The end of summer is near: outdoor cinemas return to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Dubai's Urban Outdoor Cinema has announced its return to Habtoor Grand, while Cinema in the Park is also set to return in Abu Dhabi

Urban Outdoor Cinema takes place at Habtoor Grand, framed by the skyline of Dubai Marina. Courtesy Urban Outdoor Entertainment.

Could the cooler climes of a UAE winter finally be upon us?

If you were to go by the amount of restaurants reintroducing their outdoor seating, the food trucks popping back up around the city, and the unabashed optimism of the runners who have returned to the streets, it would certainly seem so.

But what really spells the end of a long, hot summer is the opportunity to visit an outdoor cinema again. And that moment, it seems, is imminent.

Urban Outdoor Cinema is returning to the Habtoor Grand in Dubai Marina in a mere few weeks. And in Abu Dhabi, soon you'll be able to return to Umm Al Emarat Park for family films and face painting.

Urban Outdoor Cinema, Dubai

From Saturday, October 12, you'll finally be able to plonk down on a couch on a grassy mound, and take in one of three films a week, far away from any form of air-con.

Framed by the jagged skyline of Dubai Marina and Media City, films will be screened every Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Better yet, there's plenty of snacks and food available, including fresh pizza from the onsite Italian restaurant.

Kicking the season off with Bohemian Rhapsody on Saturday, October 12, and Avengers: Endgame on Sunday, October 13, blockbusters old and new will round out the month – think A Star Is Born, The Shining, Scream and The Greatest Showman. Hocus Pocus will screen on October 31 for Halloween.

November will host another array of classics, from The Breakfast Club and Pretty Woman to Shakespeare in Love and Big.

Screenings begin at 7.30pm and tickets are are available on the door at the Habtoor Grand’s Beach Lawn, or online at Platinum List for Dh75 per person. The website will go live in the coming days.

Cinema in the Park, Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, Cinema in the Park has also announced its plans to return to Umm Al Emarat Park.

From Thursday, October 3, the family-friendly event will screen recent Disney favourites such as Frozen, The Jungle Book, and Toy Story 3, as well as beloved classics including Peter Pan, Aladdin and A Bug's Life.

There will also be other activities on offer, such as face painting and origami workshops, and an appearance from Mushrif the Mascot.

There's a Dh10 entrance fee into the park, but the movie screening is otherwise free.

Sure, watching a film in the cool night air without risk of perspiration-induced dehydration may still be a few weeks away, but for many of us, it's a light at the end of a very humid tunnel.