TMurfitt

Hi all, I posted a few months back before we moved and everyone was amazingly helpful, I'm hoping you won't mind helping again!
My husband daughter and I arrived on Thursday and we are staying at the serviced apartments at the Beach Rotana. It's really lovely but way, WAY to expensive for us so the quicker we can find a permanent place the better!

My husband will be working at the IPIC centre and I would like to be as accessible to the corniche maternity hospital (second baby is due end of April) as possible so we're currently stuck between Al Khalidiyah and Reem Island. We've been for a drive around both but I know we need to go round properly with an agent to really see it (We have to wait for all of our paperwork first though).
My question is- which is better?

Reem island seems to be all self contained living in one of those big arc buildings (there doesn't seem to be that much life outside the buildings/complex??!) but then the plus for me is not having to go far to take my two year old to a nursery while still looking after a newborn!
Can anyone tell me what the facilities are like there, supermarkets, shops etc?
On the other hand al Khalidiyah is close to the beach, a nice looking park... Maybe there's a bit more variety/life going on?
Is there a third option? We do plan to get a car but preferably only one....
Thanks in advance

archie159

Probably several more options, but it'll depend upon what your budget is. If you can let us know, we might have some other options for you.

Also, have you actually confirmed that you can give birth in the Corniche hospital - it's supposed to be locals-only now. Much discussion in places such as here: Pregnancy & Birth - AbuDhabiWoman
I believe there are new maternity hospitals about to open, maybe you'd need to be nearer one of them, which might completely change your search area. Again, confirm that ASAP.

Will you be here long enough to need schooling? If so, think about that also. It's a real pain to move house (nothing is simple when it comes to getting utilities moved), so worth taking your time to find somewhere which you might be happy to stay in "for the duration".

You probably know this, but most housing agents are truly useless - there is no substitute to doing your own research. Talk to people, drive about.

TMurfitt

Hi Archie,
Thanks for your reply. We are here for 3 years so no need for schools and I have heard that already about the corniche but also heard that its fine so will be calling them tomorrow to confirm either way....
Budget wise, we are looking for a 2-3 bed place with access to a pool, somewhere between 130,000 and 170,000....
We've been given the name of one agent so we'll try her but yes we are trying to drive around, talk to people. I'm gonna try and go to on of the expat women coffee mornings tomorrow!

Fossildog

Khalidiyah:

More expensive than Reem, generally apartments will be bigger, some will have pools and gym. Poor for parking so ensure you have a space with the flat. Handy for the Corniche, lot of nice places to eat nearby.

Reem:

Newer buildings but generally less space. Most have good pools and gyms. Parking is far better with most (all?) flats having dedicated spaces. A few shops and places to eat are open, but nothing like the selection in Khalidiyah.

I would not worry too much about what there is in the immediate vicinity of the building. Come the summer anything aside from a two minute walk is pretty uncomfortable, you will find you will use the car far, far more than in the UK, even for relatively short journeys. Personally, if you can find the right place in Reem I would go there. Marina Square has a great outside pool area, a good Geant supermarket and there are a few places to eat opening up. The Boutiq mall is a five minute drive away with more shops and places to eat.

TMurfitt

Hi Fossildog, that's great info, thank you! I've been today to look at apartments in sun tower so I need to look at some Khalidiyah way now!

busybee2

hmmm where did you hear its fine for the corniche, as a govermnent hospital they have stopped any new patients opening a file for a good few months now, so i doubt you will be able to.

did you get to the reem island one, as there is the bigger one at wadha mall on wednesdays

Jimmy B

The apartments between 30th and 32nd street in Khalidiyah are currently in your price range and most have swimming pools, I wouldn't go through an agent just walk in and talk to security and they will give you the number of the building manager.

As for the Corniche hospital if you have complications they will take you as they are still the only hospital with the facilities to do so in Abu Dhabi, so in all honesty you are best finding somewhere else and if you encounter complications you will be transferred.

busybee2

in the past yes corniche was the only place iwth a nicu, but now al noor has one, corniche is not open for expats now as there are other choices, if you are able to get into corniche and have issues, they will sort you out, but now if you give birth elsewhere, they will not try to accommodate even when there is no room, they will send you to al ain or elsewhere, new rules since a few months ago. look at the new brightpoint hospital for women.

Jimmy B

Sorry Busybee2, I work for the organisation that runs all the government hospitals and this is not the case. The Corniche hospital will still accept women with complications based on bed availability (just like any other maternity hospital) but yes if you do not have complications currently you are encouraged to go elsewhere.

TMurfitt

Hi there, Jimmy B, thanks for the apartment advice, we'll definitely go for a walk around there. As for the hospital stuff, it seems very unclear, you obviously know what you're talking about, but my husband has made an appointment for me this morning to go next week and I have a list of paperwork I need to bring in. Will they just assess whether I'm high risk or not and tell me then whether I can give birth there? I had a complicated birth with my first baby which I know is not necessarily going to happen again but it's the reason I want to be in the place best suited.
I will definitely also be finding our about al noor/bright point as these seem to be the next options. I just want to get it sorted!

Jimmy B

TMurfitt, i'll drop you a PM

busybee2

i went to the corniche many moons ago, and i was under the "docs" rather than the midwives because of issues with the first born, unfortunately it meant it took even longer for stuff to be done... take a book! hopefully u will be able to open a file. try and make the apts first thing, if you want your hubs to go then it has to be last thing in the day as they can be quite strict re allowing men in etc at corniche, private hospitals will all have different policys. in the beginning you need to open a file, now if you are "high risk" they may make exceptions etc now. you need to take all the paperwork esp marriage cert, nowadays it all needs to be notarised etc.

busybee2

yes i know that, they will accept you depending on beds, what i said was that if you were in corniche they will sort you out even if there are no beds available, if you are in another hospital they will not automatically find a bed for you etc etc etc

driftingaway

Reem doesn't have much life out on the street, but you'll always find someone to talk to (or at least just appreciate people around you) in the pool areas in the towers.

We looked at nearly every tower on Reem and settled in the end for Beach Tower - 5 min walk to Boutik, white goods included and big apartments with huge balconies.

As fossildog says, though, that 5 min walk becomes rather uncomfortable when things warm up!

flood2

Good choice. I have lived there for 8 months. Building seems finished better than most. 10 minutes walk in summer!