Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 6, Edition 119

Here’s your latest edition of Dubai news, deals & tips, every Friday, in 10 mins or less.

💸 Entertainer Promo Code EDSD2026 is live for 10% discount

🌙 Eid dates?

❌ KLM cancel more Dubai flights

🛬 SAS to relaunch flights to Dubai (DWC)

🤑 Marriott: 25% off resorts

🛵 E-scooter regulations

🏩 Hotel room design - big business in the UAE!

💃 Terra Solis closes

🍕 Bottomless pizza

🏖️ Umm Suqeim beach development

🎥 Movies shot in the UAE

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This Entertainer promo code will offer 10% discount from February through to the end of September 2026.

A few points to note :-

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🔗 The ENTERTAINER (Dubai and GCC)

🔗 Entertainer Promo Code EDSD2026 (Eat Drink Stay Dubai)

Following on from last week’s One Big Dubai Tip about security and flight updates, KLM has announced further Dubai cancellations though to 08 February.

It’s worth noting this because there have been reports that KLM struggled (or refused, depending on who you read) to rebook passengers on other airlines, violating EU Passenger Rights law EC261/2004.

RTA have reminded e-scooter users of the regulations for riding in Dubai, such as only having one rider, and needing a permit in certain areas such as JLT, City Walk, Palm Jumeirah and others.

Joby Aviation recently brought its electric air taxi to Downtown Dubai for a public display.

SAS have confirmed they will restart long-haul flights to the UAE after 15 years, with Copenhagen (CPH) to Dubai Al Maktoum (DWC) from 25 October 26 through to 27 March 2027.

Flights will be daily, on an Airbus A320neo, SK773 outbound at 2345 with SK774 returning at 1100.

🔗 SAS restarts long-haul flights to Dubai

SAS are always worth looking at for comparison, as they tend to be one of the cheaper full-service carriers to fly with and CPH is often cheaper to depart from due to lower ‘add on’ charges than UK.

It’s another example of a flight which could be worth considering to lower costs, as often even with a cheaper ‘positioning flight’ ex-UK, the overall costs can be significantly lower overall. However, that needs to be offset with the added stop, but bear in mind these flights are to DWC rather than DXB.

It appears that Terra Solis Dubai has closed.

Originally launched in 2022 with plans to develop as a hospitality resort, it formed a close partnership with Tomorrowland and hosted several EDM events with big-name DJs, such as the final one from Alesso on 31 January.

It remains to be seen if the venue will feature in the Dubai nightlife scene in an alternative concept, according to its founder.

🔗 Terra Solis: Pressroom

Palm Jumeirah Crescent moves towards paid parking, with Parkonic rolling out on-street parking from 10 AED per hour.

Umm Suqeim beach is set for a 500 million AED improvement programme.

Did you know Dubai not only has a “Minister of Happiness” but is celebrating 10 years of the position?

The UAE, and especially Abu Dhabi, are popular filming locations for a few reasons - the architecture, the weather, the welcoming environment to name but three.

Whilst Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol is perhaps the most famous due to the Burj Khalifa stunt (below), how about these other movies you may have missed?

6 Underground may not have been that great a movie, but it perhaps has the most UAE locations, especially Abu Dhabi, in any movie I’ve seen. See if you can spot them all!

As Ramadan will soon be upon us, I thought it would be useful to give a ‘heads up’ about the different Eids and the public holiday this week.

Whilst both Eid dates depend on the Islamic Hijri calendar for the exact start date, they can be predicted. However, the time off regarding public holidays is a little more complicated.

Eid Al Fitr is currently predicted to begin on Fri 20 March, with a potential three day long weekend of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

However, this is also tied to when Ramadan -currently predicted for 18 February - starts and whether the month is a 29 or 30 day month.

Eid Al Adha is currently predicted to begin on Tuesday 26 May, which may lead to a holiday through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

These two Eids are linked to Ramadan, the end of the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and marking the conclusion of the Pilgrimage to Mecca (Eid Al Adha).

In the UAE, there is a third Eid, Eid Al Etihad, which marks the anniversary of the formation of United Arab Emirates, previously called UAE National Day, and this is based on the Western Gregorian calendar. 02 and 03 December are designated as public holidays.

For a good overview of Ramadan in Dubai, check here.

One of the main things to know is that whilst Dubai seems to relax more year on year, some decisions e.g. operations in hotels regarding bars and eating, tend to get made at short notice, and even then, may change - so manage expectations.

I’ll cover more about the Holy Month, and its impact, in a future edition.

Kinoya was named the best restaurant in the UAE at Middle East & North Africa’s Best Restaurants 2026.

🔗 Kinoya
🔗 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants: Kinoya

The Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards 2026 shortlist has been revealed, and there are some belters on it.

If you happen to be in the UAE during Ramadan, you should experience an Iftar. Here are ’115 best Iftars to book early’, according to Time Out.

If you’re a fan of pizza, why not try the Bottomless Pizza at Gordon Ramsay’s Street Pizza, Atlantis The Palm?

105 AED for bottomless pizza? Read what Business Insider had to say about Gordon Ramsay’s outlet (Archived page here).

🔗 Street Pizza

I regularly say DIFC is a great area for dining, bars and lounges away from the usual more renowned areas.

ICD Brookfield Place, for instance, has 1920 Dubai, The Guild and Josette, and the former has a new Latin Jazz night on Sundays.

I didn’t have ‘American blog reporting on Dubai for Beer Lovers’ on my bingo card, but there are a few good tips on this article, as well as dates for your diary such as Taste of Dubai, Oktoberfest and Open Fire Food Festival.

I do love a rooftop bar, and here are 10 of the best, according to Modern Luxury. That list leans a tad towards the ‘influencer’ and blingy side of things, but as always, have a good search around with what suits your needs, as Dubai has plenty of choice.

Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai has a “moonlit Mediterranean spot” called Lion in the Sun, and here’s a review from What’s On.

🔗 Lion in the Sun

Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah* has a new Hotel Manager, Roxanne Castillo.

Ever wondered why GGC hotel room interior design is such a big industry, worth apparently $14.79 billion?

Learn more about some of the local companies involved, from lighting, linens, beds and furniture. It’s clearly a fast-growing market, and great to see so many the boom in local production too.

The Lana, Dorchester Collection, at Business Bay is a superb hotel, but don’t take my word for it - read this review from The National.

They have their own yacht to do tours on, an amazing ‘afternoon tea’, exceptional service and beautiful rooms, including balconies. Best of all, as it is a Business Bay hotel, it balances great value without being overoccupied.

🔗 The Lana

Can you guess which Dubai hotel has a 5000-book library in its lobby known as the “Fountain of Tales”?

I’ll give you a clue - it’s at Dubai One Central.

Emirates operates 116 A380 aircraft, with around 15 being the high-density configuration with 615 seats (58 business, 557 economy).

The ‘standard’ Emirates A380 normally carries 76 business class, and between 322 and 429 economy seats, depending on layout.

Read here for the A380 service reductions in 2026, and routes losing the 615 seat 380s.

Why Emirates is adding an A350 service at London Gatwick (LGW).

Via the Marriott website, take 10% off when staying 3 nights, 15% off stays of 4-6 nights, or 20% off if you stay 7 nights or more.

Marriott Bonvoy members will receive an additional 5% discount.

Valid for stays between 26 November 2025 and 03 October 2026,.

Book by 20 September 2026.

🔗 Marriott Resorts: Up to 20% Off

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, recently posted photos showing the planned site of Disneyland Abu Dhabi.

Whilst the exact location is still secret, it’s suggested that it may be north of Yas Island.

18 ways to earn ‘lots’ of Etihad Guest miles - though being an American blog, there’s a good chunk of credit card links, there is some good information about airlines and hotel partner earning rates, along with miles and cash.