New Waterfront Destinations in Dubai: What You Can Visit Now

6 November 2026

Dubai’s waterfront has changed in three different ways this year. Khor Al Mamzar opened the first phase of a larger beach redevelopment in May. Jumeirah Beach 1 reopened after an upgrade along 1.4 kilometres of coast. Marsa Boulevard came back for its third season on Dubai Creek with more space and new programming. The first two are public beaches. The third is a seasonal promenade for a walk, a meal or a visit timed around an exhibition.

Names matter on this part of the coast. Khor Al Mamzar, Al Mamzar Beach Park and the Al Mamzar Corniche project are separate references. Jumeirah Beach 1 is distinct from the nearby commercial J1 Beach and from Jumeirah Beach 2. Marsa Boulevard is beside Dubai Festival City on the Creek. Put the exact destination into your directions before deciding what to bring or when to go.

Three ways to use the waterfront now

Khor Al Mamzar for a public beach with a designated night section

The Government of Dubai Media Office announced the opening of Khor Al Mamzar on 5 May 2026. This was phase one of the Al Mamzar Beaches project. The opening report puts the expanded swimming shoreline at 3.6 kilometres and identifies a separate 300-metre night beach operating around the clock. For a late swim, look for the marked night section and follow the signs and directions on site. The whole 3.6 kilometres describes the shoreline upgrade. The 300 metres describes the specific overnight provision. Khor Al Mamzar opening announcement

There is also a reason to go without swimming. The opening announcement describes a floating walkway and more than 5.5 kilometres of paths for walking, running and cycling. The walkway links sides of the lagoon, giving someone on foot a way to see the waterfront from over the water. The path figure describes the network across several activities, so use the signs for the section you want. If you plan to bring a bike, check where the cycling route runs and whether you need to dismount on pedestrian sections. Opening coverage and lagoon crossing

The Municipality’s October accessibility update confirms a sea swimming platform at Khor Al Mamzar. If that feature is central to the visit, ask for the entrance nearest the platform and check how to arrange any equipment or assistance. The Municipality’s wider accessibility programme includes beach and floating wheelchairs at selected locations. Confirm what is available at the specific time and entrance you plan to use. Municipality accessibility update

Use the Khor Al Mamzar name when arranging a pickup or meeting someone. A route to the Beach Park may take you to the park entrance instead. The Municipality lists the beach and park separately in its public directory. For a group arriving independently, agree on a landmark or entrance once you have checked the pin. If you intend to swim at night, use the night-beach section as the point of reference. Municipality beaches directory

The Municipality’s September update still described Al Mamzar Corniche as being prepared for opening. The planned women-only night beach belongs to that Corniche project. At Khor, the night beach described in the May opening announcement is already part of phase one. An old map pin for the Corniche or a photo from a construction update can send you to a different stretch of coast. When a new Corniche opening is announced, check its own access arrangements before using Khor’s as a guide. September beach programme update

For a visit centred on the sea, choose your arrival point around where you intend to enter the water. The new shoreline is long enough that a drop-off at one end may be inconvenient for someone using the platform or meeting friends at the night section. If your party includes someone using a wheelchair, agree on the route from the drop-off to the beach surface and then to the platform. The fact that a platform exists answers one part of that journey. A current site contact or the staff at the beach can tell you where to approach it.

Jumeirah Beach 1 for a walk along a rebuilt public shore

January’s project review described a redevelopment spanning 1,400 metres, with paths for walking, jogging and cycling, plus sports and family facilities. Reporting in February confirmed the beach had reopened. The upgrade gives people who live nearby a reason to return for an ordinary walk or run as well as a trip to the sand. If you are going with children or bringing a bicycle, check the markings as you enter so you can use the appropriate path. The project length refers to the redevelopment area, so plan your own route from the entrance you use. Government project review · February reopening report

The public beach and J1 Beach have similar names. Put Jumeirah Beach 1 into the directions for a public beach visit and confirm that the pin leads to the public side. This is especially useful when someone else is dropping you off or a group has several meeting points in circulation. Beach 2 is another distinct destination. The Municipality’s October update names the sea swimming platform and sensory room there. Check the facilities for Beach 1 separately if your visit depends on a particular accessible entrance or feature.

For a short walk, decide whether you want a loop back to your starting point or a pickup at the other end. If you plan to stop at a nearby business, check its own hours and route from the public side. A restaurant reservation, access to a private section and access to the public shore are separate arrangements. If someone in the group plans to swim while others use the path, agree on a landmark where you can meet again. That works better than assuming there is one main meeting point along the entire 1.4-kilometre project.

Marsa Boulevard for an expanded seasonal walk on Dubai Creek

Marsa Boulevard first welcomed visitors in February 2025. Al-Futtaim announced that its third season would begin on 30 October 2026, and Visit Dubai lists the current season at Marsa Al Khor near Dubai Festival City. The operator describes an expanded waterfront with a reworked Botanical Garden and a larger programme of art, dining and wellness. The Creek setting is the constant. The attractions along it can change from one part of the season to the next. Original 2025 launch · Season 3 operator announcement · Visit Dubai location and season listing

The new programme changes what there is to do on the promenade. Al-Futtaim describes commissioned artworks that draw on the Creek’s history of movement and trade, including work that responds to wind and water. Studio 152 returns as a space for exhibitions and fashion programming. The Botanical Garden has a reworked food and coffee offering. If you are mainly there to walk by the water, those elements give you places to stop. If you are going for one exhibition or temporary shop, check that it is installed and open on your date. The operator’s season announcement covers work planned across the season.

One difference from a beach visit is how much of the outing depends on individual schedules. The operator announced Pilates and a dedicated yoga studio at Matcha Club Creek alongside its existing padel courts. If a class is your main reason for going, confirm the timetable and reserve with the activity provider if required. If you want dinner as well, leave time to move between the booking and the waterfront. The first season’s operating hours were published for 2025 and do not establish current outlet or event hours.

For a group arriving from different sides of Dubai Festival City, send a promenade-specific pin and pick a place to meet. The mall area and the seasonal destination share a broad location reference, but agreeing on the destination name helps when you set a taxi drop-off. Check the current programme before deciding whether to arrive early for a walk or later for a specific performance. If a venue announces a separate entrance, use that in the booking details you share.

Choose by what you want to do at the water

For a late swim, Khor Al Mamzar is the place in this guide with a specifically announced around-the-clock section. Use the marked night area and check local directions. For a daytime shoreline walk with people who want to move at different speeds, Jumeirah Beach 1 has the pedestrian, jogging and cycling paths described in the redevelopment. For an evening where one person wants to see an exhibition and another wants to eat beside the Creek, Marsa Boulevard gives you a seasonal option. That is a different kind of waterfront access from taking a towel to the beach.

For a family outing, start with the needs of the person who has the least flexibility. That may be someone who needs a short route from the car, a place to change before going home, or a specific time for an activity. At Khor, check the nearest entrance to the feature you plan to use. At Jumeirah Beach 1, check the route between the public beach and the path. At Marsa, choose a meeting point close to the activity you have booked. The exact access point can matter more than the headline size of the development.

Plan the return leg if you are arriving after dark or travelling with equipment. A taxi booked from the same landmark as your drop-off is simpler to coordinate if that landmark is still easy to find later. If you are using public transport, check the return service against the time you expect to leave. In Al Mamzar, a route published for Beach Park is a useful lead for the district, but check the final walk to the Khor entrance you actually need. Visit Dubai’s separate Beach Park listing

Read the next waterfront announcement by phase

A public opening notice identifies the part that can receive visitors. It may cover one beach, a walking route, a temporary activation or the first completed part of a wider redevelopment. A construction update answers a different question about delivery progress. Khor and the Corniche show how the two can sit next to each other. The May notice opened Khor and the September update still placed the Corniche ahead. Use the most specific recent announcement for the activity and location you plan to use.

The same distinction applies to developer plans. The 2026 Dubai Design District residential masterplan describes a future waterfront promenade along the canal. It sets out a planned part of the neighbourhood. For a visit today, use an operating destination’s location and access information. The three sites in this guide have an opening, reopening or seasonal return on record. Each serves a different trip, from a marked swimming area to a public coastal path to an event-led evening promenade. Dubai Design District masterplan announcement