If your weekend plans usually leave the dog or cat at home, here are five ways to bring them along instead.
Stay somewhere they're welcome
Vida Hotels and Resorts runs four pet-friendly properties across the UAE, so a staycation doesn't have to mean boarding your pet elsewhere. It's a simple starting point if you want a weekend away without leaving anyone behind.
Paint a portrait of your pet
On Sunday, August 9, Riina is hosting a guided pet portrait session. For Dhs300 you get a pre-sketched canvas, brushes, paints and an apron, plus canapés and a beverage while you paint — a low-key way to spend an afternoon and end up with something to hang on the wall.
Let them off the leash
Dubai Islands Beach is the city's first and only official dog beach, meaning it's the one place dogs can legally run off-leash. There's agility equipment to keep them entertained, along with pet showers, drinking fountains and waste stations. Entry is free, which makes it an easy default for a weekend outing.
Grab a coffee while they get groomed
At Pawdy Neighbors in Souk Al Manzil, Downtown Dubai, you can sit down for a bite while watching your pet get groomed through a glass window — no need to choose between running errands and being separated from them. The brand's second venue, on the Boulevard, goes a step further with luxury pet boarding for anyone heading away for longer.
Take them on a hike
For something more active, Wadi Shawka and Wadi Modaynah Dam are dog-friendly hiking trails within reach of Dubai. Both are worth considering if your pet needs more than a walk around the block and you're happy to make a day of it.
Between a beach built specifically for off-leash dogs, a paint-and-sip session, grooming with a view, a pet-friendly hotel group and a couple of trails outside the city, there's enough here to fill a weekend without ever leaving your pet behind.
Reported by What's On.