Originally Posted by Kim of Finland

Thanks to jaejaez also from me, great tips. First to answer your question: the Grand Mosque should open at 4:30 pm on Fridays, so you should have a chance to see it later that day. It looks better at sunset / evening anyway.

And to add to jaejaez's tips: most fancy brunches in Abu Dhabi were closed until September, for example both at the St. Regis Saadiyat and the Saadiyat Beach Club brunches were closed. The St. Regis Platinum upgrade suite was as you said good, but not great. The adults-only pool was a great place to relax as the beach was too hot.