It’s January, we had snow in the South East yesterday… but in the capital of the United Arab Emirates it was 23 degrees and sunny.

 So why wouldn't you want to hear a bit more about what Abu Dhabi can offer the corporate incentive market?

I recently took a 7 hour flight from Heathrow (courtesy of Etihad; they operate 3 a day and BA one) to spend a few days acquainting myself with the latest the destination has to offer.

First destination was Abu Dhabi City and a stay at the 5* Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi. Located in the Yas Island district - home to some of the emirate’s main tourist attractions including Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and Yas Marina – it’s distinct architecture is a familiar sight to F1 fans. The hotel straddles the race-track – home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and you’ll likely see cars tearing around the track day and night from the balcony of your (soundproofed) bedroom. 

It’s an excellent property. Very contemporary, with large comfortable bedrooms and featuring a stunning rooftop pool and deck area – a perfect (and very cool) location for events, receptions and parties.

Talking of parties, 5 minutes from the hotel is the Yas Beach Club. An uber-cool hot spot, perfect for evening celebrations, or just somewhere for a group to unwind during the day.

We also took in a lunch at the stunning Saadiyat Beach Club. A beautiful natural setting, with a firm health and wellness focus. They’re very well set up to accommodate incentive groups of all sizes, for both daytime and evening events.

Beyond the beach-based locations, there’s no shortage of attractions and activities, from the thrilling to the cultural. Highlights include:

• Louvre Abu Dhabi- an architecturally stunning collaboration between France and the UAE and well worth a couple hours visit just to appreciate the building; a guided tour is ideal, but strolling around during any free-time is still a worthwhile experience; there are also private event options
  
  
• Ferrari World– a (mainly indoor) theme park, dedicated to the Ferrari brand; unusual perhaps, but again a totally original construction and as for eye-popping rollercoaster rides…
  
  
• Yas Marina Circuit– from karting to drag racing, the facility is perfectly set up for incentive groups – and nice and close to the hotel! As well as motor racing, it frequently hosts some of the world’s biggest music starsFor something a little less adrenaline-fuelled try kayaking in the Eastern Mangroves – but don't forget the sunblock!

And now for something completely different. Take a 2 hour trip by road – long-ish for incentive groups, but worth it if there’s time in your itinerary – and head for the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort. It really is the middle of nowhere and a stark contrast to the developed City. It’s a 5* desert resort with views of nothing but…sand. For miles. But there lies its beauty as a true oasis, and an experience for incentive groups to savour. In fact, a certain Pep Guardiola has been known to take the Manchester City team to the resort to help recharge the batteries mid-season.

And there’s plenty to keep your incentive group occupied – climbing giant sand-dunes for sunrise, riding camels, dune-bashing in 4x4s (totally thrilling), sand boarding… and dining under the stars Bedouin-style.

But if you don’t like sun and sand… maybe look at Iceland.