Kite Beach Centre, Umm Al Quwain: UAQ’s Best Beach?
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Kite Beach Centre: Umm Al Quwain’s Best Beach?
Kite Beach Centre, Shaikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates. +971555073060 (WhatsApp bookings), Kite Beach Umm Al Quwain's Websitefor the latest pricing info. Opening hours: 6 AM to 10 PM
Written by Liam Collens / See here for more reviews.
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
The Lows
Kite Beach Centre: Umm Al Quwain’s Best Beach?
Oh, I do love to be beside the seaside. Maybe my Caribbean upbringing solidified my affection for sand over snow; the latter I only saw well into my twenties. Looking up from the lounge chair to see the rustle of palm leaves pierced by glints of sunshine. An azure stretch of Arabian Sea punctured by paddle boarders, swimmers and kayaks. The sound of rolling waves ebbing up and down the shore.
I do not understand the infatuation for winter gear, sub-zero temperatures and throwing one’s body down mountains blanketed in snow at the very real risk of injury. I do – at a cellular level – feel the warm reassuring embrace that a beach brings. There is magic to a beach, but not all beaches are created equal. There are perfunctory places where land meets the sea and yields nothing more; definitely, no Kondo-like joy is conjured. So which is Kite Beach Umm Al Quwain?
Umm Al Quwain only meant two things to me after years of living in the UAE: Barracuda and superb drone photography spots. Seriously, Umm Al Quwain is much overlooked for drone photography; with its mangroves, enviably clear water, desert stretches filled with camels and the abandoned Umm Al Quwain airport.
Umm Al Quwain all this time is hiding a Kite Beach Centre to rival many beaches up and down the UAE. I am not breathlessly impressed with this Kite Beach (vs the Dubai Kite Beach), but I am already plotting a return.
Kite Beach Centre’s main attraction is the low-key, relaxed vibe. People come here to relax on upcycled boats converted into day beds under umbrellas. Locations like this in the UAE risk being pretentious, and – indeed – there are moments when it Kite Beach Umm Al Quwain comes perilously close – but Kite Beach’s visitors do not bring this vibe. Perhaps the distance filters out that kind of eye-rolling crowd.
I do not understand the infatuation for winter gear, sub-zero temperatures and throwing one’s body down mountains blanketed in snow at the very real risk of injury. I do – at a cellular level – feel the warm reassuring embrace that a beach brings. There is magic to a beach, but not all beaches are created equal. There are perfunctory places where land meets the sea and yields nothing more; definitely, no Kondo-like joy is conjured. So which is Kite Beach Umm Al Quwain?
Umm Al Quwain only meant two things to me after years of living in the UAE: Barracuda and superb drone photography spots. Seriously, Umm Al Quwain is much overlooked for drone photography; with its mangroves, enviably clear water, desert stretches filled with camels and the abandoned Umm Al Quwain airport.
Umm Al Quwain all this time is hiding a Kite Beach Centre to rival many beaches up and down the UAE. I am not breathlessly impressed with this Kite Beach (vs the Dubai Kite Beach), but I am already plotting a return.
Kite Beach Centre’s main attraction is the low-key, relaxed vibe. People come here to relax on upcycled boats converted into day beds under umbrellas. Locations like this in the UAE risk being pretentious, and – indeed – there are moments when it Kite Beach Umm Al Quwain comes perilously close – but Kite Beach’s visitors do not bring this vibe. Perhaps the distance filters out that kind of eye-rolling crowd.
Kite Beach Centre’s features
Kite Beach Centre Umm Al Quwain is a relatively small stretch of beach on the northwest side of the UAE. You can tell the design brief was to make it a boho, casual theme but also, make it Dubai standard. By this, Kite Beach Centre is meticulously and carefully curated to look like a fashionable mess. Chaos, but ‘couture’. It wants to be a surf shack, but also coffee shop but also the well-designed remains of a shipwreck. Kite Beach wants you to to feel as if this was all organically thrown together over time by happenstance as if a floor plan was never a thing. The sort of place that Kendall Jenner could, perhaps, wash up abandoned, and yet, be found styling out slurping smoothies and eating one of their vegan sweet potato, mushroom and avocado toasts. Yes, there was food and, of course, I am coming to that.
Most people will be coming here for the beach and one distinct feature: Kite Beach Centre is dog friendly! This means that you can bring dogs (note: well-behaved dogs) to Kite Beach for an additional supplemental charge of 75AED per dog. Kids under five and the disabled qualify for free entry. (Please use the link above to the official website for the latest pricing. The pricing cited here reflects the pricing at the time of my last visit.)
This dog-friendly distinction makes Kite Beach Centre very popular for dog owners. Mrs EatGoSee and I rolled up with a foster dog from K9 Friends in Dubai.
Naturally, the Kite Beach Centre offers a Kite School with trained instructors that provide lessons on learning how to kitesurf on the beach. You can book directly by WhatsApp or through their website. Lessons start at 250AED per hour. Kitesurf rentals are 700AED for a half-day or 800 AED for a full day.
Eight different mangrove tours are available via the Centre ranging in distance and prices starting at 160AED for adults and 100AED for children. Overnight tours and teambuilding exercises are available with pricing and options shared on enquiry.
Most people will be coming here for the beach and one distinct feature: Kite Beach Centre is dog friendly! This means that you can bring dogs (note: well-behaved dogs) to Kite Beach for an additional supplemental charge of 75AED per dog. Kids under five and the disabled qualify for free entry. (Please use the link above to the official website for the latest pricing. The pricing cited here reflects the pricing at the time of my last visit.)
This dog-friendly distinction makes Kite Beach Centre very popular for dog owners. Mrs EatGoSee and I rolled up with a foster dog from K9 Friends in Dubai.
Kitesurf lessons
Naturally, the Kite Beach Centre offers a Kite School with trained instructors that provide lessons on learning how to kitesurf on the beach. You can book directly by WhatsApp or through their website. Lessons start at 250AED per hour. Kitesurf rentals are 700AED for a half-day or 800 AED for a full day.
Mangrove Tour
Eight different mangrove tours are available via the Centre ranging in distance and prices starting at 160AED for adults and 100AED for children. Overnight tours and teambuilding exercises are available with pricing and options shared on enquiry.
Umm Al Quwain's Kite Beach is a boho contrast to Dubai's Kite Beach: dog-friendly, cool furniture & pristine water. But is it worth the drive?
Kite Beach Centre’s cabanas
For people coming with sizeable groups, you may be interested in renting one of the oversized cabanas that are available. These towering tiki-style obelisks are available between AED 250 to 350 per cabana per day. Eyebrows may furrow at the threat of stumping up an extra AED250/350 in addition to a hooman-and-dog charge. I can round this corner easily as a Dubai resident acclimatized to paying beach day and pool day access fees for, well, pretty much any similar facility in Dubai. Poolside cabanas in Dubai will set you back a choking four figures with little else offered. The cabanas provide privacy, a dedicated space in which to keep the inevitable towels, hats and other beach detritus you will bring here and, of course, the additional value of its two-story structure offering a view overlooking the beach and the rest of the Kite Beach Centre development. By comparison, Rixos Bab Al Bahr up the road offers single-level cabanas for AED400 per couple in addition to beach access.
There is also a “rustic but design” gym available here for people who may want a light workout at the beach among the sunshine but also under the shade. The weights and the barbells resemble giant slabs of wood and logs adding to the comical impression that you are lifting the better part of a tree. Perhaps this will be of service to people who want to come here for this purpose, but my suspicion is this is more likely to be Instagram fodder than a routine workout choice.
I want to highlight my first gripe with Kite Beach Centre: you cannot bring your own food and drink here. I assume this is to support the on-site restaurants. Moreover, the venue is not licensed and bringing alcohol is “strictly prohibited”, as instructed in the WhatsApp booking.
The restaurant notes that they source ingredients from the local area to support local growers. An outdoor grill with a dedicated grill menu focusing especially on seafood between AED55-120 (US$15-33, £11-25, €13-28). The offer of the day included a whole grilled fish with jollof rice and salad (AED120).
There are three food stations including a coffee shop also serving pastries and cold drinks. The main feature is a full-service kitchen offering breakfast dishes like hearty shakshouka and eggs benedict. Late arrivers can choose from wraps, burgers, pasta and regional dishes like fattoush. Kite Beach Centre also offers a dedicated (but limited) vegan menu.
I am a tad disappointed with two aspects of Kite Beach’s F&B.
Firstly, the staff here need to simplify the whole food ordering process to make this easier. The staff appear unfamiliar with a menu that is the furthest thing from complicated. The food is also carb-stodgy heavy which always strikes me as a strange decision when people are sitting a) in swimsuits and b) in thirty-plus-degree heat. People usually want light, fresh options to eat while laying outside.
Secondly, the inability to bring your own cooler with drinks and food is disappointing. I understand Kite Beach will want to promote the options and facilities available. I encourage Kite Beach to become licensed as this will be a value-add service for many people. I am sure there is a hotel nearby itching to be tapped.
UAE residents are exploring local options more now that international travel is limited due to COVID limitations. Umm Al Quwain is a destination and not an Emirate on the way for most UAE residents. Given the UAE’s extensive coastline with free beaches here and there, why would you want to drive likely for at least an hour?
Kite Beach Centre does offer something novel in the UAE. The boho vibe with on-site facilities and oversized, towering cabanas for dog owners and enthusiasts set Kite Beach Centre apart.
The dedicated beach is small but the water is that pale teal shade that people will spend bucks and hours searching for in remote parts of South East Asia. You can achieve something close enough IMHO within an hour of Dubai. Of course Asia offers more than just nice beaches and, for that, off you go.
UAE residents looking to try somewhere different and get away from the usual suspects. People who like a drive through the desert. Barracuda fans who want something else other than the booze run. Nature and beach lovers that want a low key spot. Dog owners or dog lovers that want to take their pets with them to the beach without worry. This is especially handy for dog owners trying to socialise their dogs with people and other dogs.
Kite Beach adds a Tarzan Gym, but not sure why?
There is also a “rustic but design” gym available here for people who may want a light workout at the beach among the sunshine but also under the shade. The weights and the barbells resemble giant slabs of wood and logs adding to the comical impression that you are lifting the better part of a tree. Perhaps this will be of service to people who want to come here for this purpose, but my suspicion is this is more likely to be Instagram fodder than a routine workout choice.
Kite Beach Centre’s food and beverage offerings
I want to highlight my first gripe with Kite Beach Centre: you cannot bring your own food and drink here. I assume this is to support the on-site restaurants. Moreover, the venue is not licensed and bringing alcohol is “strictly prohibited”, as instructed in the WhatsApp booking.
The restaurant notes that they source ingredients from the local area to support local growers. An outdoor grill with a dedicated grill menu focusing especially on seafood between AED55-120 (US$15-33, £11-25, €13-28). The offer of the day included a whole grilled fish with jollof rice and salad (AED120).
There are three food stations including a coffee shop also serving pastries and cold drinks. The main feature is a full-service kitchen offering breakfast dishes like hearty shakshouka and eggs benedict. Late arrivers can choose from wraps, burgers, pasta and regional dishes like fattoush. Kite Beach Centre also offers a dedicated (but limited) vegan menu.
I am a tad disappointed with two aspects of Kite Beach’s F&B.
Firstly, the staff here need to simplify the whole food ordering process to make this easier. The staff appear unfamiliar with a menu that is the furthest thing from complicated. The food is also carb-stodgy heavy which always strikes me as a strange decision when people are sitting a) in swimsuits and b) in thirty-plus-degree heat. People usually want light, fresh options to eat while laying outside.
Secondly, the inability to bring your own cooler with drinks and food is disappointing. I understand Kite Beach will want to promote the options and facilities available. I encourage Kite Beach to become licensed as this will be a value-add service for many people. I am sure there is a hotel nearby itching to be tapped.
Would I come back to Kite Beach Centre?
UAE residents are exploring local options more now that international travel is limited due to COVID limitations. Umm Al Quwain is a destination and not an Emirate on the way for most UAE residents. Given the UAE’s extensive coastline with free beaches here and there, why would you want to drive likely for at least an hour?
Kite Beach Centre does offer something novel in the UAE. The boho vibe with on-site facilities and oversized, towering cabanas for dog owners and enthusiasts set Kite Beach Centre apart.
The dedicated beach is small but the water is that pale teal shade that people will spend bucks and hours searching for in remote parts of South East Asia. You can achieve something close enough IMHO within an hour of Dubai. Of course Asia offers more than just nice beaches and, for that, off you go.
Who should come to Kite Beach Centre?
UAE residents looking to try somewhere different and get away from the usual suspects. People who like a drive through the desert. Barracuda fans who want something else other than the booze run. Nature and beach lovers that want a low key spot. Dog owners or dog lovers that want to take their pets with them to the beach without worry. This is especially handy for dog owners trying to socialise their dogs with people and other dogs.
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