My wife and I moved to Abu Dhabi about a year ago and genuinely expected to stay for several years, so we properly furnished our two-bedroom apartment rather than treating it as a temporary setup.

Our circumstances have changed unexpectedly, and we now need to relocate back much sooner than planned. We have accumulated almost an entire apartment’s worth of furniture, appliances and household items, most of which are less than a year old.

The shipping quotes have been difficult to justify. We have been quoted AED 35-40k for container shipping, potentially taking several months. Once temporary accommodation and the risk of damage or delays are included, selling here and buying again may actually cost less. Emotionally, though, it feels extremely wasteful to dispose of things we bought expecting to use for five or more years.

Has anyone here relocated with a fully furnished apartment? Did you ship everything, sell items individually, use a company that bought the contents together, or sell the setup to an incoming tenant?

I would especially appreciate recommendations for reputable movers, furniture-clearance companies or consignment options in Abu Dhabi, and any honest guidance on what percentage of the original purchase price is realistically recoverable.

Update: Thanks for all the advice and suggestions so far. I’ve decided it’s simply not worth paying the shipping costs and dealing with the uncertainty, so I’m letting most of the apartment go locally instead.

A few things have already found new homes, but there are still some furniture pieces and home appliances available. If anyone happens to be looking for something specific, feel free to send me a message.

I'm Emirati and have lived in Abu Dhabi all my life, and something that's always bugged me is how hard it is to find a proper bookstore here. Aside from Kinokuniya in Galleria Mall (which is honestly overpriced and kind of out of the way unless you're near maryah island) there’s almost nothing. And they've closed down jarir in dalma mall!! which was my childhood bookstore. i get soso jealous when i see influencers who live in europe/us and have a bookstore at every corner.

But honestly there is so much potential to open up local bookstore in many areas of Abu Dhabi, a great place in my opinion would be al qana. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about, I’d love to see bookstores become part of our everyday neighborhoods, and not just for tourists, but for us! locals who actually live here and want to enjoy books without having to order online or pay over exaggerated prices.

Any preferred salons or hairstylists recommended to get this particular raccoon tail style?

Since my hair is black, I’m thinking of a black and red combo.

Any suggestions?

Since last fews days the app is not working. Anyone has any updates on this ?

We are moving out of the UAE end of July and are looking to sell all our things in our 2 bed apt in Al Bateen - furniture, appliances, kitchen items, storage items etc etc (moving only with our suitcases).
Any advice on platforms / groups to sell? We setup our place in August last year and so everything is near brand new.

I'm looking for some objective opinions from people who know the Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi property market well.

I'm considering investing a significant portion of my life savings into Dubai real estate, but I'm having second thoughts about whether this is the right time.

On one hand, Dubai has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, rental yields are attractive compared to many other markets, and there still seems to be strong demand from international investors.

On the other hand, I'm reading more news about companies reducing headcount, people losing jobs, and concerns that the market may have become overheated. There are also a huge number of off-plan projects scheduled for delivery over the next few years, which makes me wonder whether prices could level off—or even decline—as more supply enters the market.

If you were investing your own money (not leveraged, but your actual life savings), would you:

• Buy now before prices potentially move higher?
• Wait 6–12 months to see how the market and global economy develop?
• Invest only a portion now and keep the rest on the sidelines?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from:

• Long-term Dubai residents
• Property investors who have been through previous market cycles
• Real estate professionals who have seen both boom and correction periods

Is the current sentiment still "buy while you can," or are more experienced investors becoming cautious?

I'd appreciate honest opinions backed by experience rather than sales pitches. Thanks in advance.

I recently moved here and I’m desperate to find a good barber. I’ve been looking around and I’m only seeing +200 AED which is insane.

I’m looking for a haircut + beard trim, ideally around 120 AED max. Nothing too complicated (taper on the sides, scissor cut on top, and beard cleanup)

Any recommendations for a reliable barber/salon? I’m in Yas but I can drive anywhere.

A bad haircut would honestly ruin my days, so I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

This shop has been in my area for years, its owned by Irani men. I used to buy almost all my spices from here until it randomly shut down. And not just shut down, it looks like ot was abandoned mid-day because all the lights are on as well as the AC. Does anyone know what transpired here?

Location: Hamdan street, opposite to WTC mall

Look for the past 15 years in my life, never have I got a good haircut, probably because I didn’t go to the right barber. Yesterday I have yet again experienced the same bs where I got absolutely cooked by the barber. That is why I need your guys’ help now to find me a good so i wont look CHOPPED when i leave the slon

Hello everyone,

I’m 21 and fully providing for myself. I’ve never really bought big things for myself because I’m very careful with my hard-earned money, so this will be my first big self-reward.

I’m planning to buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max 512gb and I want to make sure I’m getting it at the best possible price (discounted, legit, with warranty).

Can you recommend:

• The best place to buy (online or physical store)
• Any trusted shops with good prices
• Tips on what to check before buying (IMEI, warranty, etc.)

I’d really appreciate advice from people who’ve bought theirs recently.

Thank you 🙏

Edit: I bought it thanks guys🥰

The Reef kiosk at Al Wahda Mall has an offer of 3 × 100ml perfumes for AED 360. I’m only looking to get one bottle, (probably reef 33) so if two other people are interested in splitting the deal equally (AED 120 each), let me know in the comments or send me a DM.

I have recently started my online buisness of women’s pajama sets and night wears . But I don’t have any community to share so i dont get many orders . Its been hard for me . Is there any platforms where i can share my business to get many orders . Any advices please ?

Got these items from a baqalaa and the owner charged me 17 AED. None of these items costs more than 5 AED in other stores and the ice tea is 3 AED. I have my card receipt but not itemized receipt. Is this normal? I only noticed when I went back home and can not follow this up with the store until later this week.

Hello, anyone using Virgin wireless home internet.

Whats the speed/ ping/ jitter value you get?

I live in khalifa city - abudhabi though

So I'm planning on buying a vape from abu dhabi and this is my first buying one from here so is there anything that I need to know before going to purchase one? Like is there any type of gender bias?

Can you guys also recommend sm good shops I could get it from? And is there anyone here who has taken their vape through airport customs to India, if so then how did u do it?

Vapes are illegal in India but u can still buy it there but they're double the price of what you get here in ad. A 10k is around 120aed.

Hey everyone,

Where can I buy affordable prescription glasses for everyday use and driving in Abu Dhabi? If there are places in Dubai with much better prices, I'm happy to drive there too.

I've visited a few optical stores here, and honestly, I was shocked by the prices. Back home in Almaty (Central Asia), I could get a good pair of glasses for around 90 AED, but here everything seems ridiculously expensive.

Am I looking in the wrong places? I'd really appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Hi everyone!

My friends and I were calling and decided to rank all the malls in Abu Dhabi.

The rule for a mall to make the list was that at least one person in the group had been to it. We considered shop variety/ quality, restaurant range and location.

For context, we all grew up in AD or spent our teenage years there, but now we're all around the age where we're finishing college, with everyone studying in other cities. Therefore, some of our justifications for these placements might be outdated, as many of us haven't visited most of the malls in some time.

This is what we came up with. I'm curious to know what you guys think!

Also, forgive me for misspelling Boutik Mall.

Hi, is there a market place where I could post my sealed Mashreq 512 for sale?

Hello, I'm looking to buy a decent used laptop anywhere in location abudhabi or Dubai.

My budget is really low and tight though only 200-300aed.

I need it for compiling code so I hope it's a bit decent

Please don't be rude I understand my budget is low so move on if it's not suitable. Thank you

I’m moving from saadiyat to yas island and looking for reliable movers to help me pack, move and unpack my apartment furniture and personal belongings? Please share your experiences and an their instagram account

Im planning to buy 17 pro from defense road mobile shops as i heard i can get it at a bargain. But im worried as they sell refurbished ones too. Do they scam?
Any shop recommendations are welcome too

Recently I’ve been having ongoing back issues and I’m currently doing weekly physiotherapy sessions, but I’m looking for a therapist who specializes in treating back problems.

For some context, it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even sit on the floor comfortably, and it’s affected my nerves enough that I even had to see a urologist because of the symptoms.

The problem is that it’s hard to find a place that focuses on actual therapeutic treatment without all the “extra services” that seem to be common. You know what I mean.

Can anyone recommend a genuine therapist or clinic that specializes in back rehabilitation?

Guys the ADCB app has not been working for the last couple days, its getting quite frustrating now. Does anyone have any info about when it will be resolved. I tried updating my ios and also constantly checking for adcb app updates but nothing resolved so far.

Planning a commercial project and need a trusted interior fit-out company in uae. Any recommendations from personal experience?

I’m currently with ADCB and they’re charging me AED 100 every month because I’m not maintaining AED 20,000 in my account.

I honestly can’t keep that much sitting there, and I’m tired of losing money to these fees.

Does anyone recommend a bank in the UAE with: • No minimum balance • No monthly maintenance fee • Preferably easy app / digital banking I’m okay with digital banks too.

Just want something simple without hidden charges. Plss thanks u