Visiting Qaṣr Al Waṭan, The Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi (The UAE)
I wasn’t excited to visit Dubai. A Hungarian traveler I had met in Abu Dhabi had told me that a twelve-lane road runs through the center of Dubai. It is busy. Lots of people. Taxis are expensive. He said Abu Dhabi is much quieter.
Now I am all in for new experiences, but who wants to go to a busy city after a quiet one? I had no choice. I couldn’t stay in Abu Dhabi forever. My host had been kind and hosted me for two days. Now, as promised to him, it was time to leave.
I got up at 8:30 and immediately messaged a friend. He is from my college, and we have been in touch. I had messaged him when I had booked a ticket to Dubai, and he was excited to meet. Finally, about to start my journey to Dubai, I wrote to him that I would be traveling to Dubai during the day. To my surprise, and good luck, he replied he was in Abu Dhabi for a meeting, and we could go together if our times synced. He also suggested me to stay with him and his family so we could chill at home.
I said I already have a booking for three days. He replied, “You can crash at our place for the entire duration.” I realized I couldn’t bother them for the five days I would be in Dubai. I didn’t know what was about to happen, though. We are always so clueless.
I overthought our conversation and whether I should accept his invitation while he told me he would message me later in the day. He had meetings to attend.
Meanwhile, I formed a plan.
I would visit the Presidential Palace. I had just searched for things to do in Abu Dhabi, and the palace was at the top of the list. I thought that visiting a palace would give me an insight into the royal life of the UAE. How does the king live? How do they build their palaces? Would there be chandeliers and big halls? The ticket would cost at least seventy dirhams, and on every travel forum, people suggested buying the ticket online to avoid the line at the ticket counter.
When I went to the Palace’s website, I didn’t understand which ticket to book. There was a prime time ticket and another one for the off-season hours. The English wasn’t clear. Which ticket was for which time? I didn’t book.
The bus from my stay to the Presidential Palace showed a one-hour transit time. Just the previous day, I had waited for a bus for twenty minutes. During Ramadan, not only were the buses running at a lower frequency, but the ones running were also running late.
I couldn’t take a chance. I would have to visit the Palace and also return in time to travel with my friend. He had said he would be free by four or five pm. My bus card had no money on it, and recharging it with cash sounded like a chore.
My host and the Hungarian traveler had told me that taxis were cheap in Abu Dhabi. I canceled my hotel reservation, trusting myself to book something the next day if need be. I would stay at my friend’s and see how things would go. I booked a cab on the Yango app, the Hungarian traveler had suggested it. Two minutes away, and only fifteen dirhams or so. Not bad!
Now I don’t know if I have been lucky.
The queue at the Palace wasn’t long. There were only four older women ahead of me, each of whom bought a ticket individually. They were together, though. I paid seventy dirhams with my Wise card and got in the queue for security. The arrival had been dramatic too. The taxi had navigated quite a bit of a distance inside the Palace. I had to keep my bag for the security check, and everyone was asked to take off their belts, wallets, and watches. I had none of this on me. As an adult, you also have to cover your shoulders and knees. A girl wearing a tank top and shorts was asked for his age, and when she said she was twelve, the security lady let her pass. Otherwise, you would have to buy one of their stoles being sold at the security. I don’t think they loan them.
I passed the queue and waited for the bus. Yes, this fancy bus equipped with luggage storage and USB chargers in the back of the seat would take you to the palace. And they don’t overfill it. Everyone sits.
The compound we were dropped off at had large gardens in front of it. And the compound itself was huge, on both sides of it were the Palace arches or gates and buildings. We had to go to our right. I took out my phone to take a picture of the large white building, only to realize that it was only forty percent charged. I searched for my power bank and then understood what a mistake I had made.
My phone’s battery is defective, though we had replaced it, and I always need to carry a power bank. In my hurry to get ready, decide about the day, and cancel and book things, I had forgotten to carry the power bank. I imagined it sitting on the table, while I needed it with me. Well!
I put my phone on battery saver and took a few pictures of the white building in front of me. That’s where everyone was headed. On my left, in the distance, was another arch that must lead to another building. No one was going there. I reduced the brightness on my phone and walked in.
I entered the Main Hall, which was the only thing we would see on the tour. It was huge, with exquisite mosaic work, thick pillars, and a great dome. There were painted glass windows at the top of the hall. The Palace has, supposedly, one of the largest domes, and the chandelier hanging from it was also giant. The interior was all white, and a lot of history was put into the hall as well. There was a library. You could see the old manuscripts and the history of printing. The UAE’s efforts towards space exploration were also on display. There were multiple toilets to use.
Still, you could only see that one main hall.
I roamed around it for a few hours, a bit much in my opinion. And when I had seen everything, I tried to charge my phone with my USB cable. I didn’t find a charging point. Eventually, a guy at the souvenir shop found a USB Type A cable for me, and there was a charging point for it. I sat for half an hour, charging my phone, and an employee handed me the feedback tablet. I marked everything incorrectly, as expected.
Outside the hall, I roamed around the garden. I could see the towers behind the fountain. I also walked along the corridor next to the hall where there were no other tourists. But nowhere did it say no entry or not allowed, and so I walked, a little cautiously. On the other side, I could see a guard and black cars coming in and going out.
Back at the garden and the fountains, I took the bus again. Now it dropped me close to the entrance of the palace. I had arrived in a taxi but didn’t book one right away as I wanted to see a bit outside the Palace. That was another mistake.
Outside the Presidential Palace, the roads were huge, the buildings were giant, and there was nowhere to stop. Cars ran fast. I crossed one building after another. There were no small apartments or supermarkets to stop by and book a taxi. I tried booking one near a big industry, but didn’t get a ride there. Now my phone, with its location on, was beginning to die again. My friend had messaged that he would be free soon.
I couldn’t take a bus because it would take an hour, and I had also not recharged my Halifat bus card.
I had to get home with a working phone. Somehow, I reached the Radisson hotel. I had thought, of course, I will find a cab at Radisson. It’s a major tourist place.
So I stood outside, booking a cab at four or five percent battery. The booking got through quickly, and a cab was a minute away. Yippee!
I had put in my card in the Yango app, and payment was a breeze. Back at home, I already had everything packed. I freshened up and chatted with my host, waiting for my friend. He arrived soon and took me to Dubai. It was a fun ride!
Would I recommend the Presidential Palace?
Probably not. It was a large hall with an exquisite dome and chandeliers, but I have seen so many more impressive royal residences. The Presidential Palace is said to cover 8000 square meters, and you feel its expanse on the visit. But you don’t get to see anything else apart from the main hall. I would say decide for yourself. You can see pictures on the internet, but if you have time, go.
Point to be noted:
- It’s better to take a taxi to the Palace both ways. And that’s me saying, the one who walks everywhere or takes public transport.
- Top up your Halifat card with enough money in the beginning so that you can travel anywhere you like. So that you can just hop onto a bus anywhere, even if you don’t take it until the end. Recharging the Halifat was hard because the machines at the bus stations weren’t taking cards to recharge. You had to give cash. As the card worked everywhere in the UAE, I didn’t have cash. You can buy a Halifat at Lulu supermarket, but they were out of stock. Get at least twenty bucks in your Halifat at the airport. You can pay by card or cash there.
Do you visit historical or politically important places too?
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