Yas Island, on the eastern side of the city beyond the airport, is Abu Dhabi's purpose-built leisure district: a Formula 1 circuit, a Ferrari theme park, a Warner Bros. World, a Waterworld, a SeaWorld, plus the malls and hotels around them. None of it is subtle. All of it is well-engineered for visitors who want a packaged-day experience in air-conditioned comfort.
Getting around inside the island is by free shuttle bus or taxi; the whole leisure cluster is too far between the gates to walk in summer. The Yas Marina end has the waterfront restaurants and bars; the Yas Beach end has the lower-key beach club. Go early in the morning to ride before the queues build.