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Standing in my balcony and seeing the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation is always a marvelous sight. Situated in the heart of the city, the Foundation invites visitors for many reasons. It boasts of an amazing library, both in Arabic and English, which can make any book lover, stay here for hours together. You can find books on almost any subject, from classics to history to management texts. The best part is that you need not pay any fee for browsing books in the library. In case you want to take them with you, a very nominal fee is charged.

You can also enroll for some really interesting courses here. The Learning Development Cell in the Cultural Foundation offers short and long-term courses in diverse areas, such as, French, Arabic, and German to candle making, needlework, personality development, creative writing and music.

The Cinema Hall at the Foundation screens new Hindi, English, and Arabic movies regularly for just Dhs. 5. That’s why this place is a great hangout for movie lovers, who get to watch good movies for less, as the fares at the cinemas cost anything between Dhs. 25 to 50.

If you were a music lover as well, you’d have landed yourself a double treat. Every year, the foundation hosts the Annual Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival, usually during February and March, inviting leading western and Indian classical singers to perform.

The foodies also have a reason to smile here. The first floor has a café that serves some great Arabic coffee, along with your regular bites, like burgers, pizzas etc. The highlight of this café is the mouth-watering Falafel, a sandwich wrapped in Arabic bread known as Khooboos. The café has a serene and soulful feel to it, accentuated by the sound of the piano in the background.

For art lovers, this place is truly art for art’s sake. You have paintings that depict the history of the UAE, its rulers, and course of development. Also, paintings by leading artistes from all over the world are showcased here.

So, if you are in Abu Dhabi and do not know what to do on a Friday evening, you know where to head for. And trust me; you’ll never regret spending your evening here.