Five top things to look forward to in 2019 in Dubai

We’ve nearly ripped off 365 leaves from our daily calendar, Christmas has been and gone we’re already staring into 2019.

As we celebrate the the decade’s final year, it’s time to get our collective noggins around what will be coming to Dubai in the next 12 months. From super-tall towers to space-bound Emiratis – these are some top things to look out for in 2019.

Dubai Arena
It could scarcely be in a better location, and this 20,000-seater (approximately) arena is all set for completion in 2019, bringing an ideally-positioned stadium capable of hosting gigs, sports events, festivals, exhibitions and more.

Construction of the building has been managed by AEG Ogden, a company whose portfolio includes The O2 in London, the STAPLES Centre in Los Angeles and the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, so we know we’re in for a world-class arena.

Some exciting names have been mooted for an arrival at this City Walk, and an incredible amount of effort has gone into making the arena not just look good on the front (with its active-lit façade), but also sound brilliant on the inside.

The 4,000-tonne roof has been designed to acoustic perfection, and we can’t wait to check this place out. It’s set to have a walkway linking to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station, to ease congestion post-event.

Meraas says the Arena is set to open in early 2019, and artist announcements are expected soon.

Dubai Creek Tower
Lining up to be the new tallest tower in the world, we’re not expecting to see the finished product during 2019, but we can’t wait to see Dubai Creek Tower taking shape as it gets close to completion, following some massive developments in 2018. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, Dubai Creek Tower will be clear of 1,000 metres tall (the Burj Khalifa stands at 829.8m), and will feature a range of residential and leisure facilities, including a 360-degree viewing deck, so you can really admire the city around you.

2018 saw an incredibly important milestone completed in the tower’s construction. The pile cap (which lays the foundations for huge multi-story buildings) was completed, using 50,000 cubic metres of concrete and weighing in at around 120,000 tonnes. To put that into context, the foundation alone, weighs roughly the same as the entirety of the CN Tower in Canada. To say that this will be big will be one giant understatement.

Emiratis in space
Thirty-nine candidates have been passed physically and physiologically fit for space exploration, and a team of Emiratis will be sent to the International Space Station in April, pending final trials and assessment. When there, they’ll be conducting a range of scientific experiments and missions – marking the UAE’s first ever space-age foray. The UAE is also in talks with Virgin Galactic over commercially accessible space flights from Abu Dhabi.

Free wi-fi in every taxi
Firmly back on terra firma, the RTA has confirmed its ambitions to provide free wi-fi in taxis across the city by the end of the year. With a fleet of thousands, that means residents and tourists alike are unlikely to ever be out of signal.

TopGolf
For golf fans, this is likely to be a cracking new hangout in the evenings and/or weekend afternoons. The Dubai debut for this international brand has been in the making for a couple of years now, and the golf-but-not-as-you-know-it attraction is set to arrive at Emirates Golf Club in early 2019.

This licensed driving range of sorts will bring a nightlife vibe to a famously down-tempo sport, with microchipped golf balls meaning you’ll get fully interactive and big budget entertainment.

We’re talking light-up targets, real-time scoring, music, food & drink, competitive mini games, big TVs showing live sport and the latest kick off. So you’ll have an ace new hangout for Saturday afternoons.

This is probably going to be one of the coolest new entertainment openings in Dubai in the coming years, and one that you need to get on your list.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in TimeOut on Thursday December 30th, 2018 http://bit.ly/TD5ThingsDubai