Best for business brains
Alshabaka.me
Essentially, it’s a localised Middle-Eastern take on LinkedIn.com, whereby users create a profile, fill out details of their professional history and try their darndest to charm the socks off potential new employers. To get the most out of the site, plunder your business card collection to find associates who have also signed up, before scouring each of their connections for contacts who may be able to help you out with current business ventures or steer you on to a new career path. Needless to say, as a primarily professional tool, this isn’t the place to show off those fuzzy snaps of you and the gang out on the razz.
Best for mobile networkers
Anayou.com
A new pan-Arabian venture from telecoms company Du, Anayou launched just last year and already boasts a roster of tens of thousands of members. But what makes the site stand out is the fact that it’s the only Middle-Eastern social network to sport an iPhone app, giving you something to lighten up those dire bus journeys. There’s also an intuitive mobile syncing service, that’ll look after all your contacts and SMS messages, plus a neat games section featuring addictive time wasters that can be played against fellow users. We’ll take you down at Dragon Strike, so don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Best for activities
Meetup.com
Step out into the streets and ask a random gang of people to be your friends and it’s unlikely you’ll be greeted with anything approaching compassion. Thankfully, the digital equivalent is far less likely to earn you a slap in the chops – a fact capitalised on by this handy site. The emphasis is on outings and events – all you have to do is track down a group with interests similar to yours (anything from kayaking to simply propping up the city’s bars), request membership, and, pending approval from the group’s admin, you’re free to get involved with any of their future shenanigans.
Best for exclusivity
Internations.org
A site aimed purely at expats, InterNations prides itself on being a touch more exclusive than your average online community. Membership is by invitation only, so to get involved you’ll either have to know someone who’s already a member (send an email around your office – you’ll be surprised by how many of your colleagues are already on board) or hope your invitation request convinces the website’s moderators that you’re worthy of a profile. From here, you’re free to contact fellow expats as you see fit, and take the opportunity to explore both social and professional opportunities. On the social front, we’re talking regular nights out and expeditions in and around the city. We recently joined them for a kayaking trip around the mangrove swamps, and found them to be a friendly and welcoming bunch.
Best for new expats
Socialcirclesuae.com
A place designed for folks eager to get out into the city and meet new people. The various activity groups aside, the forums could be the most useful part of the site, with plenty of threads covering pretty much any query you might have about life in the city. Meanwhile, if you’re really stuck for something to do on a Thursday night, clicking the little chat bar at the bottom of the window brings up a list of all the members who are currently online – all doubtlessly also at a loose end. Bizarrely, all newcomers are assigned an image of Kermit the Frog as their default profile picture, so remember to upload a picture of your own ugly mug as soon as possible to avoid giving off the wrong impression.
Staying safe
• Even though arranging to meet people you’ve encountered online is a common social practice these days, you’re still advised to bring a friend with you just in case.
• All social networks include a privacy settings page, where you can keep an eye on just how much personal information you’re giving away. Make this your first stop.
• Try to choose a username that doesn’t reveal too much about you – especially avoid including your age and location.
• You should also pick a password that doesn’t reference your name, hometown or personal interests (a combination of letters and numbers is safest), else you’ll up your risk of being hacked.
