Spending New Year’s Eve in a far away country can be both exciting and confusing. My friends and I had the awesome opportunity of celebrating New Year’s Eve in Dubai. We didn’t have a game plan but devising a last minute plan was all part of the fun! If celebrating in Dubai is on your bucket list, read about my story below and find out how you can prepare your New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dubai.
5 tips for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Dubai:
1. Meet locals & other travellers to find out the inside scoop on what’s happening
Upon checking-in at Crowne Plaza Festival City, Dubai on December 26th, my friends and I talked to our hotel concierge, other travellers and expats and combed through Timeout Dubai for New Year’s Eve parties and festivities. Many nightclubs and hotels offer New Year’s Eve packages with astronomical price tags, as expected.
We narrowed down our options. Option 1 was Cavalli Club Dubai. Funny story – the manager at the Dubai Mall Cheesecake Factory, who was American, invited us (and took care of our dinner bill)!
2. Pre-purchase tickets early
This is a good idea to avoid disappointment at the door or tickets selling out. Our option 2 was to attend the Far East Movement concert at Raffles Hotel. Option 3 was Armani Privé, where tickets could be purchased at the door. We chose option 3 and accepted the fact that we may not get in.
3. Pack versatile accessories in case you attend a themed party
Armani Privé had a Gatsby-themed party and luckily each of us girls packed sparkly dresses that could be accessorized according to the theme. We shopped for a few flapper-styled accessories from Dubai Mall and we were all set to go!
4. Arrive early to your destination
We learned this the hard way. Off to a late start, we got in a taxi at 10pm from our hotel. It didn’t help that we had to wait for a friend to meet us from the nearby emirate, Sharjah. Traffic was in a gridlock heading into downtown Dubai and cars were parked ON the highway to get a clear view of fireworks from the Burj Khalifa. We hadn’t anticipated that! We got off the taxi in the middle of the highway and waded through the sea of people towards Armani Privé, located at the base of the Burj Khalifa. We could see our destination – Armani Privé was so close, but SO out of reach!
5. Female travellers – Beware of your surroundings
Many of the people in the crowd watching fireworks are men who may ogle at you. Be respectful of the local dress code. Although party-type attire is acceptable inside restaurants and nightclubs, when you’re walking on the streets of Dubai, be mindful that you still need to cover your shoulders and knees. Read What to Wear in Dubai here.
6. Watch fireworks for free
Minutes ticked closer to midnight and we gave up walking through the sea of people, and found a spot to watch the fireworks. Watching fireworks is free, so it’s never a bad idea to build this into your plan. Soon after, we decided to find an exit strategy away from the impending mass exodus of people. We cut through a quiet side street towards the Dubai Mall. Sure enough as soon as the fireworks ended, the crowds dispersed towards us like a zombie apocalypse – thankfully we had left early!
7. Keep it classy & mind your alcohol consumption level
We ended up ringing in the New Year at Neos, a glitzy sky lounge on the 63rd floor of the swanky hotel, The Address and ordered bubbly right away! But be mindful of your alcohol consumption level – what may not be illegal in your home country could be considered a serious offence in Dubai. While drinking is acceptable in licensed restaurants and clubs, being under the influence of alcohol in public is a punishable offence. Keep it classy and be on your best drinking behaviour!
Would I do this all over again? I would answer, “Yes”, in a heartbeat! But this time, with better prior planning.
Have you celebrated New Year’s Eve in Dubai? Did you enjoy this post? Let me know in the comments below or by sharing it using the social media links!
Safe Travels!
xx Deb
Carmen Everywhere says
I agree with all your points specially about meeting the locals, adjusting to the local culture and dressing conservatively.When I went to Doha I saw several girls wearing too revealing clothes and getting bad lucks in return. How difficult is it to wear something that covers the arms and knees, so simple, it’s not like your’e required to cover up completely. And very good thought about alcohol. Many people just can’t control themselves when drinking. Thanks for the informative and well versed info.
Deb Che says
Thanks for reading Carmen! It’s all about cultural respect 🙂