Qasr Al Watan - The Royal Palace

If, after visiting the Sheikh Zayed Mosque or the Emirates Palace, you thought it could not get bigger, more beautiful or more impressive, we recommend a visit to the Qasr al Watan. The Qasr al Watan, part of the Presidential Palace, has been open to the public since March 2019 and shows the true wealth of Abu Dhabi.

There are several palaces scattered throughout the grounds, where, among other things, some offices of the ruling family are housed and here high-level state visits are received. Contrary to popular belief, the palace does not serve as a home for the ruling family but is merely used for state visits. One of these palaces has now been opened to the public and the visit is an absolute must for any Abu Dhabi vacationer.

After a brief security check, you will be greeted with traditional Arabic coffee and fresh dates. Everything is still relatively normal here and will not prepare you for what you are about to see. Only the huge wooden entrance gate is the first clue for what to expect inside.

Once you have taken your first steps into the huge hall, you will experience it: an incredible absolute wow effect! It's really hard to put into words. Fantastic, breathtaking, awesome, it's just indescribable ...

For the construction of the palace no expense or effort was spared and only the most exclsuive materials were used. The largest chandelier in the hall weighs a proud 6 tons and for the maintenance and care a small spiral staircase was built inside. Hundreds of pounds of gold were used throughout the building for decoration and only the finest marble and gems wherever you look.

Inside the palace there will be exhibitions on various topics, i.a. Gifts from foreign countries to the the ruling family. Also accessible is a meeting room where once or twice a year, among others, meetings of the Arab League or the GCC states are being held. The royal banquet hall is also accessible and even this sight is difficult to put into words. Huge chandeliers, armchairs with the finest ornaments and gold wherever you look. There is also a library, a restaurant and a souvenir shop.

And even if there is no dress code: Due to the local culture, we recommend proper and respectful clothing.