It's been a decade since I moved to Abu Dhabi from the US. What began as an adventure into the unknown in 2014 has turned into finding a place I now call home.
Over the past 10 years, the city has impressed me with its tremendous growth in various ways. When I first arrived in the UAE capital, hangout spots such as Al Qana, Yas Bay and Mamsha didn’t exist.
Hailing a taxi meant standing outside and waving my arms, and shopping online was far more challenging – especially when trying to find specific things from different countries.
These days, ease and convenience are just a couple of things the emirate can proudly boast. But if you’re like me and still remember how things felt a decade ago, you might be considered an Abu Dhabi old-timer, a badge of honour that comes with its own set of telltale signs.
Here are 10 ways to recognise if you’ve earned it.
You’ve seen a film at El Dorado Cinema
Abu Dhabi’s first indoor cinema opened in 1970 and was known for its pink and blue neon lights that brightened Electra Street for decades. Named after a Beirut theatre, the standalone movie house sadly closed in 2017. But for those who remember, it was the place to go for Bollywood films. If you’ve been here long enough, you might have been lucky to catch some other screenings too.
You’ve eaten at Le Boulanger Marina Cafe
The cafe on the Corniche biking track was a place that was popular for watching football or enjoying shisha. However, the best part of the French-themed cafe was easily its location, which offered magnificent views of the Abu Dhabi skyline. It was also a familiar sight to anyone who drove to Marina Mall. Sadly, it has since closed with very little signs left of what used to be.
You paid your phone bill at an Etisalat store
It’s hard to remember when things switched over from in-person payments to online transactions. But there used to be a time when you were alerted that your bill was due and you would have to stand in line at the mall in front of the store and wait before being able to pay it.
You remember when Galleria Mall was just for high-end shopping
There was a time when The Galleria was known only for its luxury shopping brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Cartier and Versace. In 2019, the mall also added a four-level extension and brought in other stores such as Kinokuniya, Zara and Lululemon. These days, it even has an upgraded name, going by The Galleria Al Maryah Island.
You used to order on souq.com
Amazon didn’t always exist in the UAE. However, that doesn’t mean that online shopping wasn’t available, as souq.com was the main e-commerce platform. Eventually souq.com was officially rebranded as amazon.ae in 2019 after Amazon bought it for $580 million in July 2017.
You’ve been to Tiara Revolving Restaurant
Looking like an alien spaceship, Tiara was a revolving restaurant that offered bird's-eye panoramic views of Abu Dhabi from a height of 126 metres. No longer in business, it was a notable structure that stood tall on top of Marina Mall.
You had to call to book a taxi
These days, it’s easier than ever to hail a ride-sharing app, but there used to be a time when the only ways to do it were either by standing outside waving your arms (not ideal during the summer) or by calling on the phone and booking a ride.
You went to the Corniche when it was just a beach
The Abu Dhabi corniche now has a stunning boardwalk that includes children’s play areas, cycling and pedestrian pathways, cafes and restaurants, making it the place to be when the weather cools down. But unsurprisingly, there was a time when it used to just be sand and sea. The addition of the new attractions has given the area new life, though.
You would go to iStyle for anything Apple-related
Despite Apple’s popularity, the first Apple Store didn’t arrive in the UAE until it opened branches in 2015 at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall. These days, there are stores that can be found throughout the country but before then, iStyle was the official authorised reseller. This means that for anything Apple-related, it was iStyle that would be the place to go. A bonus point if you remember going to the iStyle on the top floor of Al Wahda Mall.
You’ve seen a concert at Emirates Palace grounds
In the past few years, Etihad Arena has hosted an impressive line-up that includes the musical Hamilton, the NBA Games and concerts from the likes of Maroon 5 and the Backstreet Boys. But there was a time when the big shows would be at one place: the grounds of Emirates Palace. Celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna have all performed at the five-star hotel in front of more than 10,000 fans.
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
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