Today I’m reviewing the Brand New Pearl Lounge at Abu Dhabi’s Terminal A, just opened in November 2023. This is one of the biggest airport lounges I’ve ever visited and is very impressive. So in this review I’ll cover the Pearl Lounge Abu Dhabi, plus the new Terminal A to hopefully help you decide if it’s worth a visit! You can also watch my full Youtube Review below:

Abu Dhabi Terminal A

After years of construction, Abu Dhabi’s brand new Terminal A recently opened in November 2023. I was travelling through here at the end of November so it had only been opened a few weeks at the time these pictures were taken. Currently the airport is still using the old terminals for some flights, though I believe the plan is to use this terminal for 100% of commercial flights in the future.

It’s a fantastically designed terminal, definitely one of the most visually impressive out there. At the time I visited I found many of the shops and restaurants hadn’t opened yet. But I think that should change as the airport reaches full operation.

As for lounge options at this airport. There are a few Etihad Lounges, but only one non-Etihad Lounge which is the Pearl Lounge I’m visiting today. The entrance is down a secluded hallway and up an escalator (pic below).

The Pearl Lounge

The lounge usually costs AED 262.98 / £56 / $72 for 3 hours of access. That’s pretty expensive as far as lounges go, but still not quite as expensive as the IGA Lounge at Istanbul which cost a whopping €75 / £65 / $82 which I also reviewed recently. For that money you do get quite a lot though. It’s also worth noting that whilst they specify you only get 3 hours of access, I’ve never been to a lounge that monitors how long you’ve been there for. So you could probably get away with staying much longer than that.

This lounge is also accessible through flying Business Class with various airlines. Not sure of the full list but I imagine most airlines that aren’t Etihad use this lounge. It’s also free to access if you have Priority Pass, which is how I entered.

The Pearl Lounge also comes equipped with many of the features you would expect from a top class lounge. Firstly, it’s open 24 hours a day so perfect for overnight layovers. It also has a good selection of food, which I’ll cover later. And most importantly showers and a rest area for lying down. I’ve read online you need to pay to use the showers. Though I found them to be free. You just ask an attendant and they’ll prepare a clean shower room and fresh towels and toiletries.

Below is an impressive view from the terrace area which has an elevated view overlooking the rest of the airport. Of all the lounges I’ve been to, this one definitely has one of the most striking locations.

Seating

One of my favourite things about the Pearl Lounge is the huge main seating area. It is open air, so you get some noise from the surrounding airport. However, It’s a really spacious place to be and large enough that you should be able to find a private place to sit. There are a range of Lounge chairs, dining tables, benches and a bar to sit at. I basically spent 2 hours sitting in a comfy armchair charging all my devices and had a whole section to myself. It did get busier as time went by, but there were still seats available.

There is a bar area, but don’t get your hopes up. I think with the UAE being an Arabic country they try not to encourage alcohol so you’ll only find a very small selection of self-serve wine and beer. There are plenty soft drinks including orange juice and teas. And there are a few coffee machines. And of course, a snack bar with muffins and cookies.

Also throughout the lounge you’ll find plenty of information boards. They don’t announce flights here so it’s useful to never be far away from one of these boards. Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that the many cleaning staff did a good job of keeping the place clean. They were relatively attentive and quickly cleaned people’s leftovers after they left. Many lounges around the world are terrible at keeping things tidy, so kudos for that.

Food & Drink

I would class the food selection at the Pearl Lounge Abu Dhabi as ‘fine to good’. First of all, they have a lot on offer so you should be able to find something you like. The dining area is also quite large, but it was completely full when I visited so don’t expect to find a seat here. I had to venture out into the terrace area for a place to eat.

There’s a starter/cold section where you can find some salads and snacks. Many of these salads are Middle Eastern style foods as well. For hot food there’s a very standard selection consisting of some curry, a tofu stew thing, some Middle Eastern dishes and some boring old pasta. I don’t make it sound very appetising but it was okay. I at least enjoyed quite a full meal. The only thing that really wasn’t good was the falafel which had the texture and hardness of an ice hockey puck.

Dessert too is quite good, with my favourite being the red velvet cake. There were a few other flavours of cake, some yoghurt, fruit, and of course the selection of muffins and cookies in the bar on the terrace.

They had plenty of soft drinks too, canned so you can bring them on your flight. Plus orange juice and tea for people to pour out of jugs. There are a few coffee machines too. Only downside here is that I would have liked water bottles instead of glasses. Just so I could have taken a bottle on the plane and avoid buying one.

And here’s my slightly eclectic meal. That falafel was terrible. Everything else (rice, pasta, tofu and cake) were good.

Showers & Everything Else

There are a few showers though I found there weren’t very well managed. Originally I asked if I could use it but they were all full so they told me to wait 15 min. So I came back 15 min later, still no luck. The attendant said he would come and find me in 10 min when a shower was ready. Another 15 min pass and no luck so I go back and wait by the entrance. By this point I think the attendant is feeling guilty as he goes and prepares a clean shower whilst I wait. All in all it took about 40 minutes from first asking for a shower before finally having one ready for me.

Of course, having a shower is still nice, but bear in mind these showers get very busy at popular times so you might be in for a wait.

A pleasant surprise was that they provide a full set of amenities in the shower. Dental kit, shaving kit, shower cap etc. Again, helps make this lounge a good place for long layovers.

And to list a few more good features:

• Luggage storage lockers
• A massage service (that I’m pretty sure you have to pay for, though didn’t check)
• A prayer room for religious folks
• A children’s area

Final Thoughts

Overall the Pearl Lounge Abu Dhabi Terminal A is pretty good. It does get extremely busy, as you can see from the picture below. But the lounge is big enough you should be able to find a seat. Plus there’s an adequate selection of food and good showers. I’m not sure I would pay AED 263 / £56 to enter unless I had a long layover. But being able to access for free with Priority Pass is great, so I definitely recommend visiting.

More from me…

If you enjoyed my review of the Pearl Lounge Abu Dhabi, please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:

• British Airways Boeing 787 from Hong Kong to London – Avoid Economy Class!
• The Sofitel Luxembourg Review – Chic Business Hotel
• The Plaza Premium Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2 – Overcrowded

And if you fancy earning some fantastic rewards and Avios points through American Express, please use my referral links below:

• The Platinum Card – You Receive 60,000 Membership Reward points after spending £6,000 in the first 3 months:  https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEGPexG?XLINK=MYCP