The ultimate family day-out planner, Etihad Rail’s next stops and more: What’s On Northern Emirates Autumn 2026 is out now

Autumn is when the Northern Emirates properly comes alive. The mercury drops, the terraces reopen, and there’s suddenly a lot more reason to leave the AC behind on a weekend. This issue, we’ve built the ultimate family day-out planner – covering everything from Etihad Rail ’s newest stations to the region’s best waterparks, butterfly houses and heritage sites – alongside the restaurants worth crossing a bridge for and the race calendar to get you moving. Here’s what’s inside. Here’s what’s inside the What’s On Northern Emirates Autumn 2026 issue – on shelves now across Ajman, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Our cover feature maps every stop on Etihad Rail’s growing passenger network, from the desert dunes of Liwa and Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi, to Mohamed Bin Zayed City (active since the network’s June 30 launch), Al Yalayis in Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates (joining from September 30), Al Dhaid in Sharjah, and Al Hilal City on Fujairah’s east coast. For each stop, we’ve found the hotel worth basing yourself at – think Bab Al Nojoum near Bateen Liwa, Aldhafra Resort, W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, FIVE Jumeirah Village, Moon Retreat by Sharjah Collection and Palace Beach Resort Fujairah – along with what to do nearby and the events worth timing your trip around, including the 20th Al Dhafra Festival, the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Liwa International Festival. Passenger trains hit speeds of up to 200km/h, and when the full network is complete it’ll run approximately 900km, connecting all seven emirates from the Saudi border to Fujairah’s coast. Tucked into Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon, Al Noor Island is a green escape built around a Butterfly House home to more than 20 species, self-guided garden walks, art installations and the Art in Nature creative workshop. Families have until September 30 to catch the Explore, Create and Grow Summer Programme (Dhs99 per child), and the Summer Savings Pass still has 20% off selected experiences until the same date. For something more grown-up, book By the Bay for waterside dining with Sharjah skyline views, or come back after dark to see the island’s night illuminations. Self-guided visits start from Dhs35 for adults. Whether it’s high-octane outdoor thrills or indoor play, Ajman has something for every age. Ajman Water Park near Ajman Clock Tower brings slides, splash zones and a hanging bridge and zipline for those staying dry (Dhs79 per person, or Dhs370 for a family bundle of two adults and two children with combo meals). Happy Fun runs two branches combining trampoline and inflatable zones with pay-per-activity pricing, Sprinkles Play inside Al Murad Mall is Ajman’s first dedicated trampoline park with a 40-game arcade, and My Play Zone inside Safeer Mall is a budget-friendly stop for younger children from Dhs50. For a slice of heritage, Hassa Buweid Castle – a free-to-visit 1976 hilltop watchtower in Al Manama – makes a quieter pairing, while Ajman Equestrian Club offers group and private riding lessons for more than 100 Arabian horses. Al Jurf Family Park rounds things off as a free, 43,000sqm green space for sunset picnics. From a 210,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site to a fort that saw off the British navy, our culture special digs into 15 sites across the Northern Emirates. The headline act is Al Faya near Al Madam, inscribed in July 2025 as only the UAE’s second UNESCO site, holding an almost unbroken record of human habitation stretching back 210,000 years. Elsewhere: the prehistoric burial grounds at Jebel Buhais, forts and desert safaris at Mleiha Archaeological Centre, copper-smelting history at Wadi Al Helo, and the protected reserve at Shark Island, Khorfakkan (check saa.shj.ae for access). In Ras Al Khaimah, don’t miss the last-stand history of Dhayah Fort, the medieval port of Julfar and Kush, and the intact pearling village at Al Jazirah Al Hamra (all via rakheritage.rak.ae ). Fujairah brings the UAE’s oldest surviving mosque at Al Bidyah and the 16th-century Fujairah Fort & Heritage Village (details at tourism.fujairah.ae ), while Umm Al Quwain’s Ed-Dur and Dubai’s Saruq Al Hadid (via visitdubai.com ) and Ajman’s coral-stone Ajman Museum (via ajman.ae ) complete the trail. For Umm Al Quwain planning, the Department of Tourism and Archaeology has the details. As the mercury finally drops, the Northern Emirates’ running scene wakes up with five events across September to November. The Sharjah Aquathlon kicks things off on September 13 at Al Hamriyah, combining a swim leg with a run (Dhs135). Run Ajman returns on October 10 along the traffic-free roads of Ajman’s Safa Walk with distances from a 1km kids’ dash to 10km, while the after-dark Ajman Neon Run follows on November 14 with glow-in-the-dark wearables. The Hisn Fili Run brings a genuine change of scenery to Sharjah’s restored Fili heritage area on October 24, and Run Fujairah closes out the calendar on November 8, making the most of the emirate’s mountain and coastal scenery. Two RAK restaurants get the What’s On treatment this issue. Karma Kafé by Buddha-Bar on Al Marjan Island keeps its theatrical standing menu fully intact but adds a shorter chef’s menu alongside it – the Soy-Ginger Chilli Prawns and slow-cooked Beef Short Ribs are the standouts. Over on Hayat Island, Bar Du Port Beach has reopened for the season with a French Riviera-leaning menu built around a shareable Seafood Paella and a Levantine Salad worth leading with, even if the pool wasn’t quite back online on our visit.