With the temperature hovering around 40 degrees Celsius, venturing outside of Sama Tower seems like a daunting task. Escape the Abu Dhabi heat and the Sama bubble and check out the  indoor activities throughout Abu Dhabi. Whether you are a thrill-seeker, an art guru or simply want to get your hands dirty using a potter’s wheel, these five indoor activities will peak any individual’s interests without making a dent in your bank account.

Ice skating in the desert is possible. Visit the ice rink at Marina Mall for a cool and refreshing activity to help you forget the sweltering heat. For 40 AED, athletes can skate for one hour. Skates, socks and optional safety gear are included in the price, and gloves are available to purchase for 10 AED. Or, to spice up your outing, visit the Olympic-sized rink at Zayed Sports City, which offers disco nights throughout the week. Sessions start at 30 AED. Thursday nights are reserved for the ladies, with an extra disco session from 10 to 11:30 p.m. Both rinks are open late, but call ahead for disco night schedules. +971 2 403 4200.

Courtesy of Sama Tower Hall Council

Experience what it’s like to jump out of a plane at Spacewalk, Abu Dhabi’s indoor skydiving arena. Inside the facility’s vertical wind tunnel, visitors are suspended in the air at wind speeds of 160 knots per hour.  An introduction course with a two-minute flight costs 180 AED, and coupon databases like Cobone and Groupon offer deals for groups of five or more. Cobone and Groupon are currently offering a 360 AED, ten-minute flight that can be divided among a maximum of five people. Spacewalk is located at the Abu Dhabi Health & Fitness Club on Al-Sada Street in the Al Mushrif neighborhood.

By Clare Hennig/The Gazelle

Try your hand at pottery making at Abu Dhabi Pottery. The shop, which was opened in 1994 by an Iranian artist, allows individuals to mold a pot on a traditional potter’s wheel and learn other hand-building techniques. Abu Dhabi Pottery offers private six-hour sessions, as well as classes that customers can join at any time during the semester. This season’s term started Sept. 15 and lasts until Dec. 15. Adult pottery classes are held Saturday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each two-hour class is 185 AED. For those who want to hone their craft, studios are available to rent for 50 AED per hour. A special ladies only class is also offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Abu Dhabi Pottery is located opposite Khalidiya Park. Classes must be booked and paid for in advance.

By Costanza Maio/The Gazelle

With such a large expatriate population, it’s no surprise that the Abu Dhabi art scene has become cosmopolitan. Spend an afternoon gallery-hopping to see art from across the globe. The Al Qibab gallery in the Al Bateen area features up-and-coming Iraqi artists as well as local and contemporary works. For those interested in art from the prehistoric world, the Barakat Gallery at Emirates Palace offers a window into the prehistoric past and features ancient art from Greece, Rome, the Near East and the Americas, including figurines dated as early as 3500 B.C. For newcomers to the UAE, the Folklore Gallery on Sheikh Zayed the First Street next to First Gulf Bank specializes in art from the Arab world. Get a taste of Bedouin jewelry and ceramics, and prints and paintings inspired by the UAE landscape. To see contemporary Middle Eastern art, visit the Salwa Zeidan Gallery, which showcases art that spans a variety of media.

By Kristina Bogos/The Gazelle

Tired of doing homework in Sama and at Downtown Campus? For a change of scenery, schedule study sessions at the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque’s library, which offers panoramic views of Abu Dhabi from its location on the third floor of the northern minaret. The library hosts an extensive collection of works related to Islamic art and architecture in more than 11 different languages. Copies of the Qu’ran printed between the 16th and 19th centuries can be found, in addition to over 50,000 rare manuscripts and imprints. Reading and research spaces are offered, as well as access to databases, journals, maps and various media. Click here to see the library’s hours. To get there, take either bus route 32, 44 or 54. Tickets for the bus are one dirham and buses run every 20 to 40 minutes.