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Out of curiosity, which city suits you? & why?

Most of the Westerns (ones I know/met) prefered A.D as they feel life is more easy regarding transportation, as in you can survive without a car, unlike in Dubai where you DO need a car. They also mentioned that the way AD is designed, as a city is similar to their European cities.

Most of the Asians/S.Asians (ones I know/met) prefer Dubai & Sharjah as in they enjoy life here more.

The vast majority of Emiratis (with exception for a number of A.D's natives & few others), they believe that living in A.D' (it's neigbhourhoods) is not as cosy asit is in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and RAK.
And thats due to several reasons, mainly because it lacks the history! Moreover, the fact that most houses is built on the same design (only differs in size) makes it very boring. On the other hand, we believe A.D is the best place for career, although not as proffessional as Dubai at some point, but generally it's an interesting place to work.

So what's your opinion?

I have lived in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Sharjah, however I must say that I prefer Dubai, I am not really able to pimpoint any exact reason it's just overall a better place to live.

Abu Dhabi has definite charms and I quite like Al Ain for its history and culture.
There are fewer diversions to occupy you in these locations though and Dubai does offer a wider variety of things to do. Its getting around that becomes so frustrating, which is why I ride a motorbike when I can!

Lived and worked in Sharjah too, which was cheaper but I cannot say I felt comfortable there.

If you like the quiet life, Umm Al Quwain is sleepy!



Knight

Sharjah for me but due to circumstances am now in Jebel Ali. Which is actually quite nice. Away from the bustle of the city and yet not too far. I love going down to the Village as it seems to be freezed framed in the 80's and reminds me of the good old times and feels very nostalgic.

Abu Dhabi SUCKS BIG TIME. The Island is horrbile and nothing but a drab concrete jungle. The outskirts are rows upon rows of monopoly houses on flat desolate plains. Other than the southern region ( Liwa, Hammem, Mezaira, Arada etc etc ) there is absolutely no charm in Abu Dhabi at all.

And why is everybody driving like they are in competeing in the F1 final's. No matter how fast your driving or which lane your in, you are still being constanly flashed and overtaken on both sides.

If I could I would time travel back into the early 80's and live in my freej in sharjah. Was truly multicultral then, everybody knew everybody. We had neighbours from the UK, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Iran and ofcourse Emiratis in fact our land lord who lived just across the street.

When someone cooked something special it was shared among all the houses, and the dish was never returned empty. All the children played toghter.

Hmmm...........I miss those days

desertdudeshj wrote:Sharjah for me but due to circumstances am now in Jebel Ali. Which is actually quite nice. Away from the bustle of the city and yet not too far. I love going down to the Village as it seems to be freezed framed in the 80's and reminds me of the good old times and feels very nostalgic.

Abu Dhabi SUCKS BIG TIME. The Island is horrbile and nothing but a drab concrete jungle. The outskirts are rows upon rows of monopoly houses on flat desolate plains. Other than the southern region ( Liwa, Hammem, Mezaira, Arada etc etc ) there is absolutely no charm in Abu Dhabi at all.

And why is everybody driving like they are in competeing in the F1 final's. No matter how fast your driving or which lane your in, you are still being constanly flashed and overtaken on both sides.

If I could I would time travel back into the early 80's and live in my freej in sharjah. Was truly multicultral then, everybody knew everybody. We had neighbours from the UK, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Iran and ofcourse Emiratis in fact our land lord who lived just across the street.

When someone cooked something special it was shared among all the houses, and the dish was never returned empty. All the children played toghter.

Hmmm...........I miss those days

I'm right there with you DD, when I first came to Dubai it was exactly like your description and also Sharjah was great in those days as well.

I miss the old UAE as well

sage & onion wrote:

desertdudeshj wrote:Sharjah for me but due to circumstances am now in Jebel Ali. Which is actually quite nice. Away from the bustle of the city and yet not too far. I love going down to the Village as it seems to be freezed framed in the 80's and reminds me of the good old times and feels very nostalgic.

Abu Dhabi SUCKS BIG TIME. The Island is horrbile and nothing but a drab concrete jungle. The outskirts are rows upon rows of monopoly houses on flat desolate plains. Other than the southern region ( Liwa, Hammem, Mezaira, Arada etc etc ) there is absolutely no charm in Abu Dhabi at all.

And why is everybody driving like they are in competeing in the F1 final's. No matter how fast your driving or which lane your in, you are still being constanly flashed and overtaken on both sides.

If I could I would time travel back into the early 80's and live in my freej in sharjah. Was truly multicultral then, everybody knew everybody. We had neighbours from the UK, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Iran and ofcourse Emiratis in fact our land lord who lived just across the street.

When someone cooked something special it was shared among all the houses, and the dish was never returned empty. All the children played toghter.

Hmmm...........I miss those days

I'm right there with you DD, when I first came to Dubai it was exactly like your description and also Sharjah was great in those days as well.

Sharjah was the place to be! Unfortunately I first came here in 1988 just after the 'troubles' and the place had closed in on itself by then. Some old RAF friends do remember their days posted here in the 1960's and early 70's with fond memories.

As a western expat, today I find it hard to live with some of the excessive restrictions still in place although these are gradually starting to ease.



Knight

Correct, Shj used to be the place to be.

interesting comments on sharjah...never would have associated this place with fun/cosy/nice to live in. went through it a few times and could not wait to get out. except the corniche area, sharjah looks like a dumpster and even at the corniche the people walking around are just nono to be around

as for AD, flat out boring

raidah wrote:interesting comments on sharjah...never would have associated this place with fun/cosy/nice to live in. went through it a few times and could not wait to get out. except the corniche area, sharjah looks like a dumpster and even at the corniche the people walking around are just nono to be around

as for AD, flat out boring

Trust me, Sharjah used to rock!



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:

raidah wrote:interesting comments on sharjah...never would have associated this place with fun/cosy/nice to live in. went through it a few times and could not wait to get out. except the corniche area, sharjah looks like a dumpster and even at the corniche the people walking around are just nono to be around

as for AD, flat out boring

Trust me, Sharjah used to rock!



Knight

The best Night Clubs used to be in Sharjah, had many a good night back in the 70's

The thought of you with afro hair and looking like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever sort of pops into my head.

Not pretty!!!



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:The thought of you with afro hair and looking like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever sort of pops into my head.

Not pretty!!!



Knight

Have you been sneaking a peek at my Photo collection

I think too much saudi influence starting in the 80's specially after building the Sheikh Faisal Mosque and the cheaper rents turned Sharjah into the dump it is now.

desertdudeshj wrote:I think too much saudi influence starting in the 80's specially after building the Sheikh Faisal Mosque and the cheaper rents turned Sharjah into the dump it is now.

Are you aware how the Saudi influence came into play?

Nah, I was a young un' then and really not bothered about such stuff. I thought it was actually cool to see the hardware out on the streets during the "toubles"

Like the chopper parked in the emplty lot next to the Diwan and all the sandbagged posts manned by machine gun weilding dudes

desertdudeshj wrote:Nah, I was a young un' then and really not bothered about such stuff. I thought it was actually cool to see the hardware out on the streets during the "toubles"

Like the chopper parked in the emplty lot next to the Diwan and all the sandbagged posts manned by machine gun weilding dudes

Back in the early 80's, Sharjah was going through a construction boom, however they really didn't have the funs to sustain it, the Federal Government warned them to control the situation, however they did not heed the warning and basically went bankrupt. Saudi Arabia stepped in, but of course their were some conditions.
Believe it or not Liquor stores operated in Sharjah well into the 90's, they were all situated in an area close to Sharjah Port, liquor license used to be required, the place was always busy.

Sharjah is an armpit these days - hideous.

I actually like Abu Dhabi, I think it's much more chilled out than Dubai and they've atually got things right, as they sat back and watched DXB make all it's mistakes and took the the good bits.

sage & onion wrote:Believe it or not Liquor stores operated in Sharjah well into the 90's, they were all situated in an area close to Sharjah Port, liquor license used to be required, the place was always busy.

Yeah I know, were farking cheap aswell.

Chocoholic wrote:Sharjah is an armpit these days - hideous.

I actually like Abu Dhabi, I think it's much more chilled out than Dubai and they've atually got things right, as they sat back and watched DXB make all it's mistakes and took the the good bits.

That's what we always say when we discuss the issue of Dubai & AD. Sometimes I think Dubai could've avoided any mistakes if things went slowly, but as they all say "what comes fast, goes fast"

A.D is working very clamly, and that's how everything should function in the world of wise people. I wonder why Dubai was in such a hurry as if a wild bull is chasing it

I can't imagine myself living in A.D for the rest of my life though, it's not the place where I want my kids to grow up and study. I like the city surely, pero Dubai es mi casa

I don't know, I don't think I'd mind living in Abu Dhabi for a while, certainly I have lots of friends there and they seem to love it.

Although AD did manage to allow the architect of the Yas Island circuit to build them the biggest phalic symbol ever - have you seen that thing from the air? LOL

Chocoholic wrote:I don't know, I don't think I'd mind living in Abu Dhabi for a while, certainly I have lots of friends there and they seem to love it.

Although AD did manage to allow the architect of the Yas Island circuit to build them the biggest phalic symbol ever - have you seen that thing from the air? LOL

Control yerself cat woman!



Knight

Chocoholic wrote:Although AD did manage to allow the architect of the Yas Island circuit to build them the biggest phalic symbol ever - have you seen that thing from the air? LOL

Is that what attracts you to AD?? A need to be closer???? (It's a joke Chocs, )

Bora Bora wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Although AD did manage to allow the architect of the Yas Island circuit to build them the biggest phalic symbol ever - have you seen that thing from the air? LOL

Is that what attracts you to AD?? A need to be closer???? (It's a joke Chocs, )

Not funny Bora - how about you take a slice of 'shut the hell up' and don't bother saying anything related to me in the first place! Just bloody resist the temptation or is that too hard to compute in your pea brain. I've had enough of you.

Chocoholic wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Although AD did manage to allow the architect of the Yas Island circuit to build them the biggest phalic symbol ever - have you seen that thing from the air? LOL

Is that what attracts you to AD?? A need to be closer???? (It's a joke Chocs, )

Not funny Bora - how about you take a slice of 'shut the hell up' and don't bother saying anything related to me in the first place! Just bloody resist the temptation or is that too hard to compute in your pea brain. I've had enough of you.

God, you are so pathetic.

No, what is there to understand that I don't want you to say anything targeted or related to me. It's like you're obssessed. Just stop it!

Nothing coming from you Bora aimed at me is a 'joke' it's yet again another opportunity to have a dig or make a derogatory comment. So just don't do it. What don't you get.

Chocoholic wrote:No, what is there to understand that I don't want you to say anything targeted or related to me. It's like you're obssessed. Just stop it!

Nothing coming from you Bora aimed at me is a 'joke' it's yet again another opportunity to have a dig or make a derogatory comment. So just don't do it. What don't you get.

And you are going to stop me how????

You have to be of the most miserable individuals I have come across - anywhere!!! You talk about feelings?? The only emotion you are capable of is that of being bitter, which constantly comes through in your posts; not just to me, but to just about everyone.

I'm going to have a carton of these shipped to you. They should last about, oh, say a week.

The other thing I like about Abu Dhabi, is that it's pretty well laid out, ok it's an island, but they work on the block system so it's very easy to get from one place to another and thank goodness they don't have the construction issues that Dubai has. It's really got some very good things going for it.

Maybe Dubai should start looking towards AD for some inspiration in the future.

I tell you what though, I really do like RAK, it's very nice up there and they've come up with some really good stuff too. I think every Emirate has its pros and cons.

sym if you want a career and money i would suggest you go to abu dhabi. Those guys are going places and they have learnt from Dubais mistake. RAK is similiar but on a smaller scale.

Abu dhabis is sorting out its transport, coming up with a tram system and a UAE railway, education set up, museums, etc etc

I wouldnt mind living in abu dhabi at all.

The problem is accommodation. There is'nt a great choice and what there is is very expensive even compared to Dubai!



Knight