Driving in Abu Dhabi - Update

I have just discovered that there is a law which allows people to get a temporary driving licence in Abu Dhabi if they are waiting for a residence visa to be processed, or if they are here on a visit visa. The licence is valid for 6 months, is issued by the Traffic Police and allows the bearer to drive private cars. To apply for the temporary licence, you will need your full driving licence, and your passport. You will have to fill in a form at the Traffic Police Licencing Department and pay Dhs110. This should take less than half an hour.

While this is a great new facility for visitors to Abu Dhabi, I would still recommend bringing an International Driving Licence with you for backup!

Traffic Police Website: www.adpolice.gov.ae/en

Taxis in Abu Dhabi

There was a time when taxis were almost as plentiful as sand in Abu Dhabi. The familiar gold and white 'local' taxis with their little green sign on top were visible everywhere, and a slight hand raise would bring them screeching to a halt beside you. Unfortunately, that day has gone and in its wake is a scene of queues of people waiting in the hot sun, often for up to an hour, ready to do battle for an odd empty taxi to stop and let them into the air conditioned luxury of the gold and white.

Last year, a new taxi company, Trans Abu Dhabi was formed, bringing together the expertise of various taxi companies as well as the men in the gold and whites. Many of the 'local' taxis were taken off the road, beyond repair. Newer taxis that were roadworthy were kept, and the drivers had to do a test to determine whether they could retain the jobs they had been doing quite happily for the past 20 years. Other, new companies advertised for taxi drivers and all seemed to be very positive indeed. However, a few problems have added to the already difficult public transport situation in Abu Dhabi.

Before Trans Abu Dhabi was set up, there were a few taxi companies which you could call if you wanted to book a taxi. Companies such as Al Gazal, Al Gazal Express, Fast Cabs, NTC all had a facility which you could book in advance or with 10 to 15 minutes notice. Al Gazal is one of the main companies involved in Trans Abu Dhabi, and as such has supplied many cars and drivers to the new company. This has resulted in not only street taxis being impossible to get, but now it is a herculean task to actually book and get any kind of taxi at all. Coupled with the daily increase in residents in the city, it is almost impossible to make any kind of arrangements now if you are planning meetings around busy times of the day. At night, it is equally bad as many people work split shift and don't finish work until 7 or 8pm at night.


When we go out now at weekends, my friends and I take it in turns to drive and collect the others. It's easier to get a taxi to take you back to the car in the morning as many people do not work on weekend days, so there are not so many problems.


This new problem has unearthed a few realisations. One is that with thousands of new residents coming to Abu Dhabi every month, a huge injection of funds into public transport is needed - and very soon. Another is that, having to fight my way into a taxi when 5 other people appear just as the taxi is about to stop in front of me has shown me an agressive streak I hadn't been aware of until now!


The main realisation though, is that the days of the 'local' taxi is nearing an end. The new silver taxis are clean and have seat belts, the drivers are learning English and how to get around Abu Dhabi, but the old taxis had something the new ones don't - you didn't know what you'd get when the car stopped! Most of the local taxis are driven by men from Pakistan, Afghanistan and some from India. A conversation would often start with you being asked

"Are you American?"

"No"

"I hate George Bush - Bush is no good"



In the next car:

"Are you American?"

"No"

"I hate Osama Bin Ladan - Osama is no good"



While this conversation would continue, with the passenger being asked about spouse, children, work, number of years in Abu Dhabi etc, a badly tuned cricket match or news chanel from thousands of miles away would be crackling away in the background, or music which appears to have no melody, sound turned up to top volume in order for the driver to hear the words while smiling at a photo of his family pasted on the sun visor.

Abu Dhabi has definitely changed...

The National


A new English language newspaper has arrived on news stands in the UAE. The National based in Abu Dhabi, is a broadsheet which has news, business, arts & culture, opinions and more.

One of the most refreshing things about this newspaper is that half of it is not taken up with advertisements. I have come to dislike that in other newspapers, as the amount of actual news one can read is greatly diminished by the huge number of ads adorning every page.

Another advantage is that Abu Dhabi is the main focus of this paper, even though other parts of the UAE are reported on, as are other areas in the Middle East and internationally. Most other daily newspapers are based in Dubai and it is from there most of the news is reported, interviews conducted etc.

The National has arrived in Abu Dhabi at a time when the subject of national identity is forefront in the minds of many government bodies. This newspaper has, since its first edition on April 17th, included articles such as: the life of bedouin tribes in the desert, a report on the national identity conference which took place a few days ago, a piece on 20 influential women in UAE society. An article in today's edition reported on the International Architects Conference held in the Exhibition Centre this week, at which there was a call for more Emirati architects to become involved in the design of buildings which are more in keeping with the culture and design sentiments of the region and the country.

The editor-in-chief is Martin Newland, former editor of the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. The business editor is former corporate finance editor of the Wall Street Journal and there are 200 other staff members, many of whom are from Europe, America, South Africa and Australia. This will hopefully provide a broad range of journalistic styles and topics of interest.

The National was launched by Abu Dhabi Media Company and is therefore funded by the government. Consequently, it is unlikely that total independence will be enjoyed by the journalists involved in this broadsheet. On the other hand, in an interview before the newspaper was launched, Martin Newland said he hoped that his team would be able to ask some pertinent questions and raise some issues which are important to residents. Present at the launch, showing his support for the initiative was Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed - a big seal of approval.

This is a newspaper that cannot be read in half an hour, which is always a good thing! Let's hope that lasts.

What documentation do I need?

One of the things that surprises and frustrates people most when planning a move to the UAE is the amount of paperwork involved in almost everything you have to do to get set up. You will have to apply for a residence visa, labour card - which require quite a few documents - driving license, liquor license (yes, you can consume alcohol here), tenancy contract (depending on your company), credit card and many other bits and pieces which make life easier - eventually!

The main documents such as the residence visa and the labour card will be taken care of by the PRO in the company you will work for. However, you need to provide the correct paperwork. The other licences and permits are either done by yourself or your PRO, depending on the company.

To assist speedy handling of your paperwork, there is some work you could do in advance of your arrival in the UAE. Your documents such as degrees, diplomas etc as well as marriage certificate, birth certificates need to be attested by the UAE embassy and stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your country. Sometimes, a future employer will contact your university or college to verify your qualifications, so you should check if you need all qualifications stamped. In addition, many people go to their local registry office or council and buy additional original birth or marriage certificates (1 or 2). To complete some applications, you will need to submit originals (these are returned with the processed document), but if you need more than one at a time, it can be useful to have a couple.

Those with children will need to bring school reports and transfer letters. The Ministry of Education here is quite strict on the level a student can enter based on age etc. A full transcript on arrival will make it easier for you to get your child successfully registered in a school. At the moment however, I would strongly recommend contacting schools well in advance of your arrival, as places in Abu Dhabi schools are very difficult to secure.

When you arrive in Abu Dhabi, you will need to copy everything about 5 times and get about 50 passport photos taken to get you started with the paperwork. There are many shops here where you can get these done quite cheaply so I would advise waiting until your arrival to get them.

It is always advisable to have a copy of your passport stored safely while your residence visa is being processed (you do not have your passport for this time), as this may be your only proof of identification.

As always, if in doubt, ask the PRO/HR person of your company to clarify the documentation needed before you arrive. It can be very costly to stamp and verify documents once you arrive here, even if you have an embassy in Abu Dhabi.

One final note: this year Ramadan (the month of fasting) will fall at the beginning of September. For those considering a move to Abu Dhabi in time for the academic year, I would recommend arriving mid August. This will ensure that you will get your paperwork started before Ramadan begins, when working hours are shorter and therefore everything takes longer to process.