Services & Utilities

Main water supply is expensive in Abu Dhabi, especially when using large amounts for gardens and topping up swimming pools, households are urged to be responsible in their usage.

  • Oasis 02 558 2030
  • Masafi 02 673 2929
  • Awafi 02 555 2280
  • ADWEA www.adwea.ae/en

SERVICES & UTILITIES

GAS
There is no mains gas supply serving Abu Dhabi, individual gas cylinders can be purchased and attached to cooking appliances through an attachment from the exterior of the house. Gas supply trucks roam the residential areas awaiting your call and operate from early morning until late evening.

Even though gas has increased in price in recent times it is still far less expensive than electricity.
Gas Suppliers

  • Al Rawais Industrial Gas 02 555 9295
  • Zubair Gas Distribution 02 679 2205

Rubbish Disposal & Recycling

Rubbish bins are provided by Abu Dhabi Municipality and are located on the residential streets, waste collection happens on a daily basis. Unfortunately these bins sometimes attract stray cats and other creatures…. If you experience such problems call Abu Dhabi Municipality 888 500 and they will deal with it.

Newer residential areas have a door to door rubbish collection system. Recycling collection centres are generally located at supermarkets/ shopping centre car parks and near many schools.
Children are being made more aware of global issues and the importance of recycling through the educational system.

POSTAL SERVICE

There is no door to door postal service in Abu Dhabi, the postal system is run by Emirates Post and works on a P.O. Box system.

One can apply for a personal P.O Box or many expatriates simply have their post delivered to their company mail box.

To apply for a P.O Box - fill out an application form, pay an annual fee of 270 Dirhams and you will be given a set of keys to access your individual box.

Emirates Post will subsequently notify you of registered mail or parcels received to your mail box and for a small fee will deliver to your door.   www.emiratespost.com

Stamps can be bought at some local shops and in post offices, red post boxes marked Emirates Post are located near local shops and shopping malls. Mail within the UAE takes 2-3 days, mail takes 7-8 days to USA and Europe and 8 days to reach Australia.

Emirates Post also offer a courier service for both local and international deliveries, delivery times are guaranteed and packages may be tracked. There are several other courier companies in Abu Dhabi, offering fast efficient service and reliability of delivery both nationally and internationally.

Public Transport (See also transport)

Public bus service in Abu Dhabi is infrequently used by the expatriate community, even though as traffic congestion and carbon footprint becomes more of an issue it is hoped a shift in association may occur. Air conditioned bus shelters are being installed around the city in effort to make the service more attractive, however bus routes are not always clear and time schedules can be erratic.
Public Taxis in Abu Dhabi are readily available and they provide a relatively cheap, efficient way to travel . They now operate on a satellite tracking system, where once you register your physical address, you can book automatically. They are all metered. Contact TransAD 600 53 353 www.transad.ae

DOMESTIC HELP

Domestic help is inexpensive in Abu Dhabi and many households choose to have live in help. In most incidences a maid will cook, clean and babysit, however this is very much down to the employers needs.

Legally a maid has to be sponsored by her / his employer, this involves paying for their visa, health card (both yearly renewal) along with a monthly salary of 1500dhs to 2000dhs and a holiday repatriation ticket every two years.

Contracts are now in place to ensure fair treatment of the employee and also to protect the interests of the employer. Domestic help is best sought through recommendation from friends or colleagues and forwarding references are essential before hiring someone.

If a full time live in maid is not required then there are several companies who offer part time help payable on an hourly basis, depending on your needs. This service will drop off at your house and pick up after their agreed hours are completed.

  • Solutions 02 641 9227
  • Clean Plus Services 02 678 9216
  • Delight Cleaning Services 02 678 9216

The same principles apply to house boys or drivers, in the case of a driver one needs to assess driving skills and ensure driving licence is up to date.

BABY- SITTING/CHILD CARE

Options are limited in this area, either find a maid you are very comfortable leaving your child with, another parent maybe willing to take care of your child for payment (best achieved by word of mouth, as this service is not advertised in Abu Dhabi) www.abudhabimums.ae  is a good bet, or enquire at your local nursery as classroom assistants sometime take on extra work.

DOMESTIC SERVICES

Maintenance work on properties is usually carried out by one of the Maintenance Companies, for rented properties the maintenance is normally paid for by the landlord. The tenant will be responsible for small repairs such as light bulbs during the tenancy.

Contracts are available and as the population of Dubai has grown many companies now only deal with those who have contracts with them. They generally charge on an hourly basis and quality of workmanship is normally of a high standard.

  • Hitches & Glitches 800 426 34
  • Howdra 04 285 9187
  • Burooj 04 288 7665