It has now been three weeks since I left my home in South Carolina and after 27 hours of traveling landed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The appointed driver was there and I was whisked to the hotel on Yas Island just to the east of the United Arab Emirates capitol.
If the Emirates were a US state it would be ranked 40th in size between Maine and my home state, and it has double the population of South Carolina, or about 8 million. Incredibly, only about one million are Emirati (the term used for citizens of the UAE), and the population here doubled between 2005 and 2010. There are seven emirates, equivalent to European principalities, of which Abu Dhabi is the largest and the wealthiest by huge margins. Despite this, Dubai is the more well-known city in the UAE.
Despite being on the sea, it is a desert land full of low-lying islands, salt flats and mangroves. The fauna can be interesting. I was told that up until a few years ago there were frequent collisions with camels on the main highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. So, in that vein, it’s a bit more like Maine and their moose collisions than South Carolina. We only have collisions with deer, and deer don’t typically come crashing through windshields like moose and camels do!
Interestingly, just fifty years ago, the only paved road in the country was apparently a one-lane asphalt road between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And in Abu Dhabi there was but one paved road in 1965. Full independence in 1971 from Great Britain saw Abu Dhabi emerge as the capitol of this nation and a planned building effort eventually emerged for the city. Today, Abu Dhabi boasts a world-class skyline, branches of NYU and the Sorbonne, and currently under construction are branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim museums.
The native language here is Arabic, but I have yet to find a single person who does not speak or refuses to speak English! IKEA, Ace Hardware, KFC, Popeyes, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are just a few of the stores here. Oh, and don’t forget Bloomingdales! And of course Sheraton, Holiday, Ramada and Radisson are prominent.
There are a few things here that do need explanation. For instance, a foreigner cannot own a pick-up truck here! I’m not sure how this redneck boy is supposed to survive! The SUV market is wide open and I even found a beautiful, red 1963 Plymouth Fury! If it’s still available in two months I may buy it! If not, there are a wide range of Fords, Jeeps, Mercedes, Mitsubishis, Range and Land Rovers, and Toyotas.
I’ve found banking here to be quite interesting. There are a variety of banks, both Emirati and foreign (American, European). I’ve chosen to bank with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and have gotten amazing service, quite honestly, that most American banks can and should learn and implement. An example is that any time I use my debit card I get a SMS post on my phone within ten seconds advising me that my card was used for the amount paid or received at the ATM.
Housing is a bit high, though, and one must pay six months rent in advance. Fortunately my employer allows an advance of 6 months of my housing allowance. Utility costs are low, though.
Abu Dhabi has been proclaimed the world’s wealthiest city, and I have nothing to prove them wrong. It is an island city, laid out efficiently in a grid pattern. Traffic is heavy, but there is an efficient and cheap bus and taxi service. I went all over the city for most of one day and paid a total of about 100 Dirhams (abbreviated as ‘AED’), or about $26.
I’ll continue this commentary in the future as I see and learn more about my new home.
What is an EXTREMIST?
8 years ago
