# Question about family life in Abu Dhabi



## jgjgjg

I'm being considered for an expat assignment to Abu Dhabi and have a couple of questions I have really not seen answered in the google research. Having lived all my life in the US, my view of 'the rest of the world' is largely informed by the people from elsewhere that I know and work with, so please forgive me if my perceptions are totally offbase: correct me please!

From the people I know here that are from outside the US, it appears that the entire rest of the world, with the exception of the odd Brit, entertains itself with a combination of shopping, television, golf, and sports spectating. My family is absolutely not this way. I am avid woodworker, my 13 year old son is a semi-accomplished blacksmith, I have one preteen daugther that is already showing considerable talents with pottery, and another, younger daughter who successfully spends a lot of time growing flowers and herbs. A foundational piece of our family dynamic is being able to 'get away from each other for an hour' by running out to the garage or workshop for a while, and then coming back together when we're 'better'.

What I see on the web about AD is that activity away from work is typically 'away from the home' and whether in the home or out is some form of 'consuming' or 'being entertained'. Is this perception incorrect? Are their opportunities for 'producers/makers' to do what they do in AD? In terms of keeping the family happy and keeping that particularly dynamic intact in AD, what do you suggest? Do we bring our tools, or leave them home?


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## busybee2

pottery very limited unless you have your own kiln, there is a place in ad that does classes etc. blacksmith nope. here is not the weather for growing stuff outside. unless you buy you have to rent so you usually dont have the outside space for a garage/workshop etc.


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## jgjgjg

busybee2 said:


> pottery very limited unless you have your own kiln, there is a place in ad that does classes etc. blacksmith nope. here is not the weather for growing stuff outside. unless you buy you have to rent so you usually dont have the outside space for a garage/workshop etc.


Busybee, thanks. Are single family dwellings widely available? Do they typically have even a small yard? Dirt? Or is it an ocean of cement?

How do people entertain themselves/families in AD?


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## AbdulBaqi

I'm not extremely knowledgable about AD but I can tell you about the UAE in general. As first replier mentioned the activities you mentioned are either done by professionals or not done as an activity. You might be able to find your tools here but the price and proper space for them is questionable to the extreme. Unless you get a large villa be prepared to live a lot closer to your family than your used to. People here in the UAE typically take naps everyday from 3-5 as its too hot, and all stores with the exception of malls or some hypermarkets close so it makes you stay inside unless you like driving far or baking yourself outside. You can do things if you have a car and make connections, like mountain climbing, dune bugging, drifting, scuba diving, etc. if you really want to do the activities you listed and you do not get a large enough space, you could rent or borrow a workshop if you find a good person or the right landlord. But if you don't like doing things inside or some of the other entertainment activities you listed, you might want to reconsider moving here.


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## jgjgjg

Thanks for the candid reply!

One other question. How do people living in UAE (expats) teach their children how to work and how to value work? (as opposed of just how to study) How do they teach non-academic diligence?


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## busybee2

jgjgjg said:


> Busybee, thanks. Are single family dwellings widely available? Do they typically have even a small yard? Dirt? Or is it an ocean of cement?
> 
> How do people entertain themselves/families in AD?


1 and 2 bed apartments are the most sought after and so more expensive really for what you get compared to a 3 bedder etc. most are apartments with no outside space, if you want a small 2 bed villa then you will need to look at al reef.


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## jgjgjg

busybee: thanks!

Is al reef also good for the 'not so small' 4 or 5 bed villa? Really....I have a lot of kids.


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## busybee2

al reef has villas 2 upto 5 bed with a pool. its cheaper than on island because its a way out and next to airport but the prices are going up in auh think a 5 bed is around 180k. but in fact that 5 bed is smaller than my 4 bed in kcb.


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## AbdulBaqi

jgjgjg said:


> Thanks for the candid reply!
> 
> One other question. How do people living in UAE (expats) teach their children how to work and how to value work? (as opposed of just how to study) How do they teach non-academic diligence?


This is something that is going to differ widely between families like in any country. I'm not going to even try to advise you on this because what you and I think is correct for our children could be extremely different. Especially considering that expats come from all different countries in the world to the UAE (much like in America), you can understand how loaded that question is. I would just say, do as you see fit with the resources and tools that you have in any place.


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