Simply Abu Dhabi IV

57 SIMPLY ABU DHABI Yas Gateway Park The perfect place to indulge in simple pleasures like a family picnic, a place to appreciate the world we live in and the time we have to spend together, Yas Gateway Park signifies a noteworthy piece of landscape within the Yas Island ‘Masterplan’. As the A&J diaries provide testament, we are firm believers in the work/life balance and can fully appreciate the appeal of a weekend spent whiling away the hours in the stunning surroundings of Yas Gateway Park with its magnificently manicured lawns. This is a place where couples, families and hard-working business people can come to recharge their batteries and experience the sheer exhilaration of fresh air and the rejuvenation of outdoors life. Within this incredibly spacious green landscape, children chase each other, kick balls around and fly kites and couples relax in the glorious warm sunshine appreciating the natural environment that Aldar work so tirelessly to preserve. Within the acres of space at Yas Gateway Park, are a number of distinct areas comprising play areas, BBQ and seating areas, floodlit tennis courts and an exercise circuit, connected by pedestrian and cycle paths. So whatever you enjoy doing with your leisure time, you can enjoy doing it at Yas Gateway Park. We were perfectly content to spread out a picnic rug, indulge in a few of our favourite foods and simply sit back and watch the joyful scenes play out before us as people seemed to simply revel in the joy of being alive and outside in our beautiful world. The Yas Gateway Park not only provides parkland for relaxation and recreation, but also provides parking for cars and coaches to the Yas Marina Circuit and serves as an enticing focal point to the island for visitors and residents alike. Yas Links Golf Course Abu Dhabi has been named ‘Golf Destination Of The Year Africa & Gulf States 2012’ in the prestigious International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) awards, in which over 380 specialised operators from 55 countries vote for the golf destinations viewed as the best performing by their clients, so it’s a great place to come to indulge your golfing passion, not least because of the clear blue skies and warming sun. A golfer’s paradise, Yas Links Golf Course promotes itself as a course that will enhance both your game and your senses. Providing the ultimate golfing challenge, from the first tee on the west shores of Yas Island it’s not difficult to see the similarities between this beautiful golf course and the old Scottish links course from which its design is heavily influenced. Designed by Kyle Phillips – one of the world’s prominent golf course designers – Yas Links offers a golfing experience as rewarding as it is challenging. Surrounded by magnificent mangroves – of which 130,000 are new trees planted by Aldar – and amongst tall, testing grasses and deep bunkers line the fairways push even the finest golfers. Adjacent to the 18-hole course, named as Best Golf Course and Best Club 2010 at the Middle East Golfer Awards, is a par-3 academy course and floodlit practice facilities. In keeping with the unique style of the course itself, the main Andalucía-styled clubhouse boasts incredible coastal views from a variety of vantage points. It’s not all about the golf ! Relax with a drink, sample the fine dining, enjoy personalised pampering in the locker room or unwind with a dip in the pool. Whatever facilities you take advantage of; you will be treated to an unrivalled service. On visiting the club, it is easy to see why it has gone from strength to strength since opening in June 2010. Yas Marina and Yacht Club Transforming the face of recreational boating in the Arabian Gulf, Yas Marina and Golf Club combine high quality services for yacht owners with relaxed facilities for cabin crew in a stunning waterfront setting that will take your breath away. It is clear when you arrive at the Marina that this is the place where the elite gather for adrenalin fuelled social experience in the lap of luxury. The Marina provides 142 berths for yachts from 10 to 90m for annual mooring and boating enthusiasts from around the globe are drawn to the area for the varied events throughout the year. If you don’t want to take advantage of the annual mooring, there is also visitor berthing available for yachts of up to 150m providing a first-class viewpoint for the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Conceived as an iconic landmark the Yas Island Yacht Club’s streamlined curved structure makes a dramatic impact on the brand new Yas Marina and Formula One Track bringing added appeal to the wide-ranging leisure and hospitality facilities already available within the precinct. Designed by Omiros One Architecture (O1A) for Aldar Properties, the Yas Island Yacht Club is his first significant work in the Middle East. O1A principal and founder Mr Omiros Emmanouilides describes the design as; “a composition of dynamic and fluid forms that link the buildings to the nautical theme, the heritage of the location and the new F1 character of Yas Island.” “The Yacht Club is designed to excite, inspire and strengthen the concept that is Yas.” The celebrated Yas Island Yacht Club is characterised by the gleaming white exterior shells of the two main buildings set against the exhilarating backdrop of the Yas Marina and F1 Track. Crystal LED façade lights weaved into the shells transform them into huge pixelated viewing screens set dramatically against the night sky. With its prominent 45 metre observation tower, the first building houses lively restaurants, bars, lounges, function rooms and outdoor decking areas with fabulous views all lend themselves perfectly to five-star socialising. The upper level VIP Lounge incorporates private dining facilities, meeting areas and gathering spaces. The talking point is a superlative curved ceiling which follows the external skin of the building’s shell. The ‘bow’ of the Yacht Club opens onto outdoor decks at all three levels. Building two retains a quieter character with a waist-shaped glass internal courtyard; this is where the retail and administration activity takes place. At the clubhouse, Florentine architect Michele Bonan’s Cipriani restaurant is a chic setting for fine dining with an outdoor terrace overlooking the marina. Drawing in an eclectic mix of individuals to social in sumptuous surroundings, it comes highly recommended by us as does Yotto, a fashionable venue where you can indulge your love of Japanese cuisine. Believe us when we say you’ll want to work your way through the menu. And if you want to keep the party going well into the night, Allure is a fabulous nightclub attracting a stylish crowd who come together to dance away the evening in a stunning location overlooking the marina and Yas Island race track. A Destination packed full of Surprises From traditional bazaars and markets to art galleries, open air theatres, shopping centres and cinemas, there is so much to see and do in Abu Dhabi. The perfect destination for business travel, family holidays and romantic escapes, there is something to appeal to everyone. Get out there and explore – you might be surprised at what you discover. Motor World Located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, near to the International Airport, a rich customer experience awaits at Motor World. This new automotive development has been designed to offer the one-stop-shop convenience of all automotive requirements under one roof. Dedicated to buying, selling and servicing both new and pre-owned cars, Motor World will also enable customers to sort their automotive finance, insurance and registration requirements efficiently on site. There are also car wash, quick service facilities, car accessories and ample car parking spaces available within this friendly and modern environment where customers can purchase cars in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism. With landscaped green public spaces and a network of pedestrian foot paths, Motor World will be a dedicated automotive precinct bringing together car dealerships, authorities, car finance and insurance agents and other various automobile related industries into one centralised outlet in the capital. Dealing with all automotive needs in Abu Dhabi, Motor World provides an inimitable combination of residential and mixed-use components, comprising a 3-star hotel with a business centre and a variety of refreshment outlets and a number of public facilities that address the growing demand for a family- friendly automotive experience. The multi-purpose test- track for salon and SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) at Motor World has the benefit of dual-functionality in that it not only allows customers to test drive their vehicles prior to purchase but also provides the ideal venue for dealerships to host events and accommodate training requirements. Within a relaxed and comfortable environment there is no pressure to rush into a decision. On the contrary, the availability of service experts on site and many cafes and restaurant s where you can contemplate the decision making process of purchasing a new car makes this the pleasurable and exciting experience it should be. The 118 showrooms created during Phase One are now completely leased and when all phases are complete, Motor World will be the new home for new and used car showrooms in Abu Dhabi making the car buying process easy and enjoyable. Yas Mall At the heart of Yas Island is a shopaholics’ sanctuary – a haven where a diverse spectrum of retail outlets will entice and their contents offer something to appeal to all tastes and needs. You will almost be able to smell the expectation in the air as shoppers move contentedly from one shop to another. Housing over 400 stores, including hypermarket, restaurants, food court, multiplex cinema and family entertainment centre, Yas Mall will introduce further appeal to the already appealing Yas Island. This regional shopping mall boasts 230,000 sq m of gross leasable retail space and will be home to many of the world’s leading brands and exclusive designer labels and also feature the largest IKEA store in the MENA region which proudly opened its doors to expectant shoppers in March. We were delighted to discover that Yas Mall is one of the first malls to achieve the 2 pearls design certification from Estidama – who far some simply being a sustainability program is in fact the symbol of an enthused The Amazing Aldar something amazing is happening in the Emirate