At the risk of stating the obvious, there are differences between Abu Dhabi and Edinburgh in January. Normally you spot cars from outside the city by the snow on them, here it’s the layer of sand and dust.
A city of stark contrasts, Abu Dhabi is framed by a glistening, azure gulf on two sides and desert the others; the heritage of this Emirate and the others as starkly obvious as the towering skyscrapers lining the six lane wide highways. There is money everywhere - from the cars to way people dress - but also the great divide of has and has not.
But backtrack a bit and you too would be thankful to be here - several delays before boarding and some of the worst take off turbulence I’ve ever experienced were followed by seven hours of intermittent turbulence and a poor cabin crew who struggled to find appropriate windows to run service, and ways to politely tell passengers to sit down whilst the seatbelt light was on. One thing we can all be grateful for though is that the baby a few rows in front of me seemed to decide that turbulence was the single funniest thing it had ever encountered.
A brief encounter with some of the world’s most efficient boarder guards (with, perhaps, the exception of the Swiss) and a little effort later I got to my hotel. Despite picking it because of the deal it had on, it transpired to be a Sheraton and I was greeted with apologies that my room was unavailable ‘due to the previous guest’ and would I mind an upgrade to a ‘luxury king sized double’ on the floor reserved for Starwood Preferred Guests. Did sir mind? They were truly sorry for the issue. Naturally Sir did not object, but a brief silence whilst a very tired brain tried to compute the information was interpreted as unease and ‘dinner delivered to the room’ was added as a sweetener. An hour later, fed, watered and with the happy knowledge that lying diagonally in the bed I could not touch a single corner (yes, I checked) I fell fast asleep.
Friday in Abu Dhabi, for those not attending one of the city’s innumerable mosques, appears to be dedicated to the enjoyment of brunch. I quickly realised this too would suit me nicely and spent a couple of hours brunch-munching and reading (Trigger Mortis, a relatively new take on a James Bond novel by Anthony Horowitz, if you’re interested, it’s pretty good so far). I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten so many mini rolls, pastries, and the like in one sitting, but I’m certainly not complaining.
You see very much the image Abu Dhabi wants you to see as you stroll along the promenade. It stretches for miles along one side of the city, at one end the Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers, the other wrapping around a plethora of skyscrapers that mark the business end of the city (I think) at the other. Tempted as I was to hire what looked very much like a pedal-driven go cart to drive along, I spent a large part of the afternoon strolling down its length. Passing pristine beaches on one side and towering hotels and bank buildings on the other.
But between the boulevards of skyscrapers are smaller blocks. Lying in the shadow of their larger brothers they are rundown areas with faded shop signs and general areas of dilapidation. Being pretty fair skinned and seemingly much blonder in the Middle Eastern sun than when I left, I think it’s fair to say I drew quite a lot of unwanted stares. It would be very wrong to say unsafe, but it couldn’t have been plainer that I shouldn’t be on these streets. Abu Dhabi runs on imported labour and this is where they work and are bused in and out of the city - well away from the eyes of those driving the Bentleys, Range Rovers, Dodge Chargers and Ford GTs (the latter two of which you have never seen so many of in the same place).
The coast is where Abu Dhabi is very much at ease. There are green parks, perfect blue and cream coloured brick paths (if a ‘path’ can be several metres wide), promenaders, laughter and only the occasional call to prayer break the air. You are never far from a waterfall-filled underpass to take you back to the land of terrace cafes and needles of glass. 
Everything I read before I came here about the food was true: ‘Arabic food’ is served in few places and far apart (and isn’t widely desirable), but virtually every other cuisine is available - with Lebanese very much what you should be eating. A starter of mint-laden Tabbouleh followed by mouthwatering koftas, and pomegranate salad made for an absolutely delicious dinner after a long day of exploring (so greedily consumed I forgot to take a picture of it…).
Initially I thought there was just a general level of rudeness shouting and waving at waitresses to get their attention, but soon I realised that service here is truly awful and it’s the only way to get anyone’s attention. Similar dishonourable mention goes to ‘turkey bacon’, it adorns all manner of ‘Western’ foods and whilst I understand the absence of the pig version, I’d say removing it entirely would be better…
A couple of days exploring Abu Dhabi has been a lot of fun. Exploring one of the Emirates was an add on that I hadn’t intended on doing (and had as much to do with flights as anything else). It’s big, bold and sure of itself (or at least is such on the outside). It’s thousands of years of history displayed with 21st century flair. Naturally it would be naive not to expect cultural differences (whether it is in the workforce or the ever present, divide between the sexes), but as the many highways speed through the city seems both modern and ancient simultaneously. I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface but found a lot.
But China is calling, and my time in the UAE is over before it feels like it’s begun.
Edinburgh-dwelling, baking and food-obsessed, twenty-something adventure enthusiast. Runs on liberal amounts of coffee, cheese, cake and gin; bribable with same.
You Might Also Like
January 12, 2016
Wow, sounds like a fun-filled start!