cuisine.
She also suggests enjoying dinner on the Corniche, a seafront avenue several miles long, where the restaurants overlook the shimmering waters of the Arabian Gulf. Another favorite spot is Cipriani on Yas Island, where diners are treated to a gorgeous view of the luxury yachts in Yas Marina.
Among Abu Dhabi’s many spectacular locations, what Tamimi most enjoys is bringing visitors to a place of prayer and cultural exchange. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, founded in 1996 by the late United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, symbolizes the Islamic world’s cultural diversity in a building of awe-inspiring scale and elegance.
“When I want to show people my city, the first place I go with them is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque,” says Tamimi. “The interiors are just amazing and the energy there is indescribable.” It is also a truly stunning location for visitors to experience the special light of Abu Dhabi.
The mosque’s seven chandeliers, designed to resemble an upturned palm tree, are covered in 24-karat gold plates and decorated with millions of red, green and yellow Swarovski crystals.
“Luxury to everybody means something different,” says Tamimi. “In Abu Dhabi, luxury is tailored to you.”