The Best Places To Spend New Year's Eve In The Middle East

The Western New Year’s Eve (31 Dec) has recently been widely celebrated throughout the Middle East, with all night parties, glitzy bars, traditional desert barbecues, and so much more! From the breezy bridges of Istanbul to the world’s tallest building in Dubai, here are the best ways to spend New Year’s Eve in the Middle East!

1. The Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Suite Hotel, Hotel

Luxury sun-loungers on the beach at the Emirates Palace

Another one of the best displays of fireworks at midnight in the UAE, the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, already glittering with its gold cafes and bejeweled ceilings, sets off a sparkling party of fireworks. They can be seen from the nearby corniche or the main boulevard as well, for those of who would rather be outside to welcome in the New Year.

2. Martyrs Square, Beirut, Lebanon

Memorial

Beirut is one of those cities in the Middle East that never sleeps — and on New Year’s Eve every bar, restaurant, hotel, and public square will be filled with people partying to see in the New Year. One of the best places to go to mingle in with the local Lebanese is Martyrs Square, with its brightly colored Christmas tree as a backdrop to the dazzling spectacle of fireworks at midnight.

3. Le Gray Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon

Hotel

If your idea of a good New Year’s Eve is dancing and drinking the night away, then head to the Le Gray Hotel in Beirut for an experience unique only to the Lebanese nightlife scene. Enjoy an amazing view of the fireworks and countdown that happens at midnight, while enjoying the party atmosphere in one of the most colorful cities in the Middle East.

4. Bhosphorous Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey

Bridge

Already a romantic city without the excitement of New Year’s Eve, the Bhosphorous Bridge in Istanbul is one of the best places in the country to experience ringing in the New Year. Bask in the glittering backdrop of the city as you enjoy the contrast of the quiet river with the heart-pounding fireworks display.

Festival City, Cairo, Egypt

Cairo, the magical capital of Egypt, is also another colorful place to welcome in the New Year no matter where you are in this bustling city. A favorite place for the New Year however is in Festival City, a newer and more up-town part of Cairo, where you can experience fireworks, light shows, and a loud and joyful public celebration whether in a restaurant or bar when the clock strikes midnight.

The Boulevard, Amman, Jordan

If in Amman for New Year, then the Boulevard is the brightest place to be (besides stuffing yourself full of delicious kunafa at the nearby sweet shops). With its large stage and ear-smashing Arabic music, firework displays, and the crowded and noisy streets that you would expect on a New Year’s Eve, this is where everyone goes to (loudly) give their goodbyes to the old year.

The Sahara Desert, North Africa

For a more quiet and intimate farewell to the old year in the midst of one of Nature’s grandest creations, why not celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Sahara Desert? Tours (mostly from Morocco) will take you on meaningful excursions and sleepovers in the Desert for New Year’s Eve, where you can ponder the depths of the Universe in the starry skies and wake up to a brilliant desert sunrise.