Electricity and water
Never mix electricity and water, our electrocution-aware parents used to tell us. It is a message that escaped the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Department (ADWEA). To get connected, head to any ADWEA office with your ADWEA number (found on your front door frame for apartments, or your gate if you’re in a villa), copies of your passport, tenancy agreement and a deposit of either Dhs1,000 for an apartment or Dhs2,000 for a villa.
Bills are calculated by monthly meter readings and payment issued to Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC). Payment can be done in two ways – the bank or through the postal service. But be forewarned, you will need to make sure the bank you are paying through has an agreement with ADDC or you’re going to hate yourself for wasting precious time standing in line only to be turned away because the bank doesn’t accept ADDC payments.
The electricity supply in Abu Dhabi is 220/240 volts and sockets are generally the three-pin British version. If you have an appliance with a two-pin plug, buy an adaptor from Carrefour or Ace Hardware. Water from taps is desalinated sea water. It’s safe to drink, but most people buy it bottled, as it is very cheap. Many people buy a water cooler for use with five gallon bottles as a convenient and economical solution. Water suppliers will deliver refill bottles to your door. Some provide prepaid coupons, so you don’t have to be at home when they deliver or brave the desert heat – you can just leave the empty bottle and a coupon outside your door.
Air conditioning
If you happen to move into the older villas in the district, chances are you will have to depend on setting up air conditioning units on your own and charges will be billed to ADWEA. If you are extremely unlucky and your cooling unit breaks down, then you’ll need to find a repair company. Try York Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Inc (02 641 4277) or Amiron Nahar Central a/c Maintenance Est (02 671 6408). Most of the new developments in Abu Dhabi are connected to a district cooling plant in the area. You will need to pay a one off service connection fee based on the area you live in, and pay monthly consumption charges based on how much you use. You can also choose a more flexible option which includes an annual capacity charge and a consumption charge if you use more than the capacity you’ve paid for.
Gas
There is no gas main in Abu Dhabi, so you have to buy individual canisters if you have a gas cooker. Those trucks rattling round town like little weapons of mass destruction will deliver to your door and connect/re-fill a canister for you. A new one costs about Dhs250 – but a refill costs a modest Dhs75. Delivery firms include: Al Ruwais Industrial Gases (02 555 9295) and Zubair Gas Distribution (02 679 2205).
Phone and internet
It’s either a blessing or a curse, but Abu Dhabi residents aren’t spoiled for choice when it comes to telecoms. There are two companies operating in the UAE: du and Etisalat. Both offer mobile packages as well as internet deals; however Etisalat is the only company to provide landlines in the capital, though the costs aren’t too outrageous, and landline to landline calls are free. To install a landline, you must provide a completed application form, a copy of your passport and residence visa, a no objection letter from your sponsor and pay Dhs245.
Connection will usually take around three days. Etisalat continues the monopoly as the only one to provide internet access through their subsidiary Emirates Internet & Media (EIM). If you want to connect, visit an Etisalat outlet and bring along a copy of your passport and residence visa. The main Etisalat building is located on Airport Road and there’s another outlet at the Khalidiyah location beside Spinneys. Once you’re all connected, paying bills is less of a chore than you might imagine. Bills are paid monthly; aside from going directly to Etisalat, you can do a smooth transaction online or via the telephone with most major banks.
TV
If you’re a western expat with a fondness for television, local channels will be a crushing, if not amusing, disappointment. The few channels available show a questionable array of entertainment. It’s fair to say if you have coach potato tendencies, you will be picking up your newly connected landline and calling a satellite service provider within the first week of settling in. Try Showtime (04 367 7888; www.showtimearabia.com) or Orbit (02 633 3377; www.orbit.net).
There is a beacon of light for sports fans, however. Though it’s still not known whether a pay-per-view will come into play, Abu Dhabi TV recently bought the rights to screen all English Premiership League games. This should kick off with games from the 2009-2010 season.
Rubbish disposal and recycling
Abu Dhabi has a good rubbish disposal system, with Municipality trucks emptying skips practically every night. If you have a villa, there will be skips on each street while apartments have central rubbish chutes. Due to the searing summer heat and the absence of lids in many cases, dumpster bins can very quickly turn into overflowing, stinking havens for street cats and rats. Call the Municipality on (800 555) if there are any problems. Recycling is (very) slowly catching on. There are points near government buildings and large hotels. Look for the green bins. The Centre of Waste Management in Abu Dhabi is in the process of revamping waste collection in Abu Dhabi to provide recycling services to residents and businesses. For tips on how to reduce your waste at home or any other questions, phone (02 642 4660; www.cwm.ae).
Post
There is currently no door-to-door postal delivery service in Abu Dhabi. All post is delivered to a PO Box address and it usually takes around two to three days to receive. For convenience, many expats simply give their work PO Box details. But it is possible to set up your own. You need to apply in person at the Abu Dhabi Central Post Office (0 2 6211611).
Cargo from abroad and storage
There are a number of companies that can take care of the entire process of importing your stuff. Air freight will be easier since it’s faster, while sea freight (which means your items are shipped in hefty metal boxes) tends to take months. Using an agency can help things along. Try UG Freight Services LLC Phone (02 677 7388), Maltrans Cargo – Al Kunaiby Shipping Agencies (02 632 6395)) or Cargo LLC (02 676 2530).
Removals
Abu Dhabi is full of casual removal firms or ‘man with a van’ set ups. Check classified listings in local newspapers or ask around. It may be worth photographing expensive items for a record of their condition, but smaller outfits don’t tend to come with insurance. It is generally worth spending a bit extra and using well-known firms.
