If you’re new to the capital, the chances are that you’ll be needing a few items before you’re settled and you’d rather not pay full price. If you’ve been here a while, you’re probably ready to make some space in that bulging wardrobe and maybe clear out the excess on those cluttered shelves. And if you’re getting ready to bid Abu Dhabi adieu and head back home, then there’s a long list of odds and ends that you’d love to get rid of, preferably while making some cash on the side.
The business of buying and selling personal items in Abu Dhabi has never been livelier. On Facebook alone, there are multitudes of sites dedicated to helping you nail that bargain.
This week saw the debut of the Baby Bazaar Market Day in Abu Dhabi, where mums were able to both make some money out of selling their children’s second-hand items and bag some incredible bargains shopping for their newborns’ layettes.
Even The National has got in on the action: our daily Marketplace advertises properties for rent and for sale, as well as recruitment ads, vehicles for sale, wanted ads and sections on everything from technology to lifestyle and leisure.
To make it easier for you to keep track of the abundant bargains of the capital, and to help you out with all that Christmas shopping, here’s our guide to buying and selling personal goods in the capital.
Facebook
If you’re looking to sell a washing machine, TV, table lamp or the complete Harry Potter series, begin by taking a picture of your items and uploading them on the right pages.
The most popular pages or groups to buy and sell personal items on Facebook are:
• Abu Dhabi Buy Sell Trade — an eight-foot Christmas tree, still in the box, for Dh250 will probably get sold in no time.
• Abu Dhabi Infant and Children Supplies Marketplace — someone’s looking for babyteething necklaces on there, so if you have any to sell, join this group.
• UAE Swap and Shop — there’s an outdoor waterslide for kids going for Dh500, a Ferrari car-seat with a five-point harness for Dh150 and a 2010 Honda CRV for Dh69,000.
• EY Marketplace Abu Dhabi — large, silver curry boats advertised for sale on there, each for Dh250, as well as a nifty-looking bicycle for Dh3,000.
Checking out the pages set up by your community, or in the area you live, never hurts either. For example, there’s the Reem Island Market page, the Al Reef Village group page and an Al Raha Beach group page.
Flea markets
Just over two years ago, the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort on the Corniche hosted its first indoor flea market in the Arzanah Ballroom. The market became a regular event every few months and has grown in both popularity and reputation as a treasure trove of bargains. Several of the flea markets organised by the hotel have partnered with local charities.
The next flea market is almost upon us, on November 30, from 9am to 3pm. Exhibitors can reserve a table by calling 02 677 3333 or e-mailing sheraton.abudhabi@sheraton.com.
Dubizzle
Dubizzle began as something of a Dubai institution and has since branched out to cover the entire country, as well as 10 other countries in the Middle East, including Algeria, Bahrain and Jordan. The community website has an active Abu Dhabi classifieds section where you’ll be able to easily sell anything and everything.
Personally, I've advertised numerous items on the site in my five years living in Abu Dhabi, and it has never taken more than 12 hours to receive a call from a buyer ready to make a deal. They even have a page dedicated to "free stuff"; right now, someone's looking to get rid of an aquarium, a baby cradle and several large canisters of Jordanian olive oil, all for free. Trust Dubizzle's magic abilities. Visit abudhabi.dubizzle.com.
Souq
Here’s my secret confession: my treasured pair of Louis Vuitton flats? Preloved and purchased for Dh800. And those towering Dolce & Gabbana platforms? Also preloved, and scored for Dh500. All thanks to Souq — the biggest online retailer in the Middle East.
It's kind of like eBay, but without the auctioning. Both retailers or individuals can advertise products for sale on the site and when you, the customer, decide to buy it, the item is delivered to your doorstep for a small fee. Bonus? It offers cash on delivery. Visit www.souq.com.
Bulletin boards
Never underestimate the power of a typed-at-home “For Sale” ad. The community noticeboard in Spinneys Khalidiya is a popular spot for expats looking to sell personal belongings and cars, as well as announce available language lessons, cleaning services, nannies looking for a job and so much more.
Look out for noticeboards in your place of employment; the best way to get rid of your kitchen appliances is to sell them to a newly arrived colleague desperate for a fridge.
Speciality shops
• The St Andrew’s Thrift Store, located in St Andrew’s Church in Al Mushrif, sells “quality used and unwanted goods — of all types — to raise money for charitable projects”. This is not one for sellers; the Thrift Shop thrives on donations. But for the buyer looking for a good rummage, the shop is open om Sundays from 8.30am to noon, Tuesdays at the same time as well as from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, and Fridays from noon to 2pm.
• Pipsqueak Chic is a consignment store in Al Raha Gardens that sells "quality, preloved maternity and childrenswear". It's currently on the lookout for girls' items from age six months and up to the age of 10, and boys' items from birth onwards. The best way to see the goods, or to drop off your own stash, is to book an appointment and arrange a viewing time. Visit www.facebook.com/pipsqueakchic or call 056 202 1312.
• Check out Marketplace, every day in The National. To place an ad in Marketplace, call 02 693 6666
artslife@thenational.ae
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Griselda
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
