# Al Raha Beach or Saadiyat (or other suggestions) please?



## eliyah86

Hi all 

First of all, what a great great forum! i have read many helpful things here prior to moving to UAE, and am back for some advice now that we are relocating from Dubai to Abu Dhabi 

I got a new job in Abu Dhabi (Corniche, around Etihad Towers) so my husband and I will be relocating to AD. We currently live in Dubai, where he also works. The initial plan is for him to commute to Dubai which, while difficult, should be doable, considering he will not be going there and coming back during the rush hour. 

We would therefore like to live somewhere that would make it easy for him to commute into Dubai but also would not be too far from AD downtown. I will be mainly taking taxis (not a big fan of driving here yet  ) and we will get a robust and powerful car for his commute to Dubai. 

I would really appreciate some advice re areas for us to live in. We would like a 2 bed flat, preferably with a sea view or the sea being nearby, and so far Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat seem like the best choices. I quiet like the idea of Al Raha, due to there being more shops, a mall, a fitness centre and I understand even some community fitness classes in Al Muneera. We have not visited Al Raha in person yet, though. We did go to Saadiyat and really liked it, however, while we do like our peace and quiet, it seems to be REALLY quiet, especially for someone who does not really drive and would be sticking around the area quite a bit on days off. 

I would be really grateful for your advice on which would be most convenient in our circumstances and, particularly for Al Raha, which of the developments within offers the best lifestyle? We prefer low rise apartments and would like a garden/terrace but I understand that may be very rare, especially in Al Raha, unless we get a villa. 

I was also wondering if people could share some experiences with respect to costs and quality of maintenance in both areas, and also costs of air conditioning etc. 

Finally, please let me know if there are any other areas that you think might be suitable. I have finally gotten to know Dubai but have to do this all over again with Abu Dhabi, so will be really grateful for your help 

Thank you!


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## helloworld2013

Hi,

I'm sure, more experienced and knowledgeable than me, people will reply - but have you thought about Al Reef? Has Villas, and 1/2/3 bed room apartments.

No sea view's I'm afraid - but is only 5/10 minutes away from Yas Marina / Yas Beach / Yas Mall etc - and it' not a million miles away from Sadiyaat/Al Raha beaches. 

We moved here from the UK in August (so we've only been here 6 months or so) - I commute to Dubai everyday, and my wife into AD city (near to the Corniche) - Al Reef is positioned pretty much in the middle - takes me 50mins to get to Dubai, and my wife 30/35 mins to get to AD City. I guess doing the taxi into AD city everyday might be a chore (but maybe lift share, lots of people do this in Al Reef into AD City...)

I'm sure others will offer more locations for you!

hw2013



eliyah86 said:


> Hi all
> 
> First of all, what a great great forum! i have read many helpful things here prior to moving to UAE, and am back for some advice now that we are relocating from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
> 
> I got a new job in Abu Dhabi (Corniche, around Etihad Towers) so my husband and I will be relocating to AD. We currently live in Dubai, where he also works. The initial plan is for him to commute to Dubai which, while difficult, should be doable, considering he will not be going there and coming back during the rush hour.
> 
> We would therefore like to live somewhere that would make it easy for him to commute into Dubai but also would not be too far from AD downtown. I will be mainly taking taxis (not a big fan of driving here yet  ) and we will get a robust and powerful car for his commute to Dubai.
> 
> I would really appreciate some advice re areas for us to live in. We would like a 2 bed flat, preferably with a sea view or the sea being nearby, and so far Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat seem like the best choices. I quiet like the idea of Al Raha, due to there being more shops, a mall, a fitness centre and I understand even some community fitness classes in Al Muneera. We have not visited Al Raha in person yet, though. We did go to Saadiyat and really liked it, however, while we do like our peace and quiet, it seems to be REALLY quiet, especially for someone who does not really drive and would be sticking around the area quite a bit on days off.
> 
> I would be really grateful for your advice on which would be most convenient in our circumstances and, particularly for Al Raha, which of the developments within offers the best lifestyle? We prefer low rise apartments and would like a garden/terrace but I understand that may be very rare, especially in Al Raha, unless we get a villa.
> 
> I was also wondering if people could share some experiences with respect to costs and quality of maintenance in both areas, and also costs of air conditioning etc.
> 
> Finally, please let me know if there are any other areas that you think might be suitable. I have finally gotten to know Dubai but have to do this all over again with Abu Dhabi, so will be really grateful for your help
> 
> Thank you!


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## nonoa

eliyah86 said:


> Hi all
> 
> First of all, what a great great forum! i have read many helpful things here prior to moving to UAE, and am back for some advice now that we are relocating from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
> 
> I got a new job in Abu Dhabi (Corniche, around Etihad Towers) so my husband and I will be relocating to AD. We currently live in Dubai, where he also works. The initial plan is for him to commute to Dubai which, while difficult, should be doable, considering he will not be going there and coming back during the rush hour.
> 
> We would therefore like to live somewhere that would make it easy for him to commute into Dubai but also would not be too far from AD downtown. I will be mainly taking taxis (not a big fan of driving here yet  ) and we will get a robust and powerful car for his commute to Dubai.
> 
> I would really appreciate some advice re areas for us to live in. We would like a 2 bed flat, preferably with a sea view or the sea being nearby, and so far Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat seem like the best choices. I quiet like the idea of Al Raha, due to there being more shops, a mall, a fitness centre and I understand even some community fitness classes in Al Muneera. We have not visited Al Raha in person yet, though. We did go to Saadiyat and really liked it, however, while we do like our peace and quiet, it seems to be REALLY quiet, especially for someone who does not really drive and would be sticking around the area quite a bit on days off.
> 
> I would be really grateful for your advice on which would be most convenient in our circumstances and, particularly for Al Raha, which of the developments within offers the best lifestyle? We prefer low rise apartments and would like a garden/terrace but I understand that may be very rare, especially in Al Raha, unless we get a villa.
> 
> I was also wondering if people could share some experiences with respect to costs and quality of maintenance in both areas, and also costs of air conditioning etc.
> 
> Finally, please let me know if there are any other areas that you think might be suitable. I have finally gotten to know Dubai but have to do this all over again with Abu Dhabi, so will be really grateful for your help
> 
> Thank you!


This is highly subjective, as it really depends on your priorities. Saadiyat is a beautiful location. it is very close to the corniche so your commute will not be as exhausting (traffic-wise) as a commute from Al Raha Beach. The commute from Al Reef to Corniche is actually easier (despite it being further out than Al Raha) due to its access to the Yas - Saadiyat (Sheikh Khalifa) Highway. 

Your husband will have a longer commute from Saadiyat but because that highway is generally not as crowded, it should be painless on that stretch.

Al Raha Beach has different developments and they all have many amenities. Parking spots are located within the building complexes. Al Zeina is the most affordable but in my opinion has a very clean look interior compared to Al Bandar, and there is a retail strip with a Waitrose, restaurants, etc and a real cute yoga place (The Hot House). Al Bandar is also nice. They have Spinneys and lots of eateries as well overlooking the Marina. Personally, Al Zeina to me is more peaceful to visit. Al Zeina is the most accessible, easy to get in/out parking wise, and I do see lot of taxis there but I am really not certain about the taxi situation in the other Raha beach areas. Also, Al Zeina is just opposite the airport so a taxi will always be close by.

Saadiyat as you know is more open space....I looove going there just to enjoy the landscape. Not sure about the taxi situation here either. You might get annoyed calling one in every morning.

Al Reef is getting more crowded. There are small grocery shops located within the villa groupings but the retail that opened downtown (where the apartments are located) are a little annoying to get to by car. The whole area is very walkable and people enjoy walking their dogs without issues. The villas are a little tight on space but they're not horrible. Compared to Saadiyat, there's not really anything to look at. Taxis are extremely easy to come by at Al Reef. They practically live there, haha.

With regards to maintenance, most developers have FM contractors they use and the same companies usually cater to the tenants. I don't think there is a difference regarding location vs level of service. It's all hit or miss.

I hope this helps.


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## Lisa Amsterdam

Hi there, I am very curious where you ended up?! I think we also will choose either. 

Initially Saadiyat looks nicer and more convenient but also very quiet...

Thanks!


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## mv5869

Any more views on this topic from anyone living in Abu Dhabi. I'm really interested too.

I'm going to be working on Corniche, with budget of around 200k and looking for a 2 or 3 bed place. It's just me and wifey - but we want some spare space for visitors to stay. No kids yet so schools don't matter to us. Wife loves the beach though, and I'd love a nice view.

For me I definitely would like an apartment with balcony, in a lively area with shops, bars etc. 

I'm thinking St Regis would be perfect - but it looks really expensive. The other option is somewhere on Reem, but from what i can find they tend to be high rise without balconies.

Where do you other guys live? Where would you recommend for me?


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