Job Discussion Forums

[MsParker]

Even after having done quite a bit of research online, I was still surprised today (1st day of Ramadan) to be ushered out of an Ikea because it was 3:00 pm. I had checked the Ikea website before coming (and Abu Dhabi has different hours than Dubai), and had looked up the sites of some of the major shopping malls, but the Ramadan hours were either not listed, or out of date.

I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread of opening hours for Abu Dhabi shopping areas - just in the interest of not wasting time getting to places, only to discover that they are closed!

So... from today, I can tell you that:

Marina Mall, including Ikea: open from 10:00 to 3:00, 7:00 to midnight

Spinneys (just off the Corniche) bottle store: open from 1:00 - 5:00

Anyone else care to contribute?

[TABING]

Just plan on shopping all night.

[veiledsentiments]

The only shopping that I would do during Ramadhan was for food... in mid-afternoon. But, since we have all these newbies arriving and furnishing new flats, the IKEA hours are helpful. Good idea if people add more to the list of shopping centers and furniture shops.

MsParker... I'm not surprised that no one updated the websites. Every year it is like Ramadhan is a big surprise. I remember when working at one university that has been in the Middle East for close to 100 years... I had noted that the moon would be sighted over the weekend... which meant that we would switch to Ramadhan hours on the first day of the next week. So, I asked the secretary, a Muslim local if she had a copy of the schedule as I was leaving for the day. Her mouth dropped open... she quickly called administration... a rapid fire Arabic conversation followed. And... oops... they had forgotten. She promised to call me over the weekend and let me know.

Ahlan wa Sahlan to the Middle East!!

VS

[anaxiforminges]

[MrScaramanga]

This means that the store closes for an hour starting 15 minutes before dinner time because people pray at sunset and then break their fast. And this would all happen at sundown

One reason people don't know the official business hours of anything is because the times the sun comes up and sets are different every year, as Ramadan is never at the same dates. This affects everything else obviously.

MrS

[MsParker]

Thank you to all the people who have written.

I was hoping to have more specific information coming through.

Store X is open from __________ to __________.

Not all of us live in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Driving all the way to the city to run necessary errands just to find that one store is closed in the afternoon, while another may be open or have extended hours is a real waste of time.

[MrScaramanga]

You're always safe shopping in the evening, say after 9:00pm
MrS

[homeless vet]

Sounds like furnishing our villa will be even more of a challenge that I anticipated, LOL. My husband has been there for almost two weeks, the dog flies at the beginning of next week, and I get there at the end of the week.
It's been hard just coordinating the bare necessities from thousands of miles away - my husband doesn't want to buy anything I don't like because he knows from experience that I will obsess over it and then go buy what I do like.

We're still looking for a dishwasher, stove/oven (both in stainless/gray metal finish to coordinate with the kitchen and fridge we bought), a queen sized bed frame, and all of the necessary kitchen stuff (a microwave and paper plates will do for now). If you've got used stuff to sell or leads to the same, please let me know.

[veiledsentiments]

It is tough to find used this time of year because of the competition (with hundreds of new teachers). The best time to find bargains is in the spring.

One piece of advice that I would give everyone is to buy cheap stuff. You don't know how long you will be there... might be 10 years... might be 10 months. You may hate it... someone may get sick back home. I would especially avoid expensive appliances... cheap white stuff that you are happy to sell for a bargain when you go.

VS
(MsParker... I fear that good info on hours will be thin on the ground... The best approach is to plan on doing any serious shopping beyond food is to try to arrive an hour after Iftar. BTW... avoid driving in the hour before Iftar if possible. The roads can be very dangers with fasting people who are desperate to get home to prepare for prayers and breaking the fast...)

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[veiledsentiments]

This was even more obvious in the noisy chaos of Cairo. Suddenly the horns and cars would seemingly disappear... and then my local muezzin a block away would start the call to prayer. He was always first and had a wonderful voice; it would float over the strangely silent city... to be joined quickly by the calls from all directions. It is one of my most striking memories of that first year in the Muslim world. For that first Ramadhan, I would sit out on my balcony hidden by a big tree and drink my tea... also drinking in the silence... such a rare commodity in that city.

VS

[bhoove]

My Arab friends all say everyone loves Ramadan... how do westerners get in on some of that social nighttime fun?

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[bhoove]

I love naps! I think I may enjoy Ramadan after all.

[anaxiforminges]

We've got stuck in grilock traffic a few times on the 311, chock-a-block with post-Iftar revellers. The first time I almost went into a road rage fit, but by the third time I just turned the music up higher and settled in for a long drive home... Mind you, I was sitting in a taxi so no stress really...