Job Discussion Forums

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I remember getting a car inspected in Kuwait. He looked at it...

and waved me on.

I drove away wondering what it had to do to fail. They probably didn't want to deal with a Western female. Cool

I would disagree with uaeobserver... not his general idea, but when you get there it is SO hot and you are SO not used to it. Standing about waiting for buses and taxis in 40-50 degrees if you are unused to it can be agony.

I'd say rent a car for the first month to do your basic shopping and while learning the process. Then decide if you want to renew it or if the mass transit will work for your flat and job location.

VS

Longton · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 148

You can rent the smallest car for Dhs1,500 a month. I was at the Toyota car showroom yesterday. The cheapest new car is Dhs42,000 (Yaris Hatchback), a Yaris Sedan (1.3 engine) is around Dhs47,500 and the larger Corolla (1.8 engine) is Dhs56,000. A Fortuna 4-wheel drive (SUV) is Dhs88,000. They come with a three year warranty.

globalnomad2 · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 562

As I mentioned before, a good used car for Dh. 25,000 is possible. And I certainly don't recommend the public transport system. Clean, comfortable and efficient? Where--in Singapore? Certainly not in the UAE. In Dubai, a complicated, unwieldy bus system, ordinary diesel buses as far as I know, so not very clean, and not very efficient in terms of getting around. As VS says, you'll be standing around in 40-45 C. heat and changing buses all over town and that is not recommended. Taxis in Abu Dhabi, Ras al Khaimah and other places are cheap but not comfortable or clean.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I used the taxis for a couple months when I first got to Abu Dhabi. The main problem was that at the time we were finished at the college - around 2:00 in the afternoon - was apparently lunch/nap time. Some days it was a half hour before you even saw a taxi and this was in the middle of town on the Corniche. Shocked

For the rest of the day, they were fine.

I would never have considered using the bus system.

VS

Anna Dubaya · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 23

The first thing I did was buy a Toyota Corolla (excellent resale value) and that was a month after I got to Dubai. HSBC made it very easy to get a loan and I have not regretted the purchase ever since... I bought it new because I am not a mechanic, and the difference between a new and second-hand Corolla was minimal.