Getting Settled

Furnishing your home:

IKEA is a godsend for people looking to stock up on cheap homeware, and  the store at Yas Island carries the same cut-price furnishings, textiles and other domestic knick-knacks you’ve doubtless encountered before. Nefertiti, a used furniture store with branches in Khalidiya and Mina, is a great alternative for anyone looking to pick up big pieces at good prices. The store’s stock can be browsed online (www.useditemsuae.com) with bed and mattress combos available for around Dhs600 if you know how to haggle – they’ll even deliver the same day and assemble everything for you. For those with more cash to splash, Abu Dhabi Mall has outlets of THE One, Marina, Bo Concept and The White Company.

Laundry:

Landlords willing to supply a washing machine with your accommodation are few and far between, so it’s just as well that there are laundry shops on practically every street in the city. These ubiquitous outlets – sometimes no more than a hole in the wall – will wash and iron a T-shirt for around Dhs3, while underwear is usually Dhs2 and bigger, dry-clean only items come in at around Dhs12. Best of all though, most will happily pick up your soiled goods and deliver them back to your door, ready to wear, within two days.

Domestic help:

Those in need of a maid have two options. Hiring a live-in maid is fraught with legal issues, meaning it’s best to consult the Ministry of Labour (878 1134, www.mol.gov.ae) for clarification if you’re not familiar with the process. But as a general guide, you should be prepared to pay a full-time maid a minimum wage of Dhs1,500 a month and Dhs5,000 for their residence visa per year, plus the cost of return airfare to their country of origin every two years. Part-time help is the second, much cheaper option, with only an hourly rate of around Dhs30, plus your maid’s cab fare to your home, to worry about. In both cases, domestic help agencies Clean Plus Services (645 6800) and InterCare Cleaning (633 0293) should be able to help you out, or for part-time help, keep an eye on the classified sections of local newspapers.

Child care:

Babysitters can be hired for around Dhs30 per hour, with various services advertised in the classified sections of newspapers and supermarket noticeboards. However, since first aid and childcare qualifications are not a legal requirement for babysitters in the UAE, it’s advisable to hire based on recommendation. No friends with babysitter experience? Get in touch with Abu Dhabi Mums (www.abudhabimums.ae), a community of mothers based in the city who’ll be happy to put you in touch with a trustworthy carer. Alternatively, Jigsaw Nursery & Creche (www.jigsawnurseryad.com) has locations in Karama and Mohammed Bin Zayed City and will gladly take care of your little ones for around Dhs20 an hour.

Landlords willing to supply a washing machine with your accommodation are few and far between, so it’s just as well that there are laundry shops on practically every street in the city.

Listings::

IKEA Yas Island: 493 5888

The classic Swedish flat-pack furniture giant is a reliable source for cheap furniture, and fortunately is thriving in Abu Dhabi.

BoConcept

Sheikh Zayed 1st Street, Khalidiya (639 6545)

This newly-opened store offers custom furniture to suit any taste and most price ranges.

Dubizzle

www.dubizzle.com

Anyone looking to pick up some cheap second-hand furniture could do much worse than to browse Dubizzle. As the UAE is such a transient place, you can frequently find anything from sofas to TVs at affordable prices.

Domestic help:

There’s a wealth of independent laundry services and maid agencies in Abu Dhabi. Some of the most reputable are:

Maids.ae

04 339 4141, www.abudhabimaids.ae

This agency has English-speaking maids offering a variety of services – from the standard cleaning, babysitting and washing and ironing to car washing, pet grooming, cooking and grocery shopping. There’s a minimum booking time of four hours, with prices starting at Dhs35 an hour for a standard cleaning service.

Delight Cleaning Services

Salam Street (645 6800)

Delight provides both full- and part-time maids. The company sponsors the maid, and the cost is Dhs3,200 for a live-in maid. Part-time rates start at around Dhs50 per hour.