Abu Dhabi’s venerable ‘British Club’ faces possible eviction

One of Abu Dhabi’s longest-running expat social institutions faces a reckoning after receiving an eviction notice on the plot of prime land that was originally gifted to the organization in the 1960s.

The Club (colloquially known as the “British Club”) sits on the edge of Mina Zayed, an industrial port area undergoing rapid gentrification, and is adjacent to Saadiyat Island, home to the city’s evolving cultural district.

Members, who pay around AED5,000 ($1,360) a year in fees, have access to two beaches, a 25-meter pool and sailing facilities, as well as several restaurants and bars.

The organization is set to meet next week for its first annual general meeting since telling its 3,500-strong membership the news last summer, The National reports.

Facing eviction by the end of 2026, The Club is now considering a new home in the Raha Beach area, close to Zayed International Airport, but will have to come up with substantial funding to develop a new site amid Abu Dhabi’s red-hot real estate market.