Myusernamewastaken

Finally, I have now visited the UAE to see for myself if I would like to live there. During the trip some questions came up which I hope that you could help me to resolve.

I only visited Abu Dhabi for a few hours but found that city to be more genuine than Dubai. However, is Abu Dhabi a "quiet" city in the weekends?

How do you tell if someone is a local? Do UAE men almost always use the traditional dress?

When driving on the highway the police had stopped, at night, with lights off, on the far left lane blocking at least 1/3 of the lane. I assume that such actions are standard even by the police?

What is the speed tolerance in the Abu Dhabi emirate before the cameras start to take pictures?

Thanks.

flares

few answers

busybee2

the police do sit on the hard shoulder, but they will not block the highway if they were doing that there was a reason.

raining

There's a 20 buffer on all the speed limit signs except in tunnels where apparently, the speed limit is as stated. A friend of mine rang the police to clarify after all the new cameras went up along Salam Street and this is what they told her. I've stuck to this and never been fined.

I think Abu Dhabi is quiet but I'm used to cities in the UK and Europe that are busy at all hours. Things do liven up later though. There are a few exceptions but don't expect a bar to be busy at 7pm. I'm not sure I'd say there was particularly more going on in Dubai, it's just more of the same, or that's how it seems to me, I've not lived in Dubai.

Myusernamewastaken

Ok, was the buffer 40 a while ago on the Abu Dhabi highways?

Also, are almost all private beaches closed when it's dark? If so, why?

busybee2

the buffer was always 20 over, except about 3 years or so ago, when the maximum speed limit on the main ad/dxb highway was 160kph its now been reduced to 140kph ie 20 over.

beaches are closed because they are dangerous, a lot of them are not manned even in the daytime. there has been a lot of incidents of drowning in likes of the dxb beaches so yes you shouldnt be there in the night time.

Myusernamewastaken

Alright, but the beach I went to was on a long island facing the shore with not so much distance in between. The sea was as calm as the pool. Still no official bathing after the sun goes down.

busybee2

hhmmm dont know where you are meaning, need a bit more of a clue to work it out.

Myusernamewastaken

Al Raha Beach Hotel, close to "Aldar". Nice hotel though. The hotel might not be located on the island but there's an island just off the coast presumably making the water calm.

busybee2

right raha beach hotel, next door to the smartie building. the hotel is located on the mainland, there is nothing in front of it, other than a mainmade island, down the road they have built raha beach... but if you look at old aerial pictures, raha beach was a public beach, the whole 10km or whatever stretch of beach used to be, they have "made" it larger by reclaiming and making it grow out into the sea. if its a stretch of beach that is private then you will not be allowed to go on it out of hours. also along there it can be dangerous with the idiots driving up and on their jet skis, i wouldnt swim there after dark.

Myusernamewastaken

I don't think that it would be possible to use jet skis close to the beach that is just outside the hotel. There seemed to be some sort of physical barrier.

I just thought that it was really nice to take a swim at night and that it's a shame that most private beaches seem to be closed when it's dark.

busybee2

well you are wrong and you will realise that they do that here, the residents next door in raha beach at al muneera and al zeina etc have been terrorised by people on jet skis, doing stupid tricks and wetting swimmers and being down right dangerous, there are no rules here "yet" about them, and that is right next door, so i wouldnt take my chances, the raha beach area has been dredged so that boats can access it. they would need a phsyical wall to be safe.

busybee2

also like to point out that the jet skis are probably coming from emirates sailing club which is located to the left of raha beach hotel, so thats defo the channel they will be going up and down.

Myusernamewastaken

Ok... but at 11pm it was quite quiet and I would probably reach the beach within a few seconds if I heard an engine in the distance. Sure, I get the warning but I like the idea of "at your own risk" and not get a BS reason from the staff that bad fishes (!) show up at night. Still, the beach was nice though.

busybee2

you will get it that just driving around these parts is at your own risk, there is no point putting yourself into added danger if not necessar.