Abu Dhabi City Guide

by moveforward on August 13, 2007

Abu Dhabi is the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates and serves as the capital and largest city of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Widely considered to be the richest city in the world, over 80% of the residents of the city are immigrants and contract workers from other countries who come from all over the world drawn by the lucrative employment opportunities that the city provides.

Abu Dhabi also prides itself in being the Cultural hub of the Middle East, and to its credit, it offers a wealth of theaters and museums that feature works from both contemporary and traditional artists. The city is also home to the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Society, which enjoys a healthy following among the city’s residents.

Residential Places in Abu Dhabi

In spite of the massive economic growth that Abu Dhabi has enjoyed–and in fact continues to enjoy–the city has been a bit slow to join the real estate boom that has swept across much of the surrounding region. However, all this is set to change with the newly established property ownership laws that bring in its wake several major residential development projects. These projects are mostly concentrated along the Al Raha Beach and Shams Abu Dhabi.

Much of the real estate activity in Abu Dhabi is centered on the apartment and condominium markets. As of the time of this writing, property in Abu Dhabi typically fetches prices of US $1,000 per square meter. Contrast this with real estate prices in London, where properties typically command prices of US $5,000 per square meter.

Popular residential areas in Abu Dhabi include Emirates Hills, The Springs, Dubai Marina project, The Greens, Meadows, and Arabian Ranches.

The real estate market in Abu Dhabi–and indeed in the rest of Dubai–is still in its infancy, so it may take some getting used to particularly if you are accustomed to the real estate market in the U.K. Purchasing property in Abu Dhabi is generally considered a medium risk investment however, and the benefits of ownership will far outweigh any possible risks.

Of course if you are not intending to purchase property just yet, you can find many apartments and condominiums all over the city.

Hospitals and Universities of Abu Dhabi

There is certainly no shortage of hospitals and health care facilities in Abu Dhabi, with the most notable ones being the Al Mafraq Hospital, the Abu Dhabi Hospital, the Al Jazeera Hospital and the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City. All of these feature up to date facilities and a host of in-patient and out patient services. Emergency ambulance service is also available in Abu Dhabi at all hours of the day by dialing 998.

Abu Dhabi offers a wealth of educational institutions to meet the needs of all the people from all over the world who have made the city their home. In the primary and secondary level, there is The British School-Al Khubairat, The Cambridge High School, the Islamia English School and The Sherwood Academy among others. The British School bases its instruction on the National Curriculum of England and Wales and is currently the largest school in the city.

On the tertiary level, Abu Dhabi offers many notable universities of which the Abu Dhabi University and the Al Khawarizmi International College are the best regarded. The Al Khawarizmi International College offers a particular comprehensive curriculum, with associate degrees and training courses in a wide variety of disciplines.

Commercial Places in Abu Dhabi

Given the wide range of people of different cultures and nationalities that travel to Abu Dhabi and have made the city their home, you might expect the city to have a correspondingly wide range of restaurants and dining establishments to address the needs of this market. While there are indeed many restaurants in the city, the only licensed buildings are hotels. This is because much of the high-end culinary activities are centered on these establishments.

While the restaurants in the hotels are uniformly excellent in terms of food and service, they are also generally more expensive. Check out the Tides restaurant at the Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna for a breakfast that will have the table–and possibly your sides–straining and the Wok Restaurant, which features an impressive international menu and a huge drinks list.

If you are looking to get a taste of the local cuisine, you would be better off going to one of the many tiny falafel shacks that dot the city. These establishments typically offer Lebanese or Arabic food of excellent quality and very reasonable prices. Vegetarian food is also widely available all over the city, but you must be sure to specify your requirements to the wait staff before you order.

Abu Dhabi admittedly pales in comparison with Dubai in terms of sheer range of shopping options, but it does offer a respectable selection of shops that feature a host of Western brands. The Abu Dhabi Mall is a must visit for clothing and accessories while the Marina Mall is the place to go to for house ware and other home related accessories.

Service Establishments of Abu Dhabi

Electricity and water services in Abu Dhabi are provided by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority or ADWEA. Providing these basic needs to over 1.4 million customers in the city, ADWEA also distributes water to customers in the outlying areas via road tankers.

Embassies in Abu Dhabi

With the wide range of foreign residents and immigrants in Abu Dhabi it is only natural that many foreign countries’ consulate offices can be found here. The British embassy for one holds office here as well as in Dubai, as does the US, Canada, Australia, France, India and a host of other countries. You would do well to get the contact information of the British embassy in Abu Dhabi well before you arrive, so that you can readily get in touch with them in the event of any concerns having to do with your travel or immigration.