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Hey, as a person who has spent 1 and a half years in Dubai and now nearly 2 years in Abu Dhabi, lemme see if I can help..

General Living:
- Abu Dhabi is smaller than Dubai, which means less time to get from one end to another. Also means your office location need not define where you live. As cabs are plentiful and dirt cheap, not driving too is not an issue.
- Rents are slightly lower than Dubai, but seems to be going up at almost the same rate. Owners are also not bound by any laws on rent caps, and so can raise them at will.
- Cost of other things are the same across the UAE.

Entertainment/Social Life:
- Almost all the kinds of activities in Dubai are available in Abu Dhabi, just that the scale is much smaller. For eg., For every 5 or maybe even 10 pubs in Dubai, you have one in Abu Dhabi. But you will find something for every mood/occasion/preference.
- Malls are less numerous, with AD Mall and Marina Mall being the majors. Al Raha mall is about to open, on Al Raha Beach on the DXB road, and the Khalidiya mall should be open in a year or less.
- Parks/Children's activities are plenty, and parks are well maintained, both in terms of greenery and facilities (games, water etc). You also have options like the Cultural Foundation, which is I guess the equivalent of the town hall. Nice library, Internet access, frequent concerts, plays, shows, art exhibitions, book fairs, and movies (dirt cheap)
- Cinemas are the same brands as in Dubai, and considering the lower number of people who would turn up to watch English movies, tickets are never a problem. Since moving here in 2004, the Da Vinci Code is the first movie that I heard was sold out.

The City:
- Yes, you will see a larger percentage of UAE nationals when compared to expats, and different places will have more of different nationalities.
- The layout of the city is very different from Dubai, in that you have more high-rise buildings concentrated in downtown Abu Dhabi. (Unconfirmed rumours call it 'the Manhattan of the East'.) Typically, the city improves in status as you move towards the Corniche. Villas are in a different section of the city altogether, which means that apartment dwellers and villa dwellers need not cross paths at all.
- Traffic in the city is considered to be more chaotic than Dubai, but only because of driver mentalities. The cars here can actually move, unlike Dubai, and so accidents are plenty. When driving in Abu Dhabi, do not assume that you will not be cut off. When parking, do not assume that someone will not park behind you. And if you have an accident, especially with a UAE national, even if he is at fault, prepare to be blamed.
- Racism will be seen in places like night clubs, but not much more than Dubai.
- AD has actually more of a 'town' mentality than a 'city' one, and is quite proud of its Arab heritage in all that it does. Until now it used to result in garishness, but now, like in the case of the Emirates Palace Hotel, they seem to have found a good balance. Of course, the colours on the top of the hotel can still make you cringe, but the interiors are real classy.
- AD the city is a little island, and normal life happens on it. If you wanna do some repairs to your car, drive off the island to Musaffah, and even the airport is on mainland UAE.
- The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is HUGE! Driving down to the Saudi border one weekend is a good exercise in diversity, and an eye opener for all us city-slickers. Another nice drive is down to Al Ain, a greener city and sleepier.

I actually recommend a move to Abu Dhabi, but not all of you! Dubai is close enough for a weekend trip, and I do come there on weekdays sometimes. If I leave AD by 4pm, I'm at Dubai Marina by 5pm, and then near Wafi by 6! On the highway to Dubai, until you reach the Emirate of Dubai, the speed limit is 160kmph. If you want to go slower, be very careful when venturing into the fast lane. AD drivers believe that 160kmph is a general indication of where your speedo needle should hover, and u can see cars doing 180-200.

Working here is quite different, as you can expect a more traditional/conservative approach to almost anything. Still, its a difference seen almost everywhere in the world. In India, you see the same difference between Delhi, the capital, and Mumbai, the capital of everything else!

I guess its up to you, whether you want an action-packed life that never lets up, or a life that lets you sit back and relax at least every now and then.

Hope this helps. Cheers, and all the best.

avkurian wrote:Hey, as a person who has spent 1 and a half years in Dubai and now nearly 2 years in Abu Dhabi, lemme see if I can help..

General Living:
- Abu Dhabi is smaller than Dubai, which means less time to get from one end to another. Also means your office location need not define where you live. As cabs are plentiful and dirt cheap, not driving too is not an issue.
- Rents are slightly lower than Dubai, but seems to be going up at almost the same rate. Owners are also not bound by any laws on rent caps, and so can raise them at will.
- Cost of other things are the same across the UAE.

Entertainment/Social Life:
- Almost all the kinds of activities in Dubai are available in Abu Dhabi, just that the scale is much smaller. For eg., For every 5 or maybe even 10 pubs in Dubai, you have one in Abu Dhabi. But you will find something for every mood/occasion/preference.
- Malls are less numerous, with AD Mall and Marina Mall being the majors. Al Raha mall is about to open, on Al Raha Beach on the DXB road, and the Khalidiya mall should be open in a year or less.
- Parks/Children's activities are plenty, and parks are well maintained, both in terms of greenery and facilities (games, water etc). You also have options like the Cultural Foundation, which is I guess the equivalent of the town hall. Nice library, Internet access, frequent concerts, plays, shows, art exhibitions, book fairs, and movies (dirt cheap)
- Cinemas are the same brands as in Dubai, and considering the lower number of people who would turn up to watch English movies, tickets are never a problem. Since moving here in 2004, the Da Vinci Code is the first movie that I heard was sold out.

The City:
- Yes, you will see a larger percentage of UAE nationals when compared to expats, and different places will have more of different nationalities.
- The layout of the city is very different from Dubai, in that you have more high-rise buildings concentrated in downtown Abu Dhabi. (Unconfirmed rumours call it 'the Manhattan of the East'.) Typically, the city improves in status as you move towards the Corniche. Villas are in a different section of the city altogether, which means that apartment dwellers and villa dwellers need not cross paths at all.
- Traffic in the city is considered to be more chaotic than Dubai, but only because of driver mentalities. The cars here can actually move, unlike Dubai, and so accidents are plenty. When driving in Abu Dhabi, do not assume that you will not be cut off. When parking, do not assume that someone will not park behind you. And if you have an accident, especially with a UAE national, even if he is at fault, prepare to be blamed.
- Racism will be seen in places like night clubs, but not much more than Dubai.
- AD has actually more of a 'town' mentality than a 'city' one, and is quite proud of its Arab heritage in all that it does. Until now it used to result in garishness, but now, like in the case of the Emirates Palace Hotel, they seem to have found a good balance. Of course, the colours on the top of the hotel can still make you cringe, but the interiors are real classy.
- AD the city is a little island, and normal life happens on it. If you wanna do some repairs to your car, drive off the island to Musaffah, and even the airport is on mainland UAE.
- The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is HUGE! Driving down to the Saudi border one weekend is a good exercise in diversity, and an eye opener for all us city-slickers. Another nice drive is down to Al Ain, a greener city and sleepier.

I actually recommend a move to Abu Dhabi, but not all of you! Dubai is close enough for a weekend trip, and I do come there on weekdays sometimes. If I leave AD by 4pm, I'm at Dubai Marina by 5pm, and then near Wafi by 6! On the highway to Dubai, until you reach the Emirate of Dubai, the speed limit is 160kmph. If you want to go slower, be very careful when venturing into the fast lane. AD drivers believe that 160kmph is a general indication of where your speedo needle should hover, and u can see cars doing 180-200.

Working here is quite different, as you can expect a more traditional/conservative approach to almost anything. Still, its a difference seen almost everywhere in the world. In India, you see the same difference between Delhi, the capital, and Mumbai, the capital of everything else!

I guess its up to you, whether you want an action-packed life that never lets up, or a life that lets you sit back and relax at least every now and then.

Hope this helps. Cheers, and all the best.

Wow thats some huge info, didn't read all,
There ya go Zooter

Very good post.

Me likes

Wow - avkurian I am really grateful to you - top post!! Thank you!

Liban/Arnie - any chance of putting this on a Sticky or something, probably in the Expat help forum?? I'm sure the question might come up again.

Thanks again guys!!

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Avkurian -
Excellent and accurate post. Nice 1 !
Zooter -
Also having similar experiences to The Oracle above [ ] I would also add that expats who firts come to Dubai, love it and dislike AD. And vice versa. It really depends on what you're looking for in your lifestyle.

Another issue to remember here in AD, is that the pu blic beach [located at the far end of the corniche] is due to be closed soon, as Da Big Bloke With Da Sheckels wans his new palace there. A real shame for all the thousands of normal peeps like me who love to spend their w/e's chillin on the sea and sand. Also the corniche was lovely. 9km of prestine walking next to a shimmering azure sea. Not too sure what thye're doing to it now, but slap-bang in the middle is a horrible mess of dredged land that may be used to build a bride between the mainland and Lulu Island ? [can someone confirm this ??] Eitehr way. It looks a bl00dy mess and has spoilt the corniche. Pretty soon, there will be nowhere for plebs like me to enjoy the sun & sea. That'll be the time to go.

I am for Abu Dhabi.