Published: 12 August 2026
Nearly three years before Hudayriyat’s residential masterplan was announced, visitors were already spending the night at Bab Al Nojoum. The retreat opened with the island’s Leisure and Entertainment District in November 2020, offering tents and camper vans by the shore. In 2024, these were joined by waterfront villas with private pools, including villas built over the water.
Bab Al Nojoum has two other retreats in Abu Dhabi. Al Mugheirah is set within the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, while Bateen Liwa lies among the dunes of Al Dhafra. Hudayriyat is the closest to Abu Dhabi city and can be reached directly by bridge. Although the island is also home to beaches and sports venues, the retreat offers a quieter place to stay, with accommodation ranging from informal camping to private-pool villas overlooking the sea.
Beyond the Original Tents
What began with luxury tents and retro camper vans has since grown into a broader waterfront retreat. The original accommodation softened the rougher edges of camping. Beds, air conditioning and resort services brought comfort to the shore without losing its easy-going character.
The waterfront grew considerably in January 2024 with the addition of 31 one- and two-bedroom villas. Seventeen ocean-view villas line the shore, each with its own private garden and pool, while another 14 stand over the water and are approached along a pier. With private pools, patios and outdoor decks, these newer stays have more in common with a small coastal resort than a conventional campsite, although the original tents and camper vans remain part of Bab Al Nojoum.
The four villa types vary considerably in size. The one-bedroom overwater villa measures 62 square metres, rising to 162 square metres for the two-bedroom version. On shore, the one-bedroom beach villa covers 217 square metres, while the two-bedroom villa–the largest of the four–extends to 262 square metres.
That additional space gives the beach villas room for a private garden and pool beside the shore. The overwater villas offer a different experience: guests walk out along the pier before stepping onto a private deck directly above the sea.
Different Ways to Stay by the Shore
Accommodation varies from luxury tents – including duplex versions with balconies – to one- and two-bedroom villas set along the beach and over the water. For families travelling with children or teenagers, choosing the right accommodation can make all the difference. A villa offers a private plunge pool, greater privacy and a quieter place to retreat during the hottest part of the afternoon, whilst the tents retain the easy-going character of camping and keep more of the stay outdoors.
After sunset, the programme may include a bonfire or a film beneath the night sky. As layouts and occupancy vary, families should confirm the sleeping arrangements when booking.
The outlook changes with the accommodation. Overwater villas open onto patios and decks above the Gulf, while the beach villas look across private gardens and pools towards the shore. Both keep the water close, but each offers a markedly different way of spending a few days beside it.
Life Along the Shore
For those who value their daily dose of open air, there is no shortage of ways to spend it at Bab Al Nojoum. Activities range from kayaking, canoeing and sailing to stand-up paddleboarding, making good use of Hudayriyat’s coastal setting. For those wanting a slower start, yoga, meditation and beach aerobics are also offered.
The children’s programme is equally informal, with dedicated play areas, arts and crafts, foosball, giant Jenga, Connect Four and tug of war. Each can occupy an hour or an afternoon without requiring the family to build its entire day around a fixed excursion.
Meals can move outdoors too. The resort arranges waterside barbecues, private dinners by the sea, cooking classes and floating breakfasts, whilst in-room dining remains available for quieter evenings. Some accommodation types also have outdoor areas suited to light cooking or grilling. As the activity calendar changes and private experiences require advance arrangements, both are worth confirming before arrival.
Two Tables by the Water
Dining at Bab Al Nojoum now ranges from Arabic-fusion cooking at Akawa to tacos and ceviche served beside the sand at 25 Minutes to Tulum. The two restaurants occupy the same stretch of waterfront but lend themselves to rather different occasions.
Akawa is the quieter and more formal of the two. Set on the seafront, it serves modern Arabic food with Mediterranean influence from breakfast until late evening. Its tasting menus suit a longer meal arranged around the table, particularly after a day spent on the beach or water.
At 25 Minutes to Tulum, lunch can readily stretch into the afternoon. The beach club combines Mexican-influenced dishes–including tacos and ceviche–with access to the sand, music and regular events continuing beyond sunset. Day visitors can purchase beach access, with the fee fully redeemable against food and drink, so the club is not reserved solely for resort guests.
Each has a character of its own. Akawa suits an unhurried meal overlooking the water, whilst 25 Minutes to Tulum allows the day to move between the table, beach and music. Both have given this part of Hudayriyat a dining life that extends well beyond its villas and tents.
Beyond the Resort
Set on Hudayriyat Island, across the water from Al Bateen, Bab Al Nojoum is within easy reach of central Abu Dhabi. Hudayriyat Bridge provides direct road access to the island, with the journey generally taking between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on traffic and the starting point. This proximity places an overnight stay by the shore remarkably close to the capital.
Beyond the resort, Hudayriyat has plenty to recommend it. Its established attractions range from Marsana’s public beach and waterfront dining to Surf Abu Dhabi, 321 Sports, Trail X and Circuit X. A wider network of cycling routes runs across the island. These are separate destinations, however, with their own bookings, admission arrangements and opening hours, rather than facilities belonging to Bab Al Nojoum.
For anyone considering a longer attachment to Hudayriyat, however, the distinction remains important. Al Naseem, Nawayef East and Nawayef Village share the island and its wider leisure offer, while Bab Al Nojoum operates independently, with its own booking and access arrangements. It is therefore separate from the residential communities rather than a beach club reserved for them. Seen in this light, the resort forms part of Hudayriyat’s broader character, where short stays by the water sit alongside, yet remain distinct from, the rhythms of residential life.
