GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING PPL Miss Typos and spelling mistakes is here today! Anybody missing me =) I don't think so... I don't care vat eva dats not vat I vanted to talk about today in dis post...
wow today I'm in a bery good mood...
So today I want to say why I prefer AD over Dubai As A UAE LOCAL
#1: AD is Safer
#2: AD is Richer
#3: AD is Salik free and its roads are VERY SALIK
#4: AD 's rents are more reasonable
#5: AD is a place where I feel I belong as An Emarati/Muslim
#6: AD is a place to stay, Dubai shop and run away
#7: AD is holding more cultural events that are related to my identity as an Emarati
#8: AD is where his highness Sheikh Zayed is staying forever and so my heart.
Don’t anybody dare saying this post is personal grrrrrr…there have been quite much of personal posting by other members leave my AD post alone!
10 July, 2007
I LOVE AD
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25 comments:
As an expatriate who was born in Abu Dhabi and grew up here, almost all the points appy to me as well.
Dubai is a great place to visit in the weekend, but I wouldnt like staying there. Its surprising how there are parts of Dubai where mosques are at least 15 minutes walking. On the other hand, almost no area in Abu Dhabi city is more than 5-7 minutes from a mosque :)
Gotta give it to Abu Dhabi, the roads are a lot better planned than Dubai.
However you missed one in your list.
People with AD tags on their cars drive like there is no tomorrow, (~180kmph is the norm).
yeah yeah Salik ppl complaining about AD, Parking is an issue but listen crefully PARKING IS FREEEEEE
and as long as you don't block the road u can park anywhere :)
and there is no traffic jams most of the time MAN I LOVE AD
uae alias,
Aside from your obviously young age and several immature posts, it is a valid post.
The same reasons why you like AUH, I stay away from DXB. Well, aside from the Sheikh Zayed part, since I am not an Emirati, that would not apply to me (though, strangely enough, he is quite possibly the only Arab leader I have ever respected).
AUH is too 'local' for me (I like Dubai because it's a crazy city inside an Arab city inside a ... you get my drift). In my visits to AUH, everyone seems to be frowning. Someone said it's just my luck, but that's what I saw. The taxis are always ready to rip you off when they see you are clueless. I like Dubai because the rent is high and it's hard to survive here. I like the struggle. It makes me enjoy it even more. Despite all the hardships since my arrival here, I have only been doing better. Is it just me? Is it some? Who knows, but it's a tough city to make it in.. and it makes me feel proud when I do. I don't think AUH poses even half the challenge.
AUH is richer? Right. So, I go to AUH to get money.. and come back to DXB to live and spend it :)
But, see.. this is what I have been telling people who never lived in the UAE. The one thing that I like about this country above all, is that you have such differences between the different emirates. You have Abu Dhabi as you described. Dubai -- really hard to describe. You have Sharjah (mini-Saudi but with Palestinian population).. Ajman... I mean, they all have their own style, flavor.. and you get to choose!
Can't get better than that.
All things good in Abu-Dhabi died the day Sheikh Zayed passed away. He was and still is a Gem!
# 1 to 7; just wait & watch. It'll try to overtake Dubai, then fail & start all over again!
UAE_Alias, this post is not "personal", it's an opinion. Keep posting, you have some interesting opinions! :)
Funnily enough I was just thinking of posting something about AD on my blog (not here) with some photos. Might get around to it some time.
AD is lovely, I agree. But I disagree with some of your points, as I think they are misleading.
I do not agree that AD is necessarily safer in terms of crime levels, although personally, I *do* feel *safe* there. But is this a proven statistic? AD city's population is lower than the emirate of Dubai (but the emirate of AD is of course HUGE!) and maybe "relatively speaking", it might be deemed "safer".
AD city's rents may be more reasonable. BUT on the upper scale, housing is very low in supply. However, AD is growing and more 3+ bedroom flats are being made to meet the growing demand.
I also do not agree that Dubai Marina style 2 bed flats cost the same in AD's nicest areas for 3 bedroom flats, because the buildings in AD that charge the same as DXB do not have the same facilities/luxuries as the ones in Dubai Marina do. I reckon the nicest 3 bed flats should cost a little less than 2 bed flats in Dubai Marina, however, it's the law of supply & demand in AD, and supply is low whereas demand is high ;)
The late HH Sheikh Zayed (God bless his soul)'s resting place is in "AD forever." He was the President of the UAE and brought together all the 7 emirates in 1971, founding the country we have today. He lives on in the hearts of ALL emirates. Sheikh Zayed, forever in our hearts :)
ur 8 points r 100% correct. No further argument should be made.I am from AD but study in sharjah. U never appreciate AD, till u experience the globaly unprecedented traffic in Dubai and Sharjah. However,and I am really sad when i say this; AD is going to witness what is worse in very very few years with all these new random indeliberate real estate projects. We need to start right now to find alternative public transportation means including metros and buses. AD has always been hesitant when it comes to big projects. Examples: Lulu Island for which they kept changing their plans back and forth since i was born. Al Sa'deyat island as too!
Ok but you said it first about this being a personal post. I'm just echoing what you said & add that it'd be better suited to one's own blog.
Wisdom check: Deliberate typos & spelling mistakes in such a sensitive post gives one an impression that you're not serious, in the first place, about its content.
After all, remember that the UAE Community Blog is read by intellectuals, nerds, liberals, radicals & a few bimbos amongst classy Ladies.
God Bless Sheikh Zayed :)
Where on earth did you learn how to write?
It seems like you are making a concerted effort at defying the basic rules of the English language!
I’m surprised. Your in love with a state for some numbers. Others are in love with a woman.
But indeed I agree with you. The international image Dubai creates of itself, is between a highly sophisticated Disneyland and a Mac Donald deluxe.
To my mind, there should be more modern arab soul, arab intellectual expression, somehow a kind of intellectual counterbalance to fundamental islamic movement, this you can’t buy on the international market. You! sons and daughters of the arab homeland have to create it by yourself.
The rest of the world is waiting for genuine modern results. o.k.
To me there is a feeling of calmness when I am in AD, but I must say that it is changing slowly I had a post with pics of AD in the
href="http://http://arabianheartnsoul.blogspot.com/2007/03/old-abu-dhabi.html">80s/90s era. Feel free to check them out.
Oops let me try again
80s/90s
Yeah, I always feel more peaceful when I go to Abu Dhabi. It's a relief to get out of Dubai. When I first came to Dubai it was more like Abu Dhabi is now.
But if you want to feel really good and relaxed, visit Al Ain. No wonder it was Sheikh Zayed's most beloved city.
I agree, AD feels more like a community. The BEST!
you're right about that community bit...i lived in dubai for all of last year and i didnt know any of my neighbours....i moved back to abu dhabi in may and we just invited our new neighbours who moved in last week, to lunch on friday...i think i might have had to prise the jaws of my friends in dubai when i told them about this neighbourly love...funny thing how lonely you can be in a really crowded city..
So if AD is the best place for a UAE local, which is the best for a non-local?
I totally disagree that roads in AD are better (or better planned) than in Dubai. Traffic moves better not so much because of the roads but simply because there are much fewer cars. Imagine transplanting the roads of AD onto Dubai. No expressways at all and stopping for signals every 300 meters. It would be Deira/Bur Dubai style traffic 24/7.
Notice how Dubai has countless new interchanges with flyovers, multiple ramps, along with the tunnels and bridges. AD has been constucting a third bridge to cross the narrow channel that separates it from the mainland since 2004. In half that time Dubai has added a new 13-lane creek crossing and is halfway there on a new floating bridge.
The road network in Dubai is incredible and expanding at such speeds that people don't realize that a big part of the problems they experience are due to the very fact that the road and transport network is being expanded so aggressively. It's a matter of a little pain, before a great gain.
I love the roads of Dubai. AD doesn't come close!
So if AD is the best place for a UAE local, which is the best for a non-local?
Depends what you are after. If you want nightclubs/five star hotels/bars/clubs then obviously Dubai.
If you want a bit of peace and nature and tranquility, then Al Ain.
If you are offended by the sight of flesh or alcohol, then Sharjah.
If you are into a lot of outdoor activities like mountaineering and rock climbing and sailing, then RAK.
Most people are limited by where their job is and what they can afford housing wise though.
Quite a nice light hearted post UAE Alias. An aspect I like about AD is it's tranquility and rather untouched "UAEianism" i.e. of the major emirates, AUH still has that natural UAE aura/soul pretty much intact.
I wrote a post on my trip to AUH and how the city reminded me of the good 'ol days in the UAE (especially SHJ). Here is the link to the write up, if you care to read it;
http://blog-uaeian.blogspot.com/2007/04/weekend-to-abu-dhabi.html
"If you are offended by the sight of flesh or alcohol, then Sharjah."
SD - I knew you'd slip that in - well partly true perhaps :)
Come on peoeple the whole UAE is just a small little island. Try exploring outside the box for a change. How many people actually want to live in the UAE "forever"? People just come here to make a few pocket change and leave. It's really not what its cracked up to be.
I live in Abu Dhabi (near Shahama - outside the city). AD is not perfect, but I love the city. Dubai has its problems & it obviously belongs to the foreigners now. I think Abu Dhabi is becoming more like Dubai soon
Oh anon, you cynic! I want to live in the UAE forever. I think the UAE will push me out before I'm ready to leave.
And let's not forget the great fishing and diving in Fujeirah!
Nice post UAE Alias :) It makes me wonder, how do other Emirates speak to Emirati identity?
Does anybody care moving to R.A.K.??
i dont know, when i first got here it was really difficult to get acclamaited to the culture, the driving, the crappy sense of customer service and all that. someone told me about a site, www.zoozi.com, having a bunch of tips and articles to help new people so i check it out. i recommend it. its one of those classifieds sites, but its really helpful. i recommend.
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