Getting to know the U.A.E

Show Me the Money (Natova)

Leaving the almighty dollar behind and using the money here took some getting used to.  The currency here is very colorful and the bills can range up to 1000 dirhams or AED (Arab Emirate Dirhams). The coins are called Fils which consist of a .25 fil (equals approx .07 cents), .50 fil (.14 cents US) and 1 dirham fil (.27 cents US). The bills start at 5 aed (equals $1.36), 10 aed ($2.72), 20, 50, 100 ($27.22) etc. As you may know we do a lot of rounding. It’s good to know your four time tables as we tend to convert the values in our head to get a better understanding of how much we’re being charged or how much we’re willing to pay. Going shopping was a bit overwhelming because we need to deal mostly in the hundreds, so you feel like you’re spending 100’s and you are in dirhams, but you’re actually only spending about $27 USD when you convert it.

I believe Abu Dhabi prices their goods and service equivalent to the US or a bit higher pending the item. This was very disappointing because I hoped the dollar would go further, but what can you expect when you’re living one of the richest countries in the world. 

The other day Ray and I were in the grocery store picking up a few items before heading home for the night. We placed our items on the belt and the cashier gave us our total of 113.10 aed. Now, as mentioned above the smallest Fil is .25. So can someone tell me how in the world are we going to pay for our purchase without over paying or how would the cashier provide us with change if the smallest Fil is .25? We thought this was hilarious because it did not make any sense for the items to be priced in a way where it would produce totals that the fils could not cover. Sooooo…what exactly is the expectation here? Are we required to pay more than the items we worth or just walk away and let the store take the hit? Well, in this case there was an understanding between us and the cashier, even though she was reluctant, that 113 aed was enough. Crazy, huh? Now, the question still remains … why? The items should be price at .25 or .50 nothing else. This is just one of the things that make you drop your head and laugh to yourself or with the person with you.

Also, probably the number one thing that just drives us crazy on a daily basis is the fact that getting change is like some unspoken and forbidden act.  For some reason they (merchants) do not like giving change or breaking down a bill. Everywhere you go, no matter the bill they ask if you have a smaller bill. This is so frustrating because in most cases this is the reason why I gave them the bill so I can get change for this next person who will ask for a smaller bill. We always have to have it smaller bills on hand mainly because we need them for the taxis.   So now when asked if we have a smaller bill the answer is absolutely not.  And if you go into say an Adnoc (a gas station food store like Hess, BP, or Daily’s) to buy like a candy bar for 3 dirhams and pay with 100 dirhams, they might tell you that you either have to buy more or they can’t break the hundred.  Even with the cab drivers, it’s a risk handing them a hundred because they may not have change, and if they do you kinda feel bad because their body language make you feel like you’re doing something wrong, like your taking advantage of them by taking all of their money, even though you’re giving him a hundred dirhams!

A friend of ours told us they were in a coffee shop and a guy paid with a 1000 dirham bill. He was asked if he had anything smaller and he said no. Now, I do think that that was just wrong. He should have gotten a smaller bill for such a small purchase. The coffee shop had to come up with his change. Not sure how they deal with the high spenders here in Abu Dhabi?

The one good thing about the money here is that you do get to feel like a baller.  We carry 100 dirham bills all the time, and it does go quick.  Even though it is only $27 USD, you really do feel like you are packing hundreds on a daily basis. 

UAE from Above (Ray)

I came across a amazing video the other day about the U.A.E.  It gives a great overview, both literally and figuratively, of the Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the five other Emirates.  It is filmed very well and for those that might not know much about this country, it is definitely worth a look.  It is about 26 minutes long, but if you just want to see Abu Dhabi and Dubai, those are the first two emirates covered for the first maybe 10 to 15 minutes.  The commentary is pretty good and the pictures are amazing.  Hell, it made me want to visit Abu Dhabi and I’m already here.  You will notice some of the places I have mentioned before on the blog.  Enjoy.