Abu Dhabi magic
Abu Dhabi, in a European expat’s first year, is a boring, empty dump. When you walk down the road you will not bump into a friend at the theatre: you will pass the delivery man on your way to Saeed bin Musallam Grocery which you only came to because there was ‘nothing else to do’.
For an Arab, or a European who was born here and calls home a country miles and miles away, that is not the case. For us, the delivery man of Saeed bin Musallam Grocery is our friend; chances are he was working there before we were even born. For those of us that never did accept the beauty of having nothing to do, there were two malls which were to keep our weekends filled until the age of around 13. They only got built when we were around 9, anyway.
After that, the kids discovered the Ras Al Akhdhar public beach, for tans and illegal 30-dirham alcohol bought from the infamous Baboo. Abu Dhabi had suddenly developed its dark side: kids drinking, kids forming shisha cafe groups (Milano Boiz is one example) and girls parading around in miniskirts. Abu Dhabi’s youths were becoming, for the most part, rowdy animals with loose morals. But the worst parts are saved for Dubai, EAE. Dubai, European Arab Emirates. Yes, Dubai can be excused – there is nothing Arab about it anymore to be honest.
This is Abu Dhabi, UAE, where kids fly kites and parents have wonderful lives filled with several cars and holidays a year. That applies to some of the local kids too. This is Abu Dhabi, where kids from AIS damn IB to hell, where kids organise their own gigs, where kids are actually innovative.
Abu Dhabi will always have its beautiful spots: the view of the small mosque, Al Ain Grocery and “Ghazza” spraypainted on an old wall outside Lulu Tower, the Corniche, where you can bike from one side of Abu Dhabi to another, and the usually-vacant parking lot in front of your building where the Indian and Pakistani boys play cricket. Abu Dhabi will always have its beautiful people like the warm, welcoming kids, the taxi drivers and the maid that has been with you for more than half your life. Abu Dhabi will never lose the magic of a peaceful, unknown city. It will always have that Abu Dhabi magic that only Abu Dhabians feel.
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Well, even though ive lived in abu dhabi most of my life i absolutely hate it.
By contrast Dubai is better socially and it is aesthetically prettier. In Abu Dhabi, the basic problem is that there is absolutely nothing to do. SERIOUSLY
You may go to the grocery store or walk around a mall, but on the insiode youre dying. In a typical bar/club (of which there are about 5) there is AT BEST 3 girls for every 20 guys. This is genuinely NOT an exaggeration. This results in very ordinary, average looking girls to become seriously picky when it comes to guys. If you are a nice guy who has millions of talents and is good looking and very very decent and well brought up, its all in the toilet because girls just dont care, theres just way too many guys and most are sleazy etc so you will automatically be compared to them. As far as making friends, I mean its not sall about girls right? Males are suspicious and wary (local UAE nationals, Jordanians, Lebanese etc) and tend to be cliqu-ish. So you wont get to know anyone. MOST males, when passing you on the pavement or road will stare you down uncomfortably. Perhaps this is a form of intimidation or jealousy esp. if theyre with a woman. So by now youre thinking, “oh well, I guess me and my roomate/sole friend form work, could get like a small spliff/joint and just get high enjoy the sun and play some video games WRONG WRONG WRONG . You couldnt be anymore mistaken, Marijuana is SUPER illegal and WILL land you 4 years in jail. So what is temptinbg about this place? If you are married and want to make some quick money by ripping off a sheik or some equivalent (which is wrong) than this is the place for you as most expats come here. \make their money and leave.
Overall it is a cursed place that makes people suicidal and lonely.
By the way, EVERYONE who lives in Abu Dhabi feels Lonely. More than most people on earth.
Avoid Abu Dhabi like the plague, because it WILL kill you from boredom or loneliness.
Abu Dhabi is GREAT!!!! the other day i walked past a girl and some of her hair touched me…. well it didnt… but i pretended it did… thought that i might share that with the rest of u…. Milano Boiz for life!!!!
I’m a teen and I just moved here. I feel like clawing my eyes out with boredom! All I do is walk around the malls because if I go outside in the hot weather with summer clothes the men stare me down! There is no clockwork here and everybody pretends like they are working. No parties no nothing. Malls, malls, malls and a few sandy palm trees here and there. Avoid Abu Dhabi like the plague!