Beach? Shopping? Sleep? How Cop28 spent its rest day

From the world’s largest waterpark to an indoor ski resort in a shopping centre, Cop28 delegates will have plenty of options to choose from on their only day off at the climate summit.

After an exhausting week of negotiations, events and protests, the 80,000 delegates in the United Arab Emirates will have a chance to enjoy Dubai ahead of the final push.

Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos, an environmental justice coordinator from the US, has a busy day of plans to recharge. “This is my third Cop so it’s been a whirlwind. I am seeing people everywhere look burnt out, literally sleeping in their seats. For the day of rest, I plan on meeting some other young folks and we are going to go to the waterpark and maybe go to the beach. We are going to try to see some of the bazaars in the evening,” she said.

“I’ve been hanging out with some of my friends from the Amazon and they’re a lot of fun. Since I’ve already been to one of these, I’ve learned that I cannot just do this all with no break.”

Carlos Emiliano Villaseñor Moreno, a Mexican delegate, is heading to the desert. “I am half the world over. It was a 20-hour flight. How often am I going to be here again? I want to do something like this while I have the chance.”

Riddhi Samtani from Sint Maarten is heading to the beach to see how they compare with her island homeland. “I am exhausted. It’s been a great week of networking, learning, attending sessions, following negotiations and just building solidarity with other young people. Maybe I’ll go to the beach. We’ve got beautiful beaches in the Caribbean but I’ve got to check out the beaches on the other side of the world,” she said.

While famous for its fossil fuel wealth, Dubai is a popular tourist destination, and hosted more than 14 million visitors in 2022. It has invested in museums, waterparks and attractions to boost its tourism economy, and many delegates are hoping to see new places for themselves.

Two attenders from the Pacific, who did not want to be named, were going Christmas shopping for their children back home. Another from Benin wanted a picture with the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 829.8 metres.

Others had cleared their schedule for a day of doing absolutely nothing. Hamdy, part of the Egyptian delegation, said he would be spending the day sleeping. “Now I am really tired. I will spend my time sleeping, not an activity. Just to recharge for the same again.”

His colleague Swakin Babacar, from Sudan, has a similar plan. “I am going to sleep. A lot,” she said.