Al Maryah Island runs on its own laws. Since 2013 the entire island has operated as Abu Dhabi Global Market, a financial free zone governed by English common law rather than UAE civil law, with its own courts and regulator — and in 2023 that same legal umbrella was extended across the water to Al Reem Island, creating one of the largest financial districts in the world.
None of that gets in the way of a good dinner. Compact and central, it pairs high-end restaurants with an easy waterfront stroll, as part of our main Abu Dhabi guide.
Updated: July 2026 — by Monica Bonalto
Getting your bearings on Al Maryah Island
The island centres on The Galleria mall and its waterfront promenade, with the financial district, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and hotels close at hand — all of it walkable in a way few other Abu Dhabi districts manage — there’s no need for a car once you’ve arrived, which is rare on an island this central. Less visible to visitors but just as central to the island’s identity is Abu Dhabi Global Market, the free zone established in 2013 and operational since October 2015 that runs on English common law with its own independent courts rather than UAE civil law — a deliberate move to attract international banks and finance firms, and a genuinely unusual legal setup to find sitting directly beneath a shopping mall.
The Galleria, in numbers
A $1 billion expansion opened in September 2019, turning The Galleria into an 1.8-million-square-foot complex with around 70 dining venues, more than 250 brands and a 21-screen VOX cinema with IMAX — the reason it now bills itself as the capital’s most luxurious mall.
Eating on Al Maryah Island
The Galleria is the island’s dining heart, home to a run of the capital’s best tables — standouts include Novikov and Isabel, with several neighbours landing in our guide to the best French restaurants in Abu Dhabi. The two hotel towers add their own heavyweight tables too: Four Seasons runs a 1920s Chicago-style steakhouse alongside a handmade-pasta Italian, while Rosewood’s nine restaurants and lounges stretch to an authentic Cantonese room and a waterfront afternoon tea. For everything else, see the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
Drinks, and a quieter night out
Sophisticated bars and lounges match the restaurants; the genuine insider move is Rosewood’s underground wine lounge and cigar room, tucked below the lobby and easy to miss if you don’t ask for it. See the best bar food in the city for where else to settle in, or check our roundup of Abu Dhabi’s best clubs and bars for what’s on. Compact, walkable and refined, Al Maryah suits a smart dinner-and-drinks evening more than a big night out.
Two towers worth of five-star stays
Rosewood Abu Dhabi holds 148 rooms and 41 suites looking out over the Gulf or the skyline, each with an iPad room-navigation system and an oversized Villeroy & Boch tub, alongside a destination pool and spa. Four Seasons Hotel Al Maryah Island sits a short walk away with 200 rooms and suites, all with water views, plus its own restaurant line-up and the same genuinely central footing on the island that makes both properties easy bases for exploring the wider capital without ever really needing to leave. Between the two, this is genuinely as close as Abu Dhabi gets to a five-star hotel row you can walk between on foot rather than needing a taxi to switch scenery for the evening.
Across the bridges, on foot once you’re there
Linked to the city by bridges — including a pedestrian crossing straight to Al Reem Island — it is easiest reached by taxi or car and walkable once you arrive. Evenings are best for the dining scene and the promenade, and the cooler months from October to April are ideal for the waterfront.
Top things to do on Al Maryah Island
- The Galleria — the island’s dining heart, home to a run of the capital’s best tables, with Novikov and Isabel among the standouts.
- Rosewood Abu Dhabi and Four Seasons Hotel Al Maryah Island — the island’s flagship hotels, both with their own dining and bar scenes worth a visit even if you’re not staying.
- Abu Dhabi Global Market — the island’s financial free zone by day, part of what makes Al Maryah feel more like a compact business-and-dining district than a typical waterfront strip.
Al Maryah Island, quick questions
Is Al Maryah Island part of the ADGM free zone? Yes — the whole island has operated under Abu Dhabi Global Market’s English common law framework since 2013, extended across the bridge to Al Reem Island in 2023.
How big is The Galleria? Following a $1 billion expansion completed in September 2019, it covers 1.8 million square feet with around 70 dining venues and more than 250 brands.
Is Al Maryah Island walkable? Yes — it’s one of the few districts in Abu Dhabi where the mall, hotels, promenade and financial district all sit within a short walk of each other.
Can I walk to Al Reem Island from here? Yes — a pedestrian bridge links the two islands directly.
Onward across the capital
Nearby: Al Reem Island, reachable on foot across the bridge. Or head back to the main Abu Dhabi guide.
Is Al Maryah Island worth visiting for dinner alone?
Yes — The Galleria’s restaurant run (Novikov, Isabel and several others) is reason enough on its own, without needing anything else on the island to justify the trip.