Good day, Abu Dhabi!

The city is kicking off the week with serious momentum - from big moves in future mobility to major cultural openings, new restaurants gearing up to launch, and strong activity across real estate and investment. The capital feels electric right now, and there’s a lot to keep an eye on.

Think of this as your energizer for the week ahead: a sharp, high-signal roundup of what’s moving, changing, and unfolding across Abu Dhabi so you start the week feeling fully in the loop.

Karak in hand? Perfect. Let’s dive into what’s shaping the city right now.

The UAE capital is accelerating into the future of transportation. Abu Dhabi has confirmed the first two official vertiport sites that will anchor its upcoming eVTOL air-taxi network:

These are part of a broader plan to build more than 10 vertiports across the emirate, supporting low-emission, next-gen air mobility. Regulatory groundwork is advancing fast, and the long-term intention is to make short-distance aerial travel as normal as booking a ride-hailing trip.
More info

The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is set to open on 22 November in the Saadiyat Cultural District - a 35,000 m² marvel that takes visitors on a journey from the Big Bang, through prehistoric beasts and deep oceans, to the age of today’s climate and the future of life on Earth.

Highlights include “Stan”, the nearly complete T. rex skeleton, a 25-metre blue whale specimen, and meteorite fragments that predate our solar system.

Much more than a museum, the project positions Abu Dhabi as a global centre of science, nature, and heritage - and after you’ve dined out, this one’s well worth scheduling into your week.

Abu Dhabi just hit another regional first: the emirate has officially launched commercial operations for fully driverless vehicles, giving companies like WeRide and AutoGo-K2 the green light to operate autonomous fleets on public roads. It’s a major milestone for the UAE’s smart-mobility push, and a clear signal that self-driving transport is moving from test zones to real-world use across the capital.

The rollout includes purpose-built safety systems, remote supervision, and designated operating corridors, making Abu Dhabi the first in the MENA region to reach this level of autonomy at scale. It’s not just a tech upgrade; it’s a glimpse into how daily movement in the capital may look sooner than anyone expected.

Find out more

The city is testing new heat-mitigation strategies, including high-albedo pavements, shaded walking corridors, and improved landscaping in coastal districts. Expect visible upgrades from early 2026 as public-realm projects move into implementation.

Abu Dhabi’s dining scene is heading into peak season, and a wave of new openings is in progress across Saadiyat, Yas, and Al Qana.

Get ready for something exciting - the MICHELIN Guide Food Festival Abu Dhabi is returning for its third edition, from 21–23 November 2025 at the luxurious Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi.

Organised by Experience Abu Dhabi and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), this three-day culinary celebration will bring together globally recognised chefs and restaurants - think Michelin-celebrated names from France, Shanghai, Singapore, Vietnam, and local favourites like Talea by Antonio Guida, Hakkasan, Butcher & Still, and Mika.

Read more about it

As the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi prepares to open, several dining concepts are racing to soft-open in parallel. These include:

These restaurants are positioning themselves to serve the surge in cultural footfall expected this month.

Alongside Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena, new museums, galleries, and hybrid creative spaces are quietly progressing toward phased openings. Saadiyat’s cultural ecosystem is becoming one of the most important in the Middle East.
More details

This year’s edition, “Seeds of Memory - Migration as Ceremony, Survival, and Renewal,” curated by Brook Andrew, brings together global and regional artists exploring migration narratives, memory, and renewal.
Programme: Abu Dhabi Art

From Nov 10–15, the emirate became the world’s focal point for autonomous systems. The week includes:

TRENDS Research assembled policymakers, researchers, and executives from CSIS, Google, OpenAI, and G42 to discuss AI governance frameworks and cross-border cooperation.
More

Abu Dhabi’s flagship tech ecosystem continues its strong growth:

Sectors accelerating this year include health-tech, climate-tech, urban mobility, and fintech.
Get more Details

The residential market in Abu Dhabi has hit a significant milestone: over the past 12 months, the emirate recorded its highest quarterly transaction volume, with more than 6,500 residential deals closed in Q3 2025 alone.

This surge is being driven by strong buyer confidence, rising off-plan activity, and accelerating prices, signalling that Abu Dhabi isn’t just a destination to buy, but a market to invest in.

Read more

SmartCrowd released the capital’s first regulated fractional property investment - a AED 1.2M Yas Island studio, making property investment more accessible for younger investors and expats.
Read more

ADDED is leading a major trade mission targeting collaborations in:

Full coverage

Hilton Hotels in Abu Dhabi has unveiled the EMiRGE – Emirati Grow & Evolve Programme, a bold two-year initiative designed to empower young Emirati talent and accelerate the UAE’s “Emiratisation” goals in hospitality.

Launched during a career-fair event on Yas Island, the programme offers UAE nationals a structured “learner to leader” pathway: six months of foundational job-skills training, six months of function-specific development, followed by project-based, shadowing and leadership phases before participants take on independent leadership roles, complete with competitive benefits and access to Hilton University’s learning library.

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is turning up the dial on its Middle East expansion, announcing six new-build hotels and three residential projects across the region, with a heavy focus on Saudi Arabia.

From the wellness-oriented Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA at Triple Bay and the coastal luxury of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Red Sea at Shura Island to the heritage-infused Four Seasons Hotel Diriyah near UNESCO-listed At-Turaif, the portfolio spans city-centre, coastal, and cultural gateway experiences.

In the UAE, the brand is also set to debut the Four Seasons Private Residences Abu Dhabi at Saadiyat Beach - a gated beachfront community of villas, beach mansions, suites, and penthouses on the shores of Saadiyat Island.

Here’s what insiders are tracking this week:

Full details arrive Wednesday in the Weekend Guide.

Thanks for catching up with the start-of-the-week edition of Abu Dhabi Minute - your insider read to start the week ahead of the curve.

See you Wednesday for The Weekend Guide, covering everything happening Thursday through Sunday.

Have an amazing week, Abu Dhabi!
— Matthias