Abu Dhabi knows how to do theme parks. It has the highest concentration of them in the Middle East, including record-breaking roller coasters, indoor ski slopes in the desert, cartoon lands with real-life Looney Tunes, water parks with slides as tall as mountains, and parks filled with classic adventure sports.

Those looking for speed, thrills and bucket loads of family fun can find it all-year-round both inside (in air conditioning) and outside in the emirate’s year-round sunshine. These are the top Abu Dhabi theme parks you can’t afford to miss out on.

Ferrari World Yas Island - facebook

Ferrari World Yas Island facebook

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

1. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

At this park dedicated to the renowned Italian sports car brand, visitors can ride the world’s fastest roller coaster, with a thrilling hydraulic launch that rockets riders from 0 to 240 km/h in 4.9 seconds, while rolling along tracks up to 52  metres high. It’s so fast they make you wear protective goggles in case of debris like sand and insects. There's also the multi-sensory coaster, Mission Ferrari, which travels 77 km/h and tilts and drops – watch out for the explosions and holograms. And don’t miss the Karting Academy for young riders looking to hone their skills, plus a zip‑line and iconic red roof walk for panoramic views of Yas Island.

A waterslide at Yas Waterworld

Dawwama - Yas Waterworld facebook

2. Yas Waterworld

This wet-and-wild splashfest has 45 attractions, including some of the biggest, longest slides in the region. Dawwama spins riders in a 50 ft tornado funnel, the Liwa Loop plunges riders though a trapdoor-style, vertical 21-metre drop, and Falcons Falaj is a suspended water-coaster on a six person raft. Bubbles Barrel is a mega flowrider experience, with the world’s largest surf-sheet of water. Jebel Drop is a 10-storey cliff dive on a waterslide – plunging from the height of a mountaintop. The various zones have something for all ages, from adrenaline to toddler-safe, with lazy rivers, VR pearl-diving, cabanas, and seasonal neon‑night events.

Warner Bros World

Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi 3

3. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi

One for the summer months, this air‑conditioned wonderland has 29 rides across six immersive lands. Explore Batman’s Gotham City, with rides including Batman: Knight Flight, with heart racing climbs, drops and spins, and The Riddler Revolution taking you on a series of dizzying, puzzling movements. Head to Superman's Metropolis for the Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey, a 360-degree, 4-D flying theatre experience, and Superman 360°, a thrilling 3D projection ride.

Cartoon Junction is all about family-friendly fun, while the Bedrock Flintstones River Adventure raft ride celebrates everyone’s favourite Stone Age family with a lazy river ride through a prehistoric land. Rumour has it a Harry Potter land could also be coming – wands at the ready.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi

Sea World Abu Dhabi 2

4. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi

The brand's first park outside the US (without orcas) has eight themed realms to explore (Arctic cold to Tropical reefs and Endless Ocean), including a series of high-octane rides. The Manta Coaster has 17 airtime moments, including zero‑G flip-outs, and three inversions. Family friendly and more gentle rides include the Eel Racer, Jelly Plunge, and Octozoom! Don’t leave without visiting the world’s largest multi-species aquarium featuring 68,000 animals including sharks, rays, penguins and dugongs.

And look out for very unique Sleep Beneath the Sea experiences, where families snooze under aquatic panoramas during a rare marine camp. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi maintains that it’s focused on marine welfare and conservation, and the focus is on education rather than live animal shows.

Snow Abu Dhabi

Snow Abu Dhabi 1

Snow Abu Dhabi

5. Snow Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s answer to Ski Dubai offers more surreal snow in the desert but goes one better – it also has 20+ theme park rides. Inside Reem Mall temperatures stay at minus 2 °C year round in this winter wonderland, where you can zoom down Graupel’s Summit super-slide, tumble through the Troll Bowl during a zorbing experience, race sleds in the Polar Express, soar through the air on the Flight of the Snowy Owl roll glider and ride and wander an enchanted ice forest.

Al Ain Adventures - facebook 1

White water rafting at Al Ain

Al Ain Adventures - facebook

Al Ain Adventure

6. Al Ain Adventure

Around an hour and a half from the centre of Abu Dhabi this adventure wonderland is perfect for fans of outdoor thrills. It has a full surfing wave pool (with waves up to 3.3 m-high) and an action-packed playground with rope courses, plus climbing walls, air slides, and a full 1100m artificial river with white knuckle river rapids that can be ridden in a raft or kayak. Kids will love the 350m-Adventure Island floating obstacle course with 21 challenges. Parents can kick back at Oasis Island, with a huge pool, two Jacuzzis and a bar.

CLYMB Abu Dhabi

CLYMB Yas Island - website 3

7. CLYMB Abu Dhabi

CLYMB has two big claims to fame – it houses the world’s largest indoor skydiving tunnel (10  metres wide, 32  metres tall) and tallest indoor climbing wall (42 metres high). Here, you can freefall without the airplane, with help from pro instructors. Once you master the basics of moving up and down, left and right, you can learn to spin and attempt flips in the 16-fan tunnel. Ideal for Abu Dhabi’s hottest months, climbing in the air-conditioned space offers a full body workout while scaling to vertigo-inducing heights. Bring your friends - they can cheer you on and take pictures from the vantage lounges overlooking both the wind tunnel and climbing walls.

8. Disneyland Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is set to welcome one of the most highly celebrated theme parks in the world. Disneyland Abu Dhabi is slated to open between 2030 and 2033, and will become the first ever Disneyland in the Middle East. It will open on Yas Island by the water, near Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, and Yas Waterworld and it’s set to be the most technologically advanced Disney park yet. A nod to the local culture, the Disney castle will be an Emirati‑inspired structure with a crystal look, instead of a typical European-style fantasy castle with turrets. The park will also be mostly indoors, ensuring it can be visited all-year round, even during the sweltering summer months.

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