This article is written by a resident student of the United Arab Emirates — specifically in the city of Al
Ain.

The cornerstone of your lifestyle here is the type of accommodation you reside in. From flats to
apartments to villas, with underground parking or front yards, your life may differ.

Here in Al Ain, most foreign residents are given flats or live in apartments; it is hard to acquire mansions
and villas unless you are sponsored by the government entirely, or you are a national.
It is very comfortable regardless of what housing you decide to live in, as the infrastructure of the
buildings and the design of the areas are made to ensure the residents utmost privacy, with a great
amount of space between each other.

Housing complexes have well developed internal housing facilities along with well maintained roads
leading towards them. A lot of care is put into creating smooth and easy-to-navigate roads. Streets are
named and numbered; complexes here are well organized.
The smallest things can be of the most convenient – here, stable, and well-built footpaths surround the
city. People can comfortably walk, cycle, skate, etc. to whichever destination. And with the presence of
underpasses and an increasing number of traffic lights, pedestrians have it easier to cross bigger main
roads without much risk.

A good plus point is the safety and security here in the UAE. Al Ain is generally a more of the quieter and
calmer city, but despite that, every police officer – or any safety related authority, for that matter – have
always kept up to their jobs, always with honest work. The safety of civilians here is a high priority and
the UAE never disappoints in fulfilling this.

Outside of just ‘shelter’, present in the city of Al Ain are many stores, bazars, hypermarkets, and malls.
For groceries and the bare life expenses, the hypermarkets are more than enough – fresh fruits and
legumes restocked regularly, clothing organized in different floors, bakeries, fish markets to ready made
meals, all in the same building and at affordable prices too. It is convenient to not have to travel to many
places a day where all you can find is in one place.
In the chance that you prefer online shopping, these markets also have reliable delivery services. Shop
well in the comfort of your homes!

With regards to entertainment, arcades, billiard rooms, ice skating rinks, indoor rollercoasters, and even
branded shops, all in a single mall! But malls aren’t the only right places – we have amusement parks,
stadiums, regular family parks for community gatherings, a zoo, and even camping sites around and on
top of the mountain Jabal Hafeet, with Green Mubazzarah just close by.

The weather should also be taken into consideration though! A lot – and dare I say, enough – of the
entertainment facilities are indoors, so the outside weather may not be a deal at all, but in the case of
outdoors, going out in the summer wouldn’t be the best choice. The spring and the winter here are the
perfect weather otherwise; it is rare for humidity to appear unless it is during the days of seasons
changing.

The UAE pays special attention to the environment and even take special measures to ensure that
pollution is reduced to the max. The cleanliness here is incomparable to other places – even the citizens
themselves have a conscience to care for the environment; be it for aesthetic purposes or the general
morale of the community here.

Speaking of the community, everyone here can be genuinely very warm and welcoming – however, only
when need be! Distance and personal space are valued greatly here, as a sign of respect between two
parties. You may not receive a “Hi!” or a “Hey, what’s your name?” from a passerby here, but everyone
– stranger or not – will always be ready for a helping hand. Workers associated with customer service
are very friendly and will assist you with any possible difficulties within their power.

To summarize the above, Al Ain is an incredibly peaceful place with just the right amount of hustle
bustle and the right amount of quiet.
So do look forward to visiting the garden city, Al Ain!