LIVING IN ABU DHABI Welcome to Abu Dhabi! This guide contains basic information for getting settled and living in Abu Dhabi compiled by fellow ACS families. We hope it’s helpful! This is a parent-to-parent created list of products and services. The American School is not responsible for any of the recommendations, links, products or services listed. ■ HELPFUL WEBSITES, APPS AND FORUMS FACEBOOK FORUMS Abu Dhabi City Guide, arts & culture, ACS PTA things to do, restaurants, bars, hotels The ACS PTA is an organization and where to go that works in support of the ACS Visitabudhabi.ae community of members: the students, their families, and the faculty and Official tourism site staff Whatson.ae ACS PTA Community News & Further city information and things Marketplace to do A page created by the PTA of the Real Estate Sites American Community School of Abu Dhabi to post information about local dubizzle.com, propertyfinder.ae events in and around Abu Dhabi, and Newspapers items for sale that might be of interest to members of the ACS community Gulf News, The National, Khaleej Times, NY Times International Edition ACS Moms Uniform Exchange General Online Shopping Buy, sell, exchange uniforms Amazon.ae, Noon.com, Desertcart.ae Abu Dhabi Women’s Group Used Stuff for sale online Our main goal is to create a place to socialize and help other ladies figure abudhabi.dubizzle.com (can be out Abu Dhabi sketchy but mostly good - furniture, cars, appliances, etc.) American Moms in Abu Dhabi Food Delivery Apps A forum for American moms who live in Abu Dhabi. This is a place to Zomato, Talabat, Deliveroo network and meet new friends, ask Coupon App questions, share information, and offer support The Entertainer- 2 for1 Discount Offers throughout the city based on Best Bites Abu Dhabi an annual membership (really useful) Abu Dhabi Food experiences, access theentertainerme.com to promotions and discounts Online Grocery Delivery Abu Dhabi Q&A kibsons.com, carrefour.com, instacart All kinds of random questions about (app) life in AD timeoutabudhabi.com MAWAQiF 2 Electronically pay for city parking - text 3009 to your phone with your username OR download the app FURNISHED APARTMENTS ■ HOSPITALS AND CLINICS (Note: kids over age 14 are considered adults) Al Noor Hospital Health Point Tel: 02 444 6655 Tel: 02 492 9000 SKMC (Sheikh Khalifa Hospital Gulf Diagnostic Hospital Medical City) Tel:02 665 8090 Public hospital - good for Emergency Visits, Tel: 02 610 2000 Cleveland Clinic 02 659 0200 (will see kids in Harley Street Medical Center Emergency room) Tel: 02 613 3999 SEHA Clinic behind ACS Cure Clinic Tel: 02 711 4719 Tel: 02 667 5050 ■ DENTISTS American Dental Sno Dental Whitefield Dentists ICDE Smilerite Dr. Firas Dental Center ■ SETTING UP YOUR HOME Conrad Abu Dhabi Beach Rotana Beach Rotana Etihad Towers Residences hilton.com/en/hotels/auhetci-conrad- rotana.com abu-dhabi-etihad-towers Sofitel Grand Hyatt sofitelabudhabicorniche.com hyatt.com Rosewood Edition rosewoodhotels.com editionhotels.com 3 RELOCATION/MOVING Heritage Touch Furniture COMPANIES heritage-touch.com - local and indian Emovers furniture and other products. At Mena Port, behind ACE Hardware emoversuae.com Delight MATTRESSES the-relocator.com There are a variety of places to buy mattresses, including stand-alone Crown Relocations mattress stores (e.g. in Khalidiya crownrelo.com/uae/intl-relocation Mall), but also IKEA, Marina Home, and even Carrefour FURNITURE STORES The ONE CURTAINS/UPHOLSTERY/ Next to Cafe Arabia, across from Um PAINTING Al Emarat Park (Note: for curtains and upholstery, ask a parent who’s been here a while Marina Home - we all have our “guy” and many of marinahomeinteriors.com - Abu them are terrific and very affordable.) Dhabi Mall Andona Interiors 2XL andonainteriors.com (all of the above) Marina Mall Odd Jobs Pottery Barn/West Elm (painting only) Located in Galleria Mall and Yas Mall IKEA Home Center (curtains only) Various locations, Marina Mall Best Furnishings Homes r Us (for upholstery or curtains) Khalidiya Mall ZARA HOME WHERE TO BUY Marina Mall and Yas Mall APPLIANCES Jumbo Electronics IKEA Various malls Next to Yas Mall on Yas Island (new branch opening soon in Mushrif Mall) Carrefour Marina Mall ACE Hardware Next to Yas Mall and at Mena port (some indoor and outdoor furniture) Lulu 4 Khalidiya Mall, Al Wahda Mall and The Dubai telecom company others OSN Sharaf DG Local cable television company Various malls ELECTRICITY/GAS Amazon.ae ADDC Plug ins Electronics www.addc.ae/en-US/residential/ pages/Home.aspx Various malls ROYAL GAS HANDY MAN AND www.royalgas.com CLEANING/MAID SERVICES Odd Jobs UAE WATER DELIVERY (oddjobsuae.com; 02 582 6638) (Note: You can drink the tap water good all around service, they do here, best with a filter, but often it’s repairs, install lights and pictures, easier to get a water dispenser and paint rooms, move furniture and also bottle delivery service.) have cleaning/maid services Oasis Water TELEPHONE, TV AND Tel: 02 558 2030 INTERNET Etisalat Nestle The Abu Dhabi telecom company. Tel: 800 4404 Will provide internet, cable TV, land line services and mobile phones: Masafi etisalat.ae (outlets at most malls as Tel: 800 5455 well) Du MALLS AND SOUKS ■ DAY TO DAY SHOPPING IN ABU DHABI wtcad.ae Marina Mall Khalidiya Mall marinamall.ae khalidiyahmall.com Nation Towers Mall Galleria Mall nationtowersmall.com thegalleria.ae World Trade Center Mall 5 Abu Dhabi Mall WTC (World Trade Center) Mall abudhabi-mall.com and Souk One side is a modern mall, the other Dalma Mall is a touristy but fun Souk dalmamall.ae MALLS IN DUBAI Yas Mall Dubai Mall yasmall.ae HUGE mall near Burj Khalifa and The SOUKS at Mena Port Dancing Fountain There is a Plant Souk (affordable Mall of Emirates plants, pots, and gardening supplies); Has indoor ski and snow park a Fruit and Veg Souk (great and cheap - you can also use the InstaCart App Dubai Marina Mall to order for delivery); and an “Iranian Souk” with pots, pans, camping gear, DragonMart outdoor seating, etc. You must bargain ENORMOUS mall of discount items at these places! and everything from crafting beads to plumbing supplies to arabic light fixtures. ■ GROCERY STORES Spinneys Khalidiya (and other locations) Abelas Supermarket A British market - fresh produce, Many American products can be meat and other groceries (also their found here higher-end shops are called Waitrose in, e.g. Jumeirah Etihad towers) Abu Dhabi COOP Mena Port, Downtown, Khalidiya Carrefour Marina Mall (and (various locations) other locations) A French hypermarket chain SOUQ Planet - groceries, electronics, home Khalifa City - fresh produce, meat appliances, mattresses, paper goods, and other groceries clothing Mina Fish Market Lulu Hypermarket - Khalidiya Fresh fish Mall and Al Wahda Mall (and others) Groceries, electronics, home appliances, toys, paper goods 6 ONLINE/DELIVERY Kibsons OPTIONS: kibsons.com InstaShop Secret Fine Food Download this app from the App secretsfinefood.com High-end Store. Helpful way to order from a european meats, cheeses, fish and VARIETY of local supermarkets, baked goods (if you’re missing your pharmacies, fresh produce markets, favourite stinky cheese or piece of butchers, pet shops, flower shops etc. cod - this is the place!) ■ RESTAURANTS Third Place Cafe Near Corniche (ACS parents receive Cafe Milano 10% discount - show ACS ID) High-end Italian (Four Seasons Hotel, al Maryah Island) Emirates Palace For gold cappuccino or gold sprinkled Butcher and Still ice cream High-end Chicago Steak House (Four Seasons Hotel) Tashas Amazing food, outdoor space in al Dai Pai Dong Marsa area (al Bateen Marina) Chinese (great outdoor space and amazing bar called Dragon tooth) Cafe Arabia Wonderful local independent cafe Zuma near Um al Emarat park and The One High-end Asian food (Near The Rosewood Hotel, al Maryah Island) CATCH Seafood on the water near Nation Villa al Afia Towers Emirati, Moroccan and Turkish Food (Al Khalidiya near Khalidiya Village) Tarbouche Turkish (ACS family-owned - in Marmellata WTC mall and in khalidiya ACS family-owned pre-order Pizza joint: choicebymarmellata.com Petek Turkish - Marina Mall (excellent L’ARTE Turkish Delight) Italian restaurant, lovely garden, at Manarat al Saadiyat Wafi Gourmet Excellent Levant cuisine and market for spices, dates, sweets, etc. 7 ■ SCHOOL AND PARTY SUPPLIES Jarir Bookstore PARTY SUPPLIES in Nation Towers - carries most of the Party Center school supplies required by ACS Al Wahda Mall All Prints Daiso (Mezzanine Floor, Shaikh Saif Al Wahda and Khalidiya Malls Building, Al Nasr Street, Al Hosn) - school, art and craft supplies and CUSTOM BIRTHDAY CAKES nice selection of books in English and Arabic La Cuisine de Manou Tel: 02 552 6608 Borders (various locations throughout Abu La Torta Cakes Dhabi) Tel: 056 123 3312 Magrudys Magnolia Cafe (various locations throughout Abu Galleria Mall Dhabi) Bloomsbury Kinokuniya Bookstore Various malls Galleria Mall uae.kinokuniya.com ■ SCHOOL UNIFORMS (Note: see ACS website for specific information) Land’s End Pants/Shorts They are the primary source for ACS Carrefour, Matalan, Zara, Marks & logo’d uniform elements, and they Spencer, Gap (in Dubai), Brands for DO deliver to the UAE. Less, H&M ■ HAIR & NAIL SALONS Tips and Toes Glamour Salon Various locations (Marina Mall, (in Al Ain Tower) Khaleej al Arabi Street and others) Nail-a-holics Sugar (near school on Al Bateen Street) (near Al Ain Tower) 8 Beauty Spot NStyle Beauty Lounge (for hair) - in Anantara Eastern (nails) - (Galleria Mall, WTC Mall) Mangroves ■ PHARMACIES