To want to go to Abu Dhabi?

[ReturnoftheWhack]

Ok.

Here's the deal. A good friend of mine is living in Abu Dhabi teaching in a primary school and living on a western compound. She wants me to go and stay with her, I'd bloody love to. Thinking of three or four days in February.

Here's the sticking point.

DH is super scared by tales of terrorism, ISIS, threats etc. Currently doesn't want me to take kids to London due to perceived danger.

What are your experiences of Abu Dhabi? Do you consider it to be a dangerous place at the moment? Anyone got some facts I can throw at him?! This isn't a case of him not allowing me to go, I'll pay for myself out of my own money...he just worries, and that comes from a good place. How harsh would I be to just go anyway? To be honest, I'm desperate for a break. I've got two kids, 2 and 5, I work full time...the idea of a kid free few days is just blissful.

There are a few of us female HSE but the others are all American. I am so happy to meet somewhere who knows about Zikreet! It's coming up to flamingo season as well

Oh please get over yourselves!
" I wouldn't go anywhere near the middle east if I were you" you can stay in your little bubble of stupidity!

It's perfectly safe, the people are very friendly and helpful.
Go enjoy yourself, have fun and tell your DH to not get too caught up in the bull that's being spewed everywhere.

My friend went travelling alone around the middle east last year, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar. She had a great time and made loads of friends, initially through an organisation called Internations.

On her recommendation, I'm going to Abu Dhabi for my honeymoon and expecting to have a wonderful time.

Where are you staying Faithless?

Glad to see plenty of people taking sense.

Looking forward to your trip report OP, you'll have a great time!

Travel fan, Jumeiraih Etihad towers can't wait, I'm not used to that kind of luxury, but think I'll probably manage it!

This thread has made me so angry.

Its ignorant people like your husband that perpetuate the terror that groups like IS are trying to bloody well create.

AD is perfectly safe. It's fairly western and its a beautiful place full of lovely people.

As for London - luckily we manage quite well here without people like your paranoid DH creating worry that just doesn't need to be there.

Tell your DH to get a bloody grip.

Oh and good luck raising your kids without fear given his ridiculous stance.

It's a few years since I've been but AD is lovely, definitely go if you have such a great opportunity.

Abu Dhabi is famous for its human rights abuses. It's a vile regime: torture and flogging are legal punishments. Apart from that I'm sure it's a delightful place for a holiday.

Faithless, hope youve booked a club room,if you havent, you need to!
Fabulous hotel for adults.

Blimey Hysterectical what parts of London did you visit? And for the record as a Londoner I just want to say I am not a twat who thinks they are trendy

whoever it was found AD culture free and soulless managed to entirely miss some of the most significant investment into the arts anywhere worldwide... It's not the Louvre and the Guggenheim not big enough for you?! the mangroves not beautiful enough? the sand dunes too sandy?
I loved it. Didn't go a single glass skyscraper and only skirted the F1 to hop onto a boat.

I live in Dubai and In the last year I cancelled a trip to Paris and put off a summer trip to London with the kids due to security fears and I think I need to get over myself, I actually feel safest here to be honest, go to AD the weather will be perfect

Thatdoesntsurpriseme, erm, rude much?

Actually, DH works in London. Daily.

And my kids will be fine, thanks for the interest though.

I'm another ex-Doha person, was only there for a year as a trailing spouse though. Felt totally safe in the region in terms of crime and terrorism. I'd visit without a second thought.

Abu Dhabi is amazing. Go! We love it there.

Zikreetdreaming you live in al ain - one of my favourite places in all the world! in the last 9 years I've visited at least once a month...my husband even published a book about it (outs self).

you are blessed to live there.

oh and Prawnofthepatriarchy i find your statement fascinating. how long did you take to find it on google? or is this based on actual real life experience?

thecatsclinkers - I certainly am blessed to live in Al Ain! It's fantastic - chilled and generally full of nice people (I think it helps having such an Omani influence) and so much less materialistic than Dubai/AD. In theory it's more conservative than Doha but I can't ever imagine a woman in a niqab coming up to in a mall and shouting at you because she thought you were showing too much knee (as has happened to a few people I know in Doha). Plus it now has one of the best schools in the UAE now.

I want to know what the book is!

Flogging is a legal punishment in the UAE though isn't it? Only for certain crimes (hudud crimes) and Muslims and fairly rare but it exists. I have a friend who got a choice between 50 lashes or deportation in Doha and chose the lashes (but he only got one in the end).

What was his crime Zikreet if you don't mind me asking?

Faithless, you will have a wonderful time at Jumeirah Etihad Towers. There's a Waitrose downstairs should you forget your toothbrush

Sex and city 2 is def in Abu Dhabi

It is meant to be Abu Dhabi but it is not. It is Morocco as it stood for Abu Dhabi in the film.

I was there is Sidi Kaouki when the film crew showed up. Google it.

My cousin lives there. She has a great life and loads of friends and family visit. My brother lives in Turkey and the same goes for them. You can't spend your whole life worrying about terrorist.

Drunk and disorderly (he went aggro on a bouncer) - it will have officially been for being intoxicated I think. This is Qatar not AD.

I've been aware of the human rights profile of Abu Dhabi for years, thecats. I get that some people work there but find it hard to understand choosing to spend your holiday in a place where people are being tortured and foreigners are "disappeared". I wouldn't go if you paid me very handsomely.

I make a point of only spending holidays in places where I can feel at least somewhat at ease about how the locals are living. I appreciate this may seem odd, but if more people felt the same these vile regimes would lose the money they get from tourism and it might encourage them to improve matters.