If you typed “Saadiyat Shores” into Google hoping to find a single beach with that exact name, you are in good company and slightly out of luck. Saadiyat does not have one shore. It has nine kilometres of them, split into a polite hierarchy of public beach, hotel beach club and members-only sanctuary, all sitting on the same powdery white sand the island has become famous for.
Here is what each of those shores actually looks like in 2026, what they cost, and which one to pick depending on whether you are showing up with toddlers, in-laws or a pre-brunch tan to maintain.
Quick answer: Saadiyat Shores refers to the 9km stretch of beach on Saadiyat Island. There are four publicly accessible beach experiences right now: Kai Beach (the new public option), Soul Beach at Mamsha, Saadiyat Beach Club at Four Seasons and the St. Regis Saadiyat Beach. None of them are free anymore.
The state of Saadiyat’s beaches in 2026
The old free Saadiyat Public Beach is gone. The footprint has been redeveloped and rebranded as Kai Beach, run by Saadiyat Development & Investment Company, with a paid day-pass model that includes proper loungers, food, drinks and clean facilities. Locals who remember the AED 25 days of the old public beach have feelings about it. The trade-off is that the beach itself is now properly maintained, the loos work, and there is shade.
Mamsha Al Saadiyat, the residential strip that opened a few years back, brought Soul Beach with it. That is the second public-access option and the one most expat families gravitate to, partly because the Mamsha promenade behind it is lined with cafes and restaurants.
Beyond those two, the rest of Saadiyat’s coast is divided between hotel beach clubs (you pay, but you get pool plus beach plus F&B) and resort-only beaches (you stay there, or you do not get in).
Every Saadiyat shore, ranked for residents
Kai Beach – the everyday option
Kai Beach sits where the old public beach used to be. It opens at 7am daily and runs until sunset. Adults pay AED 150 on weekdays and AED 225 on weekends, with AED 50 to AED 100 of that redeemable on food and drink. Kids 6 to 12 are AED 75 weekday and AED 100 weekend. Children 5 and under enter free. Parking is free. The catch: general access is 18+, which means kids must be with a parent or guardian, and the vibe leans more towards adults wanting a peaceful day than families with three under-tens running riot.
Vibe check: The sand and water are genuinely worth showing up for, just bring your own towel, build in a buffer for the food service, and brace yourself for the seagulls and crows who behave like paying customers.
Location: Google Maps | Phone: +971 50 283 5795 | Email: info.kai@aldarleisure.com
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Towels are not included at Kai Beach. They cost AED 50 extra. Bring your own and put that AED 50 towards a second iced lemonade instead.
Soul Beach at Mamsha Al Saadiyat – the resident’s favourite
Soul Beach is the family-friendliest of the lot. Weekday adult day pass is AED 125, weekends jump to AED 200. Kids are AED 60 weekday, AED 100 weekend. Toddlers are free, which alone makes it the pick for anyone with a baby. There are 750 sunbeds in total, 600 for visitors and 150 ring-fenced for Mamsha residents, so on a busy Saturday in March you genuinely need to arrive by 10am or accept that you are sitting at the back.
Parking is covered, free for the first hour, then AED 10 per hour after that. The hack: book a table at one of the Mamsha promenade restaurants for lunch and you get three hours of free parking validated. Locals do this on rotation.
Vibe check: Families have crowned this the practical pick because the kids actually have space to wander, just turn up early on weekends because the umbrellas vanish faster than a toddler hearing the word ice cream.
Location: Google Maps | Phone: +971 56 538 9037 | Email: info.mamsha@aldarleisure.com
Saadiyat Beach Club – the premium day out
Saadiyat Beach Club is operated by Four Seasons and is the closest thing the island has to a true day-pass destination. Day passes are available and include the infinity pool, gym, beach access and the F&B venues on site. Prices vary by season and demand, so check the official site before booking. The clientele skews 30-something professionals and couples on staycation. You are paying for service, food quality and a properly groomed pool deck.
Vibe check: The sand, the service and the brunch atmosphere are why people fall a little in love with the place, your wallet will have strong opinions about everything else, so save it for the splurge weekends.
Location: Google Maps | Phone: +971 2 656 3500 | Bookings: saadiyatbeachclub.ae
St. Regis Saadiyat Beach – hotel beach club energy
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort offers beach passes through reception. The beach runs from 8am to sunset and the pool stays open until 8pm. Pricing sits in the premium bracket alongside Saadiyat Beach Club, with food and drink credit included in the day rate. If you want the cabanas-and-strawberries kind of beach day, this is the one. It also doubles as a strong staycation option, see our Eid Al Adha Abu Dhabi staycations round-up for current packages.
Vibe check: Picture being walked to your sun lounger by staff who actually seem pleased to see you, then remember you cannot book in advance, so cross your fingers and call first thing in the morning.
Location: Google Maps | Phone: +971 2 498 8888 | Bookings: marriott.com
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi – the quietest beach on the island
Park Hyatt sits at the far end of Saadiyat and tends to be the most peaceful stretch of coast. Day passes are availability-dependent, meaning you genuinely should call in the morning before driving across. The beach is wider here, the resort feels more secluded, and you are unlikely to share your sunlounger sightline with a stag party.
Vibe check: The crowd here is so polite you could mistake them for librarians, the beach itself is genuinely the quietest sand on Saadiyat, but ring ahead before you drive across or you will be staring at the gate.
Location: Google Maps | Phone: +971 2 407 1234 | Email: reservations.parkhyattabudhabi@hyatt.com
The turtle nesting season – what every Saadiyat visitor should know
Saadiyat’s beaches are an active nesting site for the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle. The nesting season runs from March to July, with hatchlings emerging roughly 50 to 70 days after eggs are laid. Each nest holds 90 to 100 eggs. The Saadiyat Turtle Patrol marks active nests with protective barriers and signage during this window.
What this means for residents and visitors:
If you spot a marked nest, stay away from it. Do not let kids climb the dunes near markers. Avoid using flashlights on the beach at night during nesting and hatching, light disorients hatchlings and they can head inland instead of towards the sea. If you see a hatchling struggling, contact resort staff or beach authorities. Do not pick it up. Do not assist it into the water. Hawksbills imprint on their birth beach during that crawl, and human help breaks the cycle.
This is the kind of detail Saadiyat does not put on billboards but every resident should know.
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: If you are visiting between June and September, head down to the public end of Saadiyat Beach at sunrise. That is when Turtle Patrol volunteers are most active and you can sometimes catch a release.
Parking, timing and what to bring
Best window to visit is October to April. May to September is genuinely too hot to lie on the sand from 11am onwards, even with shade.
For Kai Beach: drive in early, parking is free, arrive before 10am on weekends. For Soul Beach: covered parking is comfortable but fills fast, book a Mamsha restaurant for validation if you plan to stay all day. For Saadiyat Beach Club and St. Regis: valet parking is included in the day pass.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, water, your own towel for Kai Beach. Glass is restricted on most beach areas. Shisha is available at Kai Beach with a separate charge.
What is opening next on Saadiyat’s coast
Mandarin Oriental Residences are slated to deliver in 2028 on a stretch of waterfront that will add another beachfront option, though residents-only. The Saadiyat Cultural District is expanding inland (Guggenheim, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum), all backing onto or close to the coast. Read our complete Saadiyat Island guide for the broader picture on everything happening on the island.
Saadiyat Shores FAQ
Not anymore. The original Saadiyat Public Beach has been redeveloped into Kai Beach, which operates a paid day-pass model. The free-entry version no longer exists.
Soul Beach at Mamsha Al Saadiyat. Toddlers enter free, kids’ day passes are reasonable, and the Mamsha promenade behind the beach has multiple kid-friendly restaurants. Kai Beach is 18+ for general access, which limits it for families.
AED 150 for adults on weekdays, AED 225 on weekends. Children 6 to 12 are AED 75 on weekdays, AED 100 on weekends. Kids 5 and under enter free. A portion of the day pass is redeemable on food and drink.
Hawksbill turtle nesting runs from March to July. Hatchlings appear 50 to 70 days after eggs are laid, typically May through September. The Saadiyat Turtle Patrol marks active nests, observe from a distance and never use flashlights on the beach at night during this period.
Yes. Both resorts offer beach and pool day passes, subject to availability. Call the day before, especially on weekends and during peak season. Prices include food and drink credit.
Kai Beach offers free parking. Soul Beach has covered parking, free for the first hour and AED 10 per hour after. The hotel beach clubs include valet parking in the day pass.
