Getting things done in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Go into any good bookshop and you'll find a stack of tomes dedicated to other countries, you may even find a couple of phrase books while you are ferreting around in the same section.
Most things that you pick up to read about Abu Dhabi are usually pretty good, but what if you (like us) have decided to MOVE not just VISIT this fine emirate?

A guide to cheap hotels is fine - a guide to life here is even better.

We picked up a few books, and borrowed a few more and found that alot of them are strong on advertising and light on any new information..

Abu Dhabi Explorer is the exception - it's a cracker, and we would have been lost without it, it's available all over the place here in AD, but if you want to be ahead of the game when you arrive, you can purchase them from all large bookstores in other countries.

Really, I wish we had purchased this one first, as it's the only book we constantly refer back, the others do nothing but take up space in the bookshelf.

I've included 2 links for each of the AMAZON sites - one is the just released, fresh off the press, ink still drying version that will be available shortly, the other is the version that we have faithfully thumbed through for the last year. I really recommend getting the 2009 edition (for obvious reasons) BUT if you want to get a feel for what the book is like, the 2008 edition can be purchased relatively cheaply through the other link.

UK readers:
2009 edition - - - - - 2008 edition.

US and Worldwide folk:
2009 edition - - - - - 2008 edition.

Language.

Another book that has helped us alot is "Gulf Arabic" - it was first published in 2001 and has had multiple reprints since, I'll bang on about it more when I have completed the languages post - but it's a good one. The link I've provided below is the edition that includes the partner CD to help out with pronunciation etc. Just whack it in the CD player of your car, and away you go.

Gulf Arabic is good resource book, because it refers to localised colloquialisms and subtleties that are easy to miss, or not included in generic Arabic language learning programs (see language post). Short but useful dictionary, and deals with the key element of any language - how to be polite.

UK Site

USA - Worldwide