Life’s complaints dissolve by the beachside. Abu Dhabi’s premier strolling experience is interrupted only occasionally by biking children. Prices are high, sea views are frequent, and Marina Mall’s a major draw. Your weekends are spent tanning, half-asleep. Bliss.
Average rent Dh95,000.
Khalidiya
Close to the Corniche and studded with shops and shisha bars, Khalidiya is a family-friendly outpost of parks and new high-rise apartment blocks. This relaxed, upmarket area is home to Spinneys and a number of high-end car showrooms.
Average rent Dh100,000
Al Wahda
“Have it all and more”, says a large sign outside Wahda Mall, inviting you inside. This is Al Wahda’s pulsing heart, surrounded by hazardous roads and a wide variety of restaurants. There are more scenic parts of the world, but prices are reasonable.
Average rent Dh75,000.
Tourist Club
Neon lights and traffic and bustle – or about as much of these as Abu Dhabi can offer – come with noise, nightclubs and crowds. Shops are plentiful and restaurants many, but parking scarce and stressful. Hotels lure tourists, unsurprisingly. Abu Dhabi Mall’s your local, all-purpose emporium.
Average rent Dh55,000.
Al Reem
Still a work in progress, the island already offers many new and attractive apartments. Reem is home to a Waitrose, and in a few years will be a thriving mixed-use area. In the meantime, it has a large number of swimming pools per capita.
Average rent Dh80,000 – 110,000
Khalifa City A
Well, it’s not much to look at – two long strips of road lined by villas and shops – but as a cheap commuter suburb for the frugal motorist, it’s an excellent way to swap proximity to Abu Dhabi for low rents and big rooms.
Average rent Dh45,000
Al Raha Beach
The calm of a beachside commuter community can be had within close proximity to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Shops, luxury apartments, and private beaches individuate Raha – an area that has dramatically increased in popularity over the last few years.
Average rent Dh103,000.
Al Reef
A complex of villas and apartments between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Yas Island, Al Reef is Manazel’s purpose-built community of affordable but high quality apartments, for commuters who want their money to be spent on design, not on proximity to Abu Dhabi’s centre.
Average rent Dh65,000
Saadiyat Island
Soon to be home to NYU AD, the Louvre, Guggenheim and Zayed museums, Saadiyat sees the city’s Pretty Young Things spend big and live in glamour. If you’re flush with liquid assets, a playground of high-end real estate and exclusive beaches awaits. Dress sharply.
Average rent Dh110,000
Al Muroor
Between Jones the Grocer, a Spinneys and LuLu Hypermarket, residents enjoy a range of middle-class comforts. Cupcake shops dot the streetsides, while Al Wahda and Mushrif malls are a short car-ride away. Several apartment blocks are set away from the roadside, but one bedroom flats are hard to come by.
Average rent Dh75,000
