Holiday apartments on Saadiyat Island

This page is about short stays: renting an apartment on Saadiyat Island for a few nights or a few weeks of a holiday, not the yearly leases that fill most Abu Dhabi rental listings. A holiday apartment gives you a kitchen, a living room and more space than a hotel room, but no daily housekeeping, kids' club or resort beach. Holiday apartments are in two residences, Mamsha Al Saadiyat on the beach and Soho Square inland, and you book them online, on sites such as VRBO or Vio.com.

Find an apartment on Vio.comSee on Vrbo

Residences

Mamsha Al Saadiyat buildings at sunset

Mamsha Al Saadiyat

studios to 3 bedrooms

from ~$174 / night · as of September 2026

Courtyard with a pool, Soho Square Residences

Soho Square Residences

studios to 2 bedrooms

from ~$117 / night · as of September 2026

Square with palm trees and fountains, Saadiyat Grove (illustration)
Not available for short-term rent yet

Saadiyat Grove

Prices by season

  • High season
    November–March
    Studio
    from ~$191
    1 bedroom
    from ~$287
    2 bedrooms
    from ~$455
  • Shoulder season
    April and October
    Studio
    from ~$144
    1 bedroom
    from ~$215
    2 bedrooms
    from ~$335
  • SummerLowest prices
    May–September
    Studio
    from ~$108
    1 bedroom
    from ~$168
    2 bedrooms
    from ~$251

Average price per night · as of September 2026

What moves the price

  • Dates: the first week of December, with UAE National Day and the Formula 1 weekend, and the Christmas and New Year weeks are the busiest, so book them early.
  • Extras: cleaning, the tourism fee and VAT can be added at the last step of booking.

What to look for

  • A holiday home license. In Abu Dhabi, short-term rentals must be licensed as holiday homes by the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and the license number must appear on the listing. No number on the page is a reason to book elsewhere.
  • Who the host is. Some apartments are run by management companies, others by private owners. Read the latest reviews of the specific apartment, not of the building.
  • The full price. Check the final screen before you pay: cleaning, the tourism fee and 5% VAT may not be in the headline price.
  • The deposit. If the host asks for a security deposit, find out how much it is, how you pay it and when you get it back.
  • Beach access. In Mamsha Al Saadiyat, the beach is a few minutes' walk away, but Mamsha Beach charges a day ticket. Ask the host whether the apartment comes with beach access. From Soho Square, you need a taxi to any beach.
  • Parking. If you rent a car, ask whether the apartment comes with a parking space in the building's garage.
  • Air conditioning in every room. From May to September, a bedroom without its own AC unit is hard to sleep in.

Common mistakes

  • Paying the owner directly by bank transfer. Outside a booking platform, you lose its refund and dispute process, and a transfer is hard to get back.
  • Assuming the beach is free. A Mamsha address puts you next to the beach, but every beach on Saadiyat that is open to the public charges a day ticket. Check what the listing includes.
  • Booking inland for a beach holiday. From Soho Square, every beach day starts with a taxi.
  • Booking peak dates late. The first week of December and the New Year weeks fill early, and the remaining apartments are the expensive ones.
  • Expecting hotel service. Most apartments have no daily cleaning or front desk. If you need that, compare with the island's hotels.

Frequently asked questions