Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- AD is the country's capital city, located on a tiny island in the Arabian Gulf. Read more here (but please note: The linked article references the "Persian Gulf," which, like Israel, does not exist around these parts!)
What's it like?
Where to start . . . Hotter than hot in summer -- once it gets past 115 degrees Fahrenheit, everybody just stops counting. And huuumid! Like breathing mushroom soup instead of oxygen. From late October until April, though, it's a completely different story: Cool, breezy, in the 70's most of the time. While we don't really get rain, there are sometimes "fog days" (like snow days in the States), as well as dust storms that make it dang near impossible to go outside (also, pile sand up inside your doorway).
Fog day photo -- normally it's blue skies and sunshine all the way! (via friend Amanda)
The average income for native Emiratis is around 17 million USD (no, that's not a typo). Land Cruisers and Mercedes are to Abu Dhabi what minivans and Chevys are to the Chicago suburbs. It's not uncommon to see top-of-the-line, brand-new exclusive cars on every other street, either. (See our post on cars from the fall -- while at the Dubai Auto Show mentioned in said post, we learned that the UAE makes up at least 1/3 of Bugatti's market. Crazy!)
Dubai Auto Show, 2011
That said, native citizens make up less than 20% of the total population here. (To be a citizen, you must be born Emirati. Same is true if you want to own land or build a house. All businesses must be at least 51% Emirati-owned, too.) As for the majority of the population? It's made up of people just like yours truly, along with laborers recruited from India, parts of Africa, and the Philippines. (Learning about and discussing this aspect of life here is actually one of the most interesting and crucial parts of the experience. We won't go into detail right now, but please ask if you're interested!) This mix of cultures and people living side by side, combined with the fact that the country has only existed for 40 years, definitely make Abu Dhabi a unique place to live.
Image via
