by Pádraic Gilligan, Head of Research & Consultancy, SITE

SITE’s connections with the Gulf region go back decades to when Gillian Taylor, then with the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, sat on our board in the mid noughties.

A SITE delegation — including yours truly — was invited to Abu Dhabi in 2007 and was shown impressive plans and models for a city that would have everything — culture to beat Paris and Rome, fun to outdo Las Vegas and Dubai, hospitality to outshine anything in London or New York City.

We were all impressed but sceptical. Would it ever happen? Yet however implausible and fantastical it all seemed at the time, the plans did, indeed, come to pass.

Subsequent SITE Executive Summit gatherings in Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman forged and fostered strong relationships in the region, and the wonderfully genial Karim El Minabawy President – Emeco Travel Egypt/Emirates, served as SITE President in 2024.

So, for almost two decades, SITE has had a front seat at the astonishing evolution of this capital of the United Arab Emirates, and will now stage its Global Conference there in February 2026, only the second time the event will have taken place in the region.

Outside of education and networking — the “connect” and “learn” pillars of all SITE events — here are 5 ways to get the most out of your experience at SITE Global Conference in Abu Dhabi.

• 1. Fly in with Etihad Airways

The national airline of Abu Dhabi has well-established routes from 7 North American hubs (Toronto, Boston, NYC, DC, Chicago, Charlotte and Atlanta) and also serves most EU capitals, flies south to Johannesburg, and east to India, Southeast Asia, Sydney and Melbourne.

Being a national carrier, Etihad’s brand and service ethos fully channels the essence of the destination, so your Abu Dhabi immersion starts right at your city of origin.

2. Book our host hotel, the The Ritz‑Carlton, Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is amongst a very small number of global destinations where the hospitality experience is primarily mediated through 5-star hotels, as these do comprise the majority of available accommodation options. All of the global brands are here — Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt etc.

Three things make the Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi stand out: firstly, with over 500 guestrooms, it is among the biggest properties in the brand’s portfolio; secondly, it is hosting the entire conference in-house across its extensive, contemporary event spaces. Thirdly, the view of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque across the grand lawn at the front entrance is as perfect and unique a sense of place as you could ever hope to get.

3. Stir your soul, immerse yourself in art and / or feed your inner child

Whatever Liz, SITE’s Head of Events, manages to fit into the destination immersion programme, I guarantee it will only scratch the surface of what’s available.

Want something to truly stir your soul? Visit the Abrahamic Family House, where the 3 monotheistic world faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — share a common space, each with its own distinct house of worship. You can read a separate blog on it here.

Looking for art? Visit the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the awe-inspiring collection affirming our shared humanity, rivalled only by the astonishing beauty of the building itself, designed by visionary Jean Nouvel.

Craving fun? Try the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi or the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, or lose yourself in the brilliance of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.

4. Embrace and re-commit to sustainability

Regrettably, our industry’s participation on the march towards a more sustainable planet has started to falter in some regions, although this year’s Incentive Travel Index also highlights firm progress in others.

In Abu Dhabi, sustainability has been baked into the master plan since it was first launched decades ago — and the emirate remains steadfastly committed to the cause.

In recent years this has been evident in pioneering projects such as Masdar City, a sustainable-urban community where solar power, passive-design buildings, low-flow water systems and grey-water reuse combine to cut energy use by up to 75 % compared with conventional regional villages; and Jubail Mangrove Park on Jubail Island, a carefully restored mangrove-forest ecosystem that balances biodiversity preservation with eco-tourism and public access.

5. Open yourself to a new culture

As soon as you disembark at Zayed International Airport — unless you’re from the Gulf region or travel there frequently — prepare yourself for culture shock, and be ready to have your assumptions around social intercourse questioned and challenged.

In Abu Dhabi, however, it’ll be culture-shock-lite. Abu Dhabi is fundamentally a very open, tolerant society, but also does not hide, deny or adulterate the underpinning faith system that generates its socio-cultural reality.

So, be open! Because, yes, five times a day across all public spaces we’ll hear the highly distinctive call to prayer — and, no, the massive breakfast buffet at the Ritz will not include pork sausages or bacon.

And yes, many local women will be dressed head-to-toe in black, eyes barely visible behind their abayas — and, no, alcohol will not be the prominent offering at evening functions and dinners.

But hey — vive la différence. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience what the Italian novelist Cesare Pavese calls “the brutality of travel,” when we’re forced out of our comfort zone, obliged to shed our prejudices and open ourselves to true diversity.