Kismet brought me to Abu Dhabi five years ago. One evening while looking at job postings on Monster, out of curiosity, I clicked on to positions available in the Middle East. One in particular stood out, it was for a women’s university in Abu Dhabi. I got out my atlas and discovered that Abu Dhabi was the capital of the United Arab Emirates and half way around the world from where I lived. In the spirit of adventure, I submitted my application that evening and within a few months my husband and I were on our way to Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is only 35 years old and was formerly called the Trucial States. It consists of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah. The country is very small in area and all of the Emirates can be visited in a day - that is excluding the large Empty Quarter to the west. The U.A.E. is bordered by the Arabian Gulf to the north, Oman to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south and west with Qatar on the its north west corner.
The population of the UAE, according to the 2005 census, is 3.8 million with 1.3 million in Abu Dhabi. This is comprised of approximately 20% Emiratis (Nationals), and about 80% expatriates who have been brought to the country to work. 70% of this latter group are Asians who work primarily in the service industry while the other 30% are western expats engaged primarily in education and business.
The city of Abu Dhabi in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is on an island surrounded by beautiful beaches that can be reached in minutes from any point in the city. Land on the island is in demand so the city is crowded with skyscrapers – each with their own personality. I like to compare centalized Abu Dhabi to New York and its sprawling sister city Dubai (only an hour and a half away) to Los Angeles.
Although the UAE’s weather is often depicted as being unbearably hot – the temperature actually varies between regions and months. The summer, June to October is very hot peaking during this time to about 47 C (115 F). Luckily the vast majority of shops and homes are air conditioned. However, the rest of the year the weather is beautiful with temperatures in the mid 20’s C during the day and the mid or high teens during the night.
Housing is very expensive in Abu Dhabi and most expats live in apartments. Employers in the past provided employees with housing but it is becoming more popular to provide housing allowances and let employees fend for themselves in a very competitive housing market. Only recently have expats been allowed to purchase homes in the UAE and many developments have been initiated to meet this market need. Western expats can now buy property and lease the land for a period of 99 years.
Once your housing has been taken care of – the cost of living is much lower than Europe or North America and there is no tax. Eating at 5 star restaurants on a weekly basis is easily affordable. But if you’re not interested in five star dining, most food chains are represented e.g., McDonalds, Burger King, TGIF, Chili’s, Pizza Hut, Submarine, etc. Although this is a Muslim country, alcohol is available at special outlets and is served at all of the restaurants associated with hotels and private clubs.
Food in the UAE is cheaper than in most western countries and the variety is much more extensive. I can’t think of a fruit or vegetable that isn’t available all year round. The UAE also has huge green houses for the growing of fruit and huge indoor chicken farms. Most of the beef that I buy comes from Australia or New Zealand and the price is half what I paid in Canada. The real shocker was the salmon. I now buy it from Scotland or Norway and pay much less than I did in British Columbia – the home of the salmon.
Cars are cheaper here and expats like to take advantage of this by driving cars that they might not be able to afford in their home country e.g. Mercedes, Porsches, BMW’s. The Emiratis have a great love of cars and speed along the country’s many flat, impeccable highways in Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentleys etc. My husband jumped in and bought a Mercedes but I chose not to buy a car. I prefer to take the very cheap taxis. In a taxi I can get anywhere in the city for less than 7 Dirhams (approx. 2 CAD) and don’t have to bother looking for the almost non-existent parking spaces. Most of the taxi drivers are Pakistani and usually want to ask you about your home country and practise their English. A taxi drive is always an interesting experience.
Domestic help is quite inexpensive so many expats take advantage and have a maid to help with household chores and the children.
Abu Dhabi is very safe. Anyone creating a problem is usually deported so most are on good behaviour and of course there is a very competent police force to ensure that order is maintained. I have no difficulty walking in Abu Dhabi at any time of the day or night. In how many cities can a woman do that? I last lived in a very upmarket part of Vancouver and would only venture out by myself after dark with my personal alarm and dog spray.
Most western expats belong to private clubs that provide social and leisure activities. I belong to “The Club”. This is an Abu Dhabi institution that has existed since the 60’s before the UAE was a country and the city was a desert. “The Club” was started as a place for expats working in the oil industry to socialize. It’s a 10 minute drive (5 dirham taxi drive – $1.50 CAD) from my apartment and has facilities such as a gym, beach, pool, library, tennis courts, sailing club, scuba club, drama club, bars, restaurants, and celebrates all of the western holidays e.g. Easter, Christmas, Robbie Burn’s Day, etc.
Favourite pastimes of many UAE inhabitants are camping in the desert, dune bashing and driving through the wadis (dried streams). I’m more of a hotel person – so stay in the cities.
Top entertainment acts regularly visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi (one of the world’s few seven star hotels) usually hosts opera and ballet productions and recently the show “Strictly Ballroom” as well as theatre productions, and comedy acts. Many musical acts e.g. Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Sean Paul, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Shakira etc. have come to entertain us. And of course there’s the world class golf, tennis, horse racing, car racing as well as the annual film festival and the fashion shows.
Shopping is a dream – prices are great (no tax or duty) and the choice is extensive. It’s the land of the Gucci purse, Burberry casual wear and Tod’s shoes and of course the mall with the indoor ski hill. During the Dubai shopping festival, for 6 weeks at the first of each year, Abu Dhabi also has great sales. During this time it’s difficult not to become a “label lady”. Gold jewellery and gem stones, particularly diamonds, are cheaper in the UAE. Jewellers have told me that the diamonds in the UAE are cheaper than in Antwerp. The Emiratis love jewellery and it’s evident in the number of jewellery stores displaying pieces that only a royal family member would wear.
Everyone who visits is usually surprised that the city of Abu Dhabi is so green. The former ruler, Shaikh Zayed loved parks and greenery, so the city, at great expense, has miles of parkland and tree lined streets. The Corniche Road, along the waterfront, is spectacular.
Perhaps a number of years ago, individuals moving to the UAE suffered from culture shock – but certainly not today. We don’t live in walled compounds and women don’t have to wear burkas. The UAE is very cosmopolitan with an Arabic/Islamic flavour. After spending 5 years in the city I feel comforted and at home when the call to prayer wafts over the city. Moving here was one of the best decisions my husband and I ever made.
Sheila Mayo: mayojs@hotmail.com
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