Family-friendly adventures, Christmas Day feasts, gift guides, NYE parties, and much more…

It’s been one heck of a year. One full of Zoom calls, virtual pub quizzes, meltdowns and masks. Don’t tell anyone, but I actually really missed the office, and all the banter that goes with it. Honestly, a day without hearing our man Miles impersonate a celebrity, or tell a very, very long story, really is quite miserable.

We’ve seen our favourite restaurants, bars and hotels endure a hard year; small businesses have closed; big businesses have closed. We’ve gone to too many leaving dos, and grimmaced through far too many nasal swabs.

But there’s been a lot of good stuff packed into the last 365 days, too. There have been extraordinary tales of creativity, resilience and spirit across all sectors, from fun new food kits and delivery pivots, to the amazing companies that have directly helped frontline workers and those affected by the coronavirus. It’s made me proud to live here and share those stories.


(Above, clockwise from top left: Sarah Gamboni (digital editor), Lauren Fletcher (online reporter), Miles Buckeridge (online reporter), Aarti Saundalkar (junior online reporter, Elise Kerr (online reporter) and Laura Coughlin (head of content))

As you’re reading this, chances are you’ll be in the UAE for Christmas, much like the team at What’s On (dressed above in our M&S festive best). If that’s the case don’t panic, we’ve got everything you need to know to make the holiday season a great one, from festive feasts and NYE parties, to fun family UAE adventures. Let’s end the year on a high, right?

Enjoy the issues.

You can flick through the Abu Dhabi and Dubai issues here below:

What’s On Dubai

What’s On Abu Dhabi