Many expats arrive w/ a furniture allowance from their employer. If that's not the case, there are a lot of different ways to go. IKEA: cheap and cheerful. Home Centre-reasonably priced. Is Pan Emirates still open on SZ road? Also an inexpensive place to shop new. Alternatively, you could buy 2nd hand from expats leaving. THere are some online forums where those items are adverstised (I'll let the others chime in, because I haven't used them). Expats will also post their items for sale at local supermarkets like Spinney's and Choithram's.