Are you excited about the F1?
Louise Arnold, teacher (England)
‘I’d like to see it, but haven’t looked into getting tickets. We lived fairly near Brandshatch in England, where they used to hold the F1. We never went, but with it being in Abu Dhabi, where there are not so many events, it gets people more excited. I’ve even got friends who are coming here from abroad just for the Grand Prix – not to see me (laughs), but for the F1. So it should bring in lots more visitors, then people will probably return afterwards.’
Rudi du Plessis, wakeboard instructor (South Africa)
‘Hopefully I’ll be at the F1 event itself, either as a paying spectator in the grandstands or a spectator on a Tigé boat moored in the marina itself. If I can’t do this I’ll be out wakeboarding in the morning and back home in time to watch the qualifying and the race on the TV at home.’
The consensus
We stumbled across few Dhabians actually going. The general feeling was that most people really wanted to see it, but hadn’t done anything about it yet. Some were concerned by the price, but our favourite response came from Brit Keith Moseley, who declared: ‘When I have a day off, I have a day off,’ which presumably means a ceasing of all motor functions. We salute you, sir.
How will F1 affect the city?
Nick Yates, university teacher (Australia)
‘A lot more tourists will come to the city; there’ll be a lot more traffic on the roads – like we need more! – and maybe a better vibe in the city for a bit.’
Katelijne Ribbink, housewife (Holland)
‘In a very positive way. It’ll put Abu Dhabi on the world map, I think. It means lots of tourism and attention for the city. It’ll be broadcast globally, so it’s good promotion.’
Keith Moseley, structural glazier (England)
‘It’s good for this place. It’s got to bring something in. But if it brings in any more traffic everything is going to come to a standstill.’
The consensus
Yes, you guessed it – traffic was the main concern. Forget 600 million people tuned into our little city and an influx of tourist dollars. We generally don’t care as long as we can drive down Salaam Street. So we wondered: are people aware that the city is changing?
Is Abu Dhabi changing?
Hicham, IT engineer (UAE)
‘Whatever is happening here, it is still going to carry some of the traditions of Abu Dhabi, and I think that is a good thing. It’s not going to change 100 per cent. It’s going to keep some of its values. It will open up in that a lot of people will come – but we are still more conventional than Dubai. If you open up everything then some people get annoyed and you divide more than you group people together.’
Ahmed Fahal, sales representative (Syria)
‘I think it’s starting already with the F1 and all of the cultural buildings and events that are coming. However, while people will come and see the Louvre and Guggenheim, the lifestyle in Dubai is better. We still hold to the traditions a bit more here. Abu Dhabi has always been a quiet city; Dubai has all the festivals, parties and DJs. No matter what you say about Dubai, Abu Dhabi still doesn’t have that yet. There are not even a lot of concert venues. Everything happens in Emirates Palace.’
The consensus
A brief note of Dhabi patriotism surged through expats and nationals alike with this question. The mood was distinctly positive, particularly among expats, although old Dhabi-Dubai rivalries did rear their heads. It naturally led to the one question which lurks at the back of any debate between the two cities. With Abu Dhabi starting to exert its pull on tourists, is it becoming like Dubai?
With big events such as the F1 coming to the city, is Abu Dhabi becoming more like Dubai?
Ghada Hassawi, teacher (Lebanon)
‘No, it cannot. Dubai is a famous city in its own right, so Abu Dhabi cannot take from Dubai just as Dubai cannot take from Abu Dhabi. Both have their own identity and events and it should stay that way.’
Rodrigo Ebbe, radiographer (Phillipines)
‘People from around the world will see Abu Dhabi on TV. Abu Dhabi is now gaining its momentum and is gradually getting more known than Dubai. Yes, during the Formula One, people will come here, but Dubai is so well known that I think, even though Abu Dhabi is getting greater, tourists will still go to Dubai.’
Alain Kropf, general manager (Swiss)
‘I think they have completely different agendas. Abu Dhabi is developing towards building culture, education and healthcare. It’s a little less cheesy.’
The consensus
A resounding ‘no’ then. The response was either that it shouldn’t or it couldn’t, with most sitting on the fence or wielding that time-worn expat cynicism. A few whispered cautious notes of optimism. ‘Maybe the little brother is stepping out from the big brother’s shadow?’ said Aussie Nick Yates. But seasoned expats mostly took the long view, citing cultural differences. So we decided to end on a positive note.
What events would you like to see in the city?
Unni, project engineer (India)
‘I would like to see an international circus or something more family orientated. Also, every year Dubai has a shopping festival. Abu Dhabi doesn’t really have anything of that magnitude. If something of that scale came it would be good for tourists and the general public.’
Ryuji Nagaie, sales and marketing (Japan)
‘I’d like to see the World Cup, but it’d be difficult for the organisers, I think.’
Alau Fouad, computer scientist (Palestine)
‘I’d like to see the Olympics more than the World Cup. I don’t think they could handle it here, though. We already have a problem here with the roads.’
The consensus
The World Cup quickly established itself as the frontrunner, only to be matched stride for stride by the Olympics. But spare a thought for some of the more specialist answers, such as ‘a decent opera season’, ‘better Halloween celebrations’ (think bigger), ‘the World Youth Football Cup’ (seriously, think bigger!) and ‘Ronan Keating’ (sigh…).
