ad_carole

Hello,

I have been reading this forum and got some valuable info to set me off.

My boyfriend and I are planning to visit Abu Dhabi and possibly a side trip to Dubai for a day. As this is our first time there, we were wondering if there are any expats who have regular meets or if we can meet some expats who can share their view on the place etc.
He is living in Luxembourg and I in Paris and we plan to move there together if this interview works out.

We will be in Abu Dhabi on March 20th to 24 and possibly go to Dubai for a day or spend the night, possibly on that Saturday.
Do you have a recommendation for a reasonable hotel to stay and also where there is a good bar and mix of expats we can mingle with both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai?
Should we rent a car to Dubai or take a taxi? Considering the cost , parking and the hassle of navigating in Dubai...
Can you get around Dubai and Abu Dhabi on foot easily. I have read that taxis are not expensive at all but since we do not know anything there, we will prefer to wander aimlessly.

We would really appreciate any feedback and would like to meet some expats if possible.
We are both in our mid thirties and with good social skills if that helps and you can dump us if you are bored, after we drown you with all our regular expat questions

Thank you!
Carole

Blue Cat

Hi Carole and welcome! SYB will be on soon, I am sure he will come up with some suggestions about AD, he lives there. Dubai in a day! interesting trip! I wouldn't advice renting a car until you are more familiar with the area. Take a cab on this occasion.

benzonar

If you are both planning on coming over and living together then you might want to consider getting married as well.

Obviously this won't be necessary for your short excursion.

Chris79

Hi Carole,

I've lived in Abu Dhabi since Nov and spent some time in and out of hotels. What kind of hotel are you after and what is your budget?

I agree with Blue Cat, I wouldn't even think about driving over here straight away (have you seen the post on the accident over here this morning? ) The best way to get around is taxi and they are so cheap - however sometimes their driving isn't the best!! All you need to do is stand some where on the street and they normally sound their horn and pick you up.

Theres a few of us Abu Dhabians who like a beer or two so I'm sure we can meet up and share our knowledge.

See you soon

shakh your bootie

Hi Carole,

Sure, no probs to meet up for a drink & a chat about living here - always a pleasure to welcome new people.

Hotels - Intercontinental, Beach Rotana, Millenium, Hilton, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Le Meridien, Royal Meridien (one of our posters had problems with noise & prostitutes there) in roughly that order of niceness... The new Shangri La is also good, but on the wrong side of the island so getting to town takes a little longer... There are cheaper places to stay (Diplomat, Sands, Al Ain Palace) - the rooms are OK for getting your head down of an evening but the bars are well seedy....

Your hotel can arrange for a car + driver for a day trip to Dubai, think the going rate is about DH1,000 for all-day hire. A taxi ride to Dubai will cost you DH200 each way, so paying the extra 600 for having a guy at your disposal all day is a handy option.

ad_carole

Thank you all for the quick responses and all the info! I already feel welcome.

About the fact that we are not married, is this going to be a problem? I did wonder about that...living together etc.

For the hotel, we prefer something comfortable with a good bar...I believe the company will pay for 2 nights but we have to pay for the other 2 nights so in case its too expensive, we would like something similar to a Marriott or Radisson with a good bar...
We will probably take a taxi to Dubai given the rate.

My boyfriend did a phone interview and they have invited him to face to face interview however, they also asked him what kind of apts he would like to visit i.e size of apts? Is this the norm when doing interviews? I thought they would need to interview you and then make an offer and then you can look at houses etc..just wondering...

Thank you!
Carole



I will definitely take you up on the meeting possibly friday or saturday evening in Abu Dhabi.

Spugsy

'you might want to consider getting married as well.'

Very romantic that is, get married to make things easier in another country.

Blue Cat

this whole getting married thing is a bit daft, I was here years living with Atilla and never had a problem. Millions of couples do it. It is a different ball game if children are involved.

benzonar

It's what I am doing, nothing to do with romance (our relationship has plenty of that already) it's only a piece of paper which if you face reality means bugger all these days.

shakh your bootie

Carole,

The hotels that I've suggested are all 5-stars and so will be pricey; but all have decent bars (i'm not kidding when i say that the cheaper hotels have seedy bars with hookers, it's a sad fact of life).

I think the Novotel on Hamdan St might be a bit cheaper - the bar there is a little uninspiring but you're within walking distance of other hotels with better facilities. The site below might help with hotel bookings:

http://www.hotel-rates.com/ae/abu-dhabi/

If your partner is working, he will not be able to sponsor you for a visa if you are not married. This means that you can only stay in the country for up to 2 months at a time with your visit visa. If you get a job here, then your employer will arrange sponsorship and will either:

a) Allocate you an accomodation allowance that they pay direct to the landlord.

b) Allocate you an appartment which they already have on their books

c) Include an accomodation allowance in your salary and expect you to sort out your own arrangements

If they give you option c), then you could co-habit with your partner and no-one is any the wiser. Technically, it is illegal and there could be trouble if you get caught. In reality, a lot of couples do this and have no problems.

Hope this helps!