The Best Moment to Visit Dubai
Beatrice Lessi
Great Weather, Great Events
I just came back from an event-packed week in Dubai, that allowed me to experience some sport highlights, and have a short holiday too.
The best time to visit Dubai is between November and March. During these months, the weather is mild and pleasant, with daytime temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to mid-80s°F (around 24-30°C). This is ideal for outdoor activities, sightseeing, and enjoying the city’s attractions.
On top of that, two sport finals were on: the T100 Triathon, and the DP World Tour.
This means that the best triathletes and the best golfers in the world were in town.
The Louvre AbuDhabi, The Grand Mosque
Before watching sports, I also used a day as a tourist, and visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Sheikh Zahedan Grand Mosque.
Abu Dhabi is 138 km away from Dubai and perfect to visit for one day.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is already worth the trip for its architecture alone. Not only it is aesthetically pleasing (tourists queue up for a specific photo stop where water and ceiling form a beautiful design), but also user friendly. Sitting areas enjoy the breeze and the water log the Arabian Gulf on Saadiyat island.
Inside, I first went to a temporary exhibition of Van Gogh and other masterpieces, borrowed by Musee d’Orsay. I was fearing Louvre Abu Dhabi would be a sort of bad tacky copy, but it is the real thing, and extremely well curated, meaning that one can feel the idea behind, and can understand a certain artistic period already in the space of one or two rooms.
The permanent exhibition is like a walk in time. It also shows how different places and populations that never came into contact ended up producing very similar objects and art.
Outdoors
At the Louvre
A photo spot
Water at the Louvre
The Mosque
With its thousands of flowers decorating the marble pillars, the water mirroring the lights effects, and the dramatic color changes depending on the time of the day, the mosque is impressive. I was dressed too sexy (even though, for me, my dress was totally normal) and had to buy a cape in the local souvenir shop. Rules are strict, but nobody is ever aggressive when telling you. To me, this place is ideal for a holiday, but for sure it’s too far from my culture, and wouldn’t work long term.
And now back to sport!
The Grand Mosque
Its colours are changing at night
Wearing modest clothes
Details on the ceiling
Sunset at the Mosque
Loving every detail
T100 IS TRIATHLON, REDEFINED
20 of the world’s best professional triathletes – women and men – battling over a season of 7 breakneck 100km races in iconic locations around the globe in a bid to be crowned the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Champions.
The T100 Triathlon World Tour is the official World Championship tour of long-distance triathlon, organised by the PTO (Professional Triathletes Organisation) and recognised by World Triathlon, the sport’s global governing body.
Its first final, in Dubai saw Taylor Knibb (USA) win the world title. A young Swiss, Julie Derron, was second.
To comment and interview, there were Jan Frodeno and Lucy Charles – the best of triathlon indeed!
The day after it was the men’s turn.
Marten Van Riel (Belgium) won, followed by Rico Bogen and Alistair Brownlee.
With Laura Phillips
With Lucy Charles
And Jan Frodeno
Golf
I also watche a part of the 2024 DP World Tour Championship that saw Rory Mcllroy winning.
⁾He secured a two-stroke victory with a final-round score of 69, finishing at 15-under par for the tournament⁽¹⁾. This win also gave him his sixth Race to Dubai title, tying him with Seve Ballesteros for the most titles in the tournament’s history. It was an impressive performance by McIlroy, especially considering the tough competition and the pressure of the final round.
Mcllroy at the start of the tournament
My paparazzi pictures of Rory mcllroy
Two great restaurants
My final tip is to try glamorous and hip “Ce la Vi” – the best view in town, accompanied by delicious food, and what is rated as the best restaurant in Dubai, Ossiano. It has a fish tank with 70,000 fish and is more on the formal side. Both photogenic and perfect for a night to remember.
Ce la vi
Ossiano