Job Discussion Forums

[wajela]

I would appreciate any information on Fujairah Towers . Does it have underground parking, gym or swimming pool ? What are the alternatives to this as accommodation and the cost of small villas?

Thankyou for your time

[Gauguin]

Wejela, I would think long and hard about going to work in Fujairah. The pollution level from the oil refinery causes a lot of respiratory problems for many, both locals and expats. There is no western supermarket, the nearest one being in Ras Al Khamah. If you are going with HCT review previous postings and pay attention to comments about the director. Better to be prepared. Good luck.
Gauguin

[helenl]

Fujairah Towers is the tallest structure in Fujairah. The apartments are 2 or 3 bedrooms, depends on the luck of the draw and when you arrive and sometimes if you have a family/spouse coming with you - but families usually get villas.

They are large spacious apartments with windows on two sides. It does have a pool and underground parking. I think for a gym most people join the Siji hotel just down the street.

The prices of villas are increasing because people have begun to commute from Fujairah to Dubai - they get a much bigger bang for their buck. That said, if you are single, you might still have a housing allowance that would get you a smallish villa but also remember with a villa comes higher costs in terms of AC (electricity) and water. It also means you may have to deal with a recalcitrant landlord who isn't as keen on upkeep and repairs as you might like/expect - again, luck of the draw and what's available when you arrive.

There are two largish grocery stores - Lulu's (biggest) and Choithram (sometimes has Western/European items - but pricy) and then there is Giant. As Gauguin pointed out, they're not really up to a North American standard/expectation - but then none of them are in the UAE IMHO. Lulu's carries a basic selection of fruits and veg that are perfectly acceptable. I find the meat selection/offering leaves something to be desired, but you can always make a run to RAK, Sharjah, Ajman or Dubai to one of the Carrefours (still not great but more selection) and bring it back in a coolbox.

Life in Fujairah is in the eye of the beholder. I liked it here, no traffic to speak of but then not much choice in restaurants and you always meet someone from work no matter where you go. I didn't find the refinery to be a big problem for me, but yes there were others who were sensitive to its fumes (I was more affected by the heavy perfumes the students wear daily - both men and women )

The director Gauguin is referring to (and I stand to be corrected) left in June 2007 - and has been replaced by a man from HCT Abu Dhabi. I don't know much about him, but I haven't heard any complaints either.

[turtlepi1]

Any thoughts?

[wajela]

Thankyou for voicing your concerns. I have been to the UAE for 4 years but little knowledge of Fujairah accommodation. If you have anything to add in ths regard I would be grateful

[wajela]

Helen
Thankyou very much for your informative. The seconded acting Director
is a very fair man who Iam sure will mend bridges at HCT. The smog in Abu Dhabi and Dubai possibly isnt as bad as the refinery in Fujiairah , but I am looking forward to open spaces and little construction. I imagine the new highway from Sharjah to Fujairah is now finished. How long is the journey now?

[helenl]

So far as I know, the highway hasn't even got seriously underway (at least it hadn't the last time I was there - late 2007. The old road is a nightmare when the trucks are moving rock to Dubai. The tunnel road is a pleasant drive, few cars and nice new road.

I never cared for the Hilton club - too many colleagues and basically you're on display for all and sundry during your workout - not my cup of tea. The tennis club was out of my price range.

[NadiaK]

The Sharjah - Fujairah road is the tunnel road which Helenl mentions. It hasn't cut anything off the journey time, and until trucks were allowed on it, was a serious alternative to the usual route. The Fujairah - Dubai highway appears to be nowhere near completion, although I have been hearing rumours that it is under construction for some time.

Re. Hilton vs Tennis Club, I think the Tennis Club is nice, but a) quite a bit more expensive than the Hilton, and b) out of town (which is not as convenient as the Hilton if you live in the Faseel area of town, but fine if you live in the Fuj Tower end of town) - it does however pose more of a problem if you want a drink there, as you'll have to drive on the main road to get home, or hang around waiting for a called taxi to arrive (there are no passing taxis).

The Hilton prices are going up, but still cheaper than the Tennis Club. Main advantage is the beach.

The price of villas is skyrocketing. Some landlords are even asking double last year's rent for new tenants. With the lack of available new apartments (no electricity) and the mushrooming population, housing is becoming a problem (although, I believe, nowhere near on the scale of Dubai or AD).

Gotta say, I'm with Helenl on this one - I like Fujairah. But you may call me weird if you like.

[helenl]

NadiaK - there was a proposal 2/3 years ago to build a 3rd road from Sharjah to Fujairah - I think the main reasons were to get all the big trucks off the road that travels via Dhaid.

However, it has never really got started (they'll have to blast through more mountains in order to accomodate the trucks). Sharjah comes up with these brainwaves every so often but the follow through is spotty.

[wajela]

The Tennis Club has a comprehensive web site and it will cost 1000 + 4000 for the first year if I were to join. Perhaps the corporate discount would be worth considering or invite a friend as a couple has a much cheaper rate than a single.The facilities look impressive but this is more a general enquiry at present.
Are there townhouses with shared pool and amenities?

I have lived apartment style for four years and was wondering what tfhe alternatives are. Underground parking is crucial and a landlord who maintains the building.

In the Fujairah Towers ,how many bathrooms/ensuites are in the 2 and 3 bedroom configurations? Are they well maiintained and quiet? i know a couple of local families and was considering asking them to assist in sourcing accommodation as an alterative to what may be provided.

Would you recommend hiring a car locally for the first two or three months or organising it from Dubai where the prices are more competitive?

How far along in the construction phase is the Safeer Mall? I believe this will be quite a large western style mall.

Thanks for the valuable information.

[meteacher]

Fujairah is increasing in size by the day. There are new developments popping up all over the place but the problem is a lack of electricity for new residential blocks.

Fujairah Tower has nice 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. The 3 bedrooms are obviously more spacious with a large kitchen, dining/living area, cloakroom + 2 other bathrooms (I think?!)

Tennis Club is highly overpriced. Coroporate discount not worth it. HCT have already taken up the corporate discount for some members but I think it's only a 10% discount for every 20 people or so.

Accommodation in general is becoming more and more difficult to find now as new accommodation being built is faced with the difficulty of having no electricity until the new power station is built. The most popular buildings are the FUjairah Tower, UNB Building, the new building by Lulu and the building above the billiards club. They have the nicest apartments but prices have increased dramatically lately and you can now expect to pay about 40 - 50,000 AED per year +. Most of these building are serviced by an in house maintenance provider. I know that the Fuj Tower has their own guys who do all the work.

Local car hire is a better idea than renting from Dubai. Although DUbai does offer good rental rates, it is usually cheaper in FUjairah as you are able to get good discounts/haggle with the company.

Safeer Mall - on the way but still nowhere near finished. Probably by the end of 2008.

New Fujairah Highway to Dubai - nowhere near finished. It will run through Al Khail and Ferfar but so far they have just started clearing mountains, etc. It will be a long time but is estimated to take only 40 minutes to get to DUbai once completed. Only routes to Dubai are through Al Dhaid (about 1hr 15 minutes) to Deira area or the Kalba road (same sort of timing).

I personally loved my time in Fujairah. There is such a mix of people and yes, you do tend to bump into people you work with but it has a nice feel about it and is quite homely.

[kaw]

I had a terrrible experience in the Fujairah Tower as did several people put in the apartment before me - the smell in there was disgusting, the bathroom off the main bedroom leaked constantly and the place just felt like a prison cell - small and dark.
Saying that I had many colleagues who were in the tower and had no problems at all and really liked it.
It did have its advantages - the gym was nice enough and the views over the town were great, there is a pool - though very small but with the Hilton just down the road you can't really complain.

The building meteacher mentioned - the new one near Lulu is fabulous - the apartments there are very large and have a lot of natural light. The disadvantages though are that while it does have a pool it hasn't been fiinished and isn't ready for swimming in, it's also very overlooked; the gym isn't ready and there are some maintenance issues.

Fujairah though as a whole is in my opinion a nice place to live especially if you're not into the bright lights, big city scene.

[adorabilly]

I have several friends who will be in Fuj this February and they have asked me some questions to which I do not know the answer.

Is it a dry emirate? Where can you get alcohol for personal consumption, and can you get beer or other adult beverages at any resturants?

I think the hilton and rotana have alcohol, but I am not sure as I generally don't drink.

and quote
"are there any worthwhile places to visit while there for a week?"

[freesoul]

if you are into diving, there's a good diving centre in the nearby Oceanic Hotel in Khorfakkan.

[helenl]

There is an alcohol outlet behind the hotel at the end of the blue umbrella beach (once you see the umbrellas you'll know exactly where it is - there's only one small hotel there just before the petrol station on your way out of town going north) For more variety (and there is little to choose from in Fujairah) you can make a trip to the Barracuda (everyone can tell you how to get there) about 1.5 +/- hrs away.

The problem with both is that you will not be able to get an alcohol permit in Fujairah (and each emirate issues their own, including Sharjah, which IS dry) So far as I know, Fujairah never got around to setting up a liquour permit system so while booze is available at the bottle shop and elsewhere in UAE - you technically cannot legally buy it and transport back to your residence, so if you're involved in even a minor fender bender and the cops spot the hooch you may have some real legal problems.

That said, if you're teaching at the FMC HCT - make some contacts with the male students who are also policemen. I've known some colleagues who have had minor traffic accidents (not involving booze) and their students have been very helpful to have come to the scene - if only for their ability to understand the language and explain it to you.

You can buy a drink at the Siji, Hilton and Rotana in town as well as some of the less desirable establishments (these latter offer female entertainment as well as booze).