Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 7, Edition 120

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

💸 My Emirates Winter Pass: introduction, tips and cheatsheet.
🌴 Al Layan Oasis

🌙 Ramadan

🛬 Skywards Everyday
🏁 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets on sale
🏩 Marriott Bonvoy Escapes
👍 Etihad Guest 35% bonus Miles

🚵‍♂️ Jebel Jais

🇮🇳 Tresind Studio, Carnival

🏨 Anantara Downtown Dubai

PS. You can always email me here also.

Please note: some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, and will be denoted with an asterisk (*). This is a link to a partner site that may pay me a commission - at no further cost to you - and if so, helps to support me & this newsletter. For more info, please see Disclosure and Policies

My Emirates Passs* is a promotion allowing Emirates passengers to use their boarding passes for discounts in Dubai at restaurants, spas, shops and attractions.

The discounts available vary from a maximum of 50%, Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) down to 10%, and it’s a good starting point to look for discounts in Dubai because it’s free (other than the cost of flying with Emirates!).

As an example, this is an article on the ‘best affordable spas in Dubai’, and some of them are also in My Emirates Pass.

I can’t cover all the tips and advice here, but relax - there’s a guide on how to use it linked below.

If you prefer ‘walkthrough’ or ‘explainer’ videos, I’ve created a YouTube playlist “My Emirates Pass: Save Money With Your Boarding Pass” with 3 videos :-

Please check out the videos, article and the main site, and if you have any questions or there’s anything I can help you with, feel free to drop me an email.

🔗 My Emirates Pass*(main site)
🔗 How To Use My Emirates Pass (Eat Drink Stay Dubai)
🔗 My Emirates Pass: Save Money With Your Boarding Pass (YouTube)

Scorpion Season, the final phase of Winter, will end on 20 March. Here are a few outdoor activities to try before Winter ends in Dubai.

Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest peak, has reopened after a temporary closure. 1484 by Puro, marketed as the UAE’s highest restaurant, is open but guests will need a confirmed reservation to visit.

The Sky Tour will reopen on 18 February, including the multi-ziplines across the Hajar Mountains. It’s also in My Emirates Pass (see screenshot below).

🔗 Jais Sky Tour

Dubai is planning to build a new sustainable desert resort, Al Layan Oasis, just under an hour from Downtown Dubai.

The eco-tourism development will cover over a million square metres, including a man-made lake over 250,000 square metres and aims to welcome 330,000 visitors annually.

As Dubai International Airport (DXB) marked its busiest year ever with 95.2 million guests in 2025 - a record for the ‘highest annual international passenger traffic ever recorded’ by any airport - it’s still a matter of debate what the world’s busiest airport is.

Emaar have announced that Dubai Fountain will be ‘upgraded’ again this year, although as yet, no further details are known.

It’s not expected to as major as last year’s works, but do keep yourself posted, and Emaar’s social media account and website is likely to be the first place to know, followed by What’s On and Time Out.

As Ramadan will soon be upon us - predicted to be 19 February - I’ll dedicate this section to a quick overview.

Dubai won’t know for sure until the evening of 17 February, as the start date is linked to the Islamic calendar and relies on a lunar sighting by the UAE Moon Sighting Committee.

Ramadan is a very sensitive time, because it’s a special month where everyone tries to observe tradition, be extra respectful and polite. The most obvious point to be aware of is fasting during daylight hours, and as such, there can be a reduction in operations of restaurants, opening hours of shops, attractions etc. because fasters tend to rest more during the day.

Whilst Ramadan is less restrictive for tourists and residents each year, one should still be respectful in public and avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum, loud voices and swearing ‘just in case’. It pays to be ’situationally aware’ and be mindful others may be fasting, but you will generally get a feel as you move around Dubai which areas one should be more discrete and which may be more ‘open’.

Another big thing to know if you are booked to travel to Dubai during Ramadan is that some hotels, restaurants, bars etc. may reduce their facilities and operations, and may not decide exactly what to do until the last minute. And even then, things can change again.

Here are six things that will change during Ramadan.

It is a wonderful time to visit because one can learn a lot about the culture and religion, and Iftars in the evening are extremely popular and well worth visiting. These are feasts and banquets and are a great way to try a different experience fitting of the “Holy Month’. Many hotels will also offer Ramadan tents, or special menus such as DRIFT Dubai’s Sea Lounge.

Dubai Police position Iftar cannons around Dubai, and fire these to signal the end of the fast each day. This year there is also a mobile cannon, which will move to different neighbourhoods, hotels and attractions such as Atlantis The Palm, Meydan Hotel and Global Village.

Dubai isn’t Dubai without fireworks, and there will be daily regular displays during Ramadan in the evenings.

There are many special events during Ramadan, such as these ’14 things not to miss’. Dubai has also announced an official calendar of Government-led events.

This article from The National is a very good overview of Ramadan, and it’s well worth reading.

Last but not least, a fun fact. Vimto is unbelievably popular during Ramadan! It’s somewhat surreal that a Northern English delicacy, made for working class Brits, somehow found its way to the GCC (it’s not just Dubai it’s loved in) and was adopted as a popular drink to celebrate in Ramadan. Look out for it at Iftars!

🔗 Official Ramadan Calendar of Events (Dubai Media Office)

Ever wondered what a day in the life of Michelin starred restaurant’s chef is like? Then check out when Conde Nast Traveller ME met Himanshu Saini of Tresind Studio, the superb 3 MICHELIN Star Fine Dining Restaurant At Nakheel Mall.

If you fancy trying Carnival by Tresind at DIFC, it’s currently in Entertainer Monthly Offers with ‘reusable’ Entertainer Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) offers for three different brunches, or UAE 2026 with 3 x BOGOF offers for main courses.

Don’t forget your Entertainer Promo Code EDSD26 for 10% discount.

🔗 Tresind Studio
🔗 Entertainer Promo Code 2026

Despite some of the buzzwords and corporate speak, this is a really good interview with Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk’s Cluster Director of Finance and Business Support.

He provides some great insight into how Dubai’s demand shifts quickly, how they predict trends and not “chasing occupancy at any cost”. The bits about using technology to reduce food waste and energy optimisation are interesting too.

If you’re into the ‘points and miles’ game, particularly hotel loyalty programmes, Dubai has some excellent redemption opportunities, be it Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards properties or ‘under the radar’ lower-than-average points cost for the brand, such as Marriott Marquis Dubai Creek.

Anantara Downtown Dubai has completed a refurbishment including upgraded rooms, meeting spaces, the lobby and facilities.

🔗 Anantara Downtown Dubai*

Burjuman is an area that doesn’t get a lot press, but it’s well-located (near Karma, Bur Dubai etc.), has a smallish mall, good Metro connections, lots of cafes and restaurants covering a range of cuisines and provides some decent value hotels.

One of which is Doubletree by Hilton Dubai M Square Hotel & Residences*, which opened in 2020 and has recently appointed a new General Manager, Elif Yazoglu.

Emirates have launched Skywards Everyday, which is a new app allowing earning and converting Skywards miles into cash back on more than 500 partner brands in Dubai.

You need to register your payment card in-app, and it’s worth checking out the partner list as there are some decent restaurants, spas and shops in there. Visa cards will get 4x Miles on your first transaction until 31 March.

Until 26 February, members can enjoy 50% off the miles converted into cash back whilst using the Skywards Everyday app.

🔗 Skywards Everyday

Emirates serves more airports in the UK than any other country except India and the US, and they recently flew their first-ever Airbus A350 service to London Gatwick (LGW).

In this interview with Simple Flying, Jabr Al-Azeeby, Emirates’ UK Vice President, talks about their plans for the UK in 2026.

Glasgow Airport’s owner recently revealed ‘high hopes’ of Emirates returning to a double-daily service.

Marriott Bonvoy regularly run the “Marriott Escapes” promotion, which offers 20% discount for members (15% for non-members) on weekend stays.

They are usually for short-notice bookings, often the next four weeks or so, and the current offer will need to be booked by this Sunday.

Note - not Dubai-related, but if you do check out the promotion page, the hotel featured in the photograph (African Pride Melrose Arch, Autograph Collection) is a tremendous pick if you’re looking for a hotel in Johannesburg.

🔗 Marriott Bonvoy Escapes

Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026 tickets are now on sale.

General Admission tickets start at 1,695 AED.

Dates from 03 to 06 December 2026, with Lewis Capaldi and Zara Larsson performing on the opening night.

🔗 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix 2026 tickets (official site)

Etihad Guest is currently offering an “Accelerate Your Miles” promotion for purchasing Miles. As always, the best bonuses are for the higher amounts of purchased Miles, starting from 3-10,000 miles earning a 10% bonus.

Although this promotion doesn’t seem to have an ‘end date’, there’s a chance to get a bonus 35% discount on Etihad Guest Miles.

For those who calculate ‘cents per mile’, the maximum bonus of 35% discount is for buying 26,000 and works out at 2.08 cents per mile.

If you’re looking for a great redemption opportunity on Etihad, The Apartment is perhaps the aspirational one on Etihad Airways, unless you want to go silly money for The Residence! I’ve been lucky enough to have done The Apartment, and would thoroughly recommend it.

Finally, if you’d like to learn more about the Etihad Guest programme, start here.

🔗 Accelerate Your Miles (Etihad Guest)

Etihad Airways carried 2.2 million passengers in January 2026, a 29% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase.

Their fleet increased to 127 aircraft, an increase from 101 the previous year, with a ‘load factor’ - the factor of available seats that are filled by passengers - of 89.9%; almost 1% growth y-o-y.