If you thought horses and pageantry were already a thing in Abu Dhabi, buckle up — or rather, saddle up. Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts (ADREA) school will open on 1 November 2025 on Jubail Island, bringing classical horsemanship home in style.
What is ADREA?
ADREA is the UAE’s new haute école home — the fifth school of its kind in the world, joining institutions in Austria, Spain, Portugal and France. It’s designed to be a fully integrated campus devoted to the preservation, performance and teaching of classical horsemanship.
The campus, in a single line: horses first
Spanning 65,000 square metres, the ADREA estate leans into a “horse-first” philosophy: every stable, arena and corridor was conceived with equine comfort and athlete performance in mind. The campus includes a climate-controlled arena that seats 1,200 spectators, 60 air-conditioned stables with advanced monitoring, a veterinary and rehabilitation clinic, plus training arenas and shaded riding tracks. Translation: elite training, top-tier welfare, dramatic pas de deux under perfectly calibrated lights.
Culture and craft — this is more than just riding lessons
ADREA isn’t just a training ground — it’s a cultural hub. The Furussiya Gallery will showcase rare artefacts tracing horsemanship across civilisations, the equestrian library will house over 10,000 volumes, and the campus hosts the UAE’s first equestrian saddle-making atelier to revive and advance saddle craft. Expect exhibitions, workshops and a steady stream of “did-you-know?” moments.
Education that scales — from junior riders to degrees
Education sits front and centre: a Junior Academy leads into accredited pathways up to a four-year Rider Degree, with vocational streams and clinics for grooms, saddlers and specialists. ADREA explicitly welcomes young riders — including Children of Determination — signalling an inclusive approach that aims to nurture talent from the earliest stirrups to professional mastery.
Why Abu Dhabi (and you) should care
This is a cultural landmark as much as it is an athletic one. ADREA positions Abu Dhabi as a global node for classical equestrian art, attracting tourists, scholars and performers while feeding local culture and community programmes. If you follow regional culture or track abu dhabi news, this is the kind of project that will keep appearing in festival lineups, education stories and travel features.
Practical bits
- Opening date: 1 November 2025.
- Location: Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi (mangrove-fringed setting).
- Core features: 65,000 m² campus; 1,200-seat climate-controlled arena; 60 air-conditioned stables; veterinary and rehab clinic; Furussiya Gallery; equestrian library; saddle atelier.
