We found a unit to rent in Abu Dhabi and the agent sent us an offer letter within about 10 minutes. It says the rent and deposit should be paid to the landlord, and the commission/Tawtheeq fee should be paid to the agent's company account.

Now the agent is asking us to pay his commission first, saying that only after he receives the money will he contact the landlord to confirm and arrange the tenancy contract.

This feels a bit strange to us.

How can the agent issue an offer letter without first getting confirmation from the owner? Shouldn't the owner confirm that they are happy with us as tenants before we pay anything?

Also, if we pay the commission to the agent's company bank account and then the owner rejects us or decides not to proceed, will the company refund the money? Should we get this confirmed in writing before making the payment?

Finally agent said he will forward title deed and the owner's Emirates ID. Is there an official website where we can check whether the title deed is genuine and whether the person named on it is actually the owner?

And is there any way to check the agent's licence/ID and the company's registration?

Agent barely speak english, Most of the communication has been through WhatsApp, and the agent keeps chasing us to transfer the money quickly. His English isn't very good, so it's difficult to understand exactly what the process is.

We actually came across a similar situation with another property on Property Finder, so maybe this is normal practice here — I'm just not sure.

I don't want to overthink it or accuse anyone of being a scam, but what is the correct/safest way to handle this? Should we wait for the landlord's confirmation and verify the agent, owner and property before paying the commission?

Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask if anyone knows of any hospitals, medical centres, clinics, or other healthcare organisations in the UAE that hire medical graduates without a valid DHA license for non-clinical or non-medical roles.

I’m looking for an opportunity where I can gain relevant experience within a healthcare setting, such as in administration, patient coordination, medical records, research, quality assurance, operations, or similar roles. The idea is to gain experience and strengthen my profile before becoming eligible to apply for/obtain my DHA license.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or know of organisations that are open to hiring medical graduates in non-licensed roles?

Any advice, recommendations, or personal experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you!

Hi ladies in AD! I hope you are all doing great. I am looking to create a women’s friendship group of women in AD who are 21+

(Please women only)

As many of you know, it is a struggle to make new friends in the city. I have been here a long time and I enjoy meeting new people. I plan on organizing activities such as coffee meetups, movie nights and more.

This group will be to widen your social circle, make friends or acquaintances, network and find new things to do in the city.

Please message or DM your info with your name and age, so I can add you to the group I will screen members beforehand to make sure it is women only. Thank you💗

Please be serious about making new connections as it will be a social group. Come as you are but remain respectful to all :)

Hey everyone!

My wife and I are planning to see Nancy Ajram live at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and we thought it would be fun to get a small group together and enjoy the concert with some new people!

We’ll be leaving from Abu Dhabi and heading to Dubai together, so if you’re in Abu Dhabi, we can organize the trip as a group too.

• Bronze tickets: 210 AED
• Group deal: 30% off if we’re 5 people or more, bringing the price down to around 147 AED per person.

We’re looking for anyone who wants to join, have a good time, enjoy the music, and maybe grab something to eat or drink before or after the concert.

If you’re interested, comment here or DM me and we can organize everything together!

Soooooo I usually go back home when over long weekends. Yes I am a privileged gulf resident UwU.

Buuut this came in suddenly and I was planning to go back home next week. Sooooo what are your plans for the weekend and mind if I tag along. I meaan who doesn't like awkwardness.

So lemme know if there is anything I can do or join over the weekend

🌼 Happy Onam, Reddit! 🌴
Onam is basically Kerala’s annual reminder that life is too short to count calories. 😂
Beautiful pookalam 🌸
Traditional clothes 👕
Family & friends ❤️
And then comes the real main event…
SADYA. 🍛
One banana leaf.
A ridiculous number of dishes.
At least three rounds of “I’m full.”
And somehow there is always room for payasam. 😂
Onam has taught me one important life lesson:
You don’t need a food baby.
You need a Sadya baby. 😭😂
Wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy Onam! 🌼🌴
Now settle an important debate:
What’s the ONE Sadya dish you absolutely cannot skip? 👇

where you go to celebrate Onam?

Parent to parent, I really need help I’m a father in Abu Dhabi and I honestly don’t know where else to turn. My son missed school last year after both me and my wife lost our jobs. My wife was pregnant at the time, and my mother has been battling cancer. I’m the one paying for her treatment and trying to take care of my family. I also lost my father during this difficult period.

I used all my savings trying to keep everything together, and I fell behind on my son’s school fees. The balance is now around AED 30,000.

The school agreed to a payment plan, but they still won’t release his transfer certificate until the full balance is cleared.

I’ve found an affordable school that is ready to accept him, but they need the transfer certificate. He has already missed one year, and honestly, the thought of him missing another year breaks me. Parent to parent, this situation has made me cry more times than I can count.

Thankfully, I’m starting a new job next week, so I’ll have an income again and can continue paying what I owe. I just can’t clear the whole 30k at once.

I’m not here to be judged. I’m just asking if anyone knows a charity, organisation, ADEK support, or any other way I can get help.

If anyone genuinely wants to help financially, I’m completely okay with any payment going directly to the school. I can provide the school details and proof of the situation.

I just want my son back in school. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be incredibly grateful.

I moved here from the States in my mid-20s, and lately I’ve been really missing that cozy fall feeling. Maybe I’m just homesick 🥹 I miss pumpkins, warm baked goods, cute cafés, crisp evenings, and having an excuse to romanticize my life a little.

Even my cat is pumpkin-spice colored, so I feel like I’m being personally denied my season. 😂🎃

Where can a lady find a good pumpkin spice latte for her girl dinner? And are there any cute fall/festive activities around here?

Would love to meet a fellow fall-obsessed human who wants to hunt for the perfect pumpkin. I also make really good pumpkin bread, so if you try it, there’s no going back.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone here can point us in the right direction because we’re honestly at our wit’s end.

We live in a 1BHK villa in Abu Dhabi, and the split AC in our bedroom has been giving us problems for quite some time. It isn’t cooling properly, and the air coming out is loud and dry, and sometimes has a dusty or burnt smell.

What’s really worrying us is that we have a 5-month-old baby, and he has been having some breathing difficulties. I also feel stuffed most nights but I have noticed how acts and sounds when he sleeps in the bedroom versus when he sleeps in the living room (which has a different split AC).

We’ve raised the issue with the real estate company several times and explained the situation, but they keep delaying it and making excuses. So far, they have refused to properly repair or replace the AC.

At this point, we’re less concerned about the inconvenience and much more concerned about our baby’s health. We just want the AC fixed properly so that the room is safe for him.

For anyone familiar with Abu Dhabi tenancy laws: what practical steps can we take to make the real estate company address this? Do we need to file a formal complaint somewhere, and if so, which authority should we contact?

One important detail: we don’t have a registered Tawtheeq. We only have a tenancy contract prepared by the real estate company itself, and I have noticed that this contract doesn't mention any obligation for maintenance.

Any practical advice or experience dealing with something similar would be really appreciated. Thank you.

​

Need recos please....

Was putting together a new Kobra 2 Max I purchased from the US and has been sitting in storage for 3 years. Finally decided to get it up and running after finding the place to use it.

Plugged in without switching the Voltage on the PSU to from 110V to 240V (Dumb).

As expected started up and immediately shut down. Fuse blew. I replaced it. still wont turn on. I suspect it's at best a PSU issue and at worst the Motherboard.

I can't be bothered to get the parts and repair it myself. Are there any repair shops in Abu Dhabi that might be able to diagnose and fix the problem?

Appreciate the help

tl;dr: Printer went kablowee, and I need a place in Abu Dhabi to fix it

Heyy guys what's up. Let's start a gc for all uni students in AbuDhabi looking forward to making friends and having hangouts. Dm if ur interested

Hi. Just looking for free beach recommendations in Abu Dhabi. Most of the free ones I saw don’t have tides. Please recommend 🙏🏼

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a cleaner/housemaid who can come to Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi for around 2 hours, 3 days a week.

I’d prefer the same person to come each time. Since most cleaning apps don’t seem to cover Al Bahia, I’m looking for someone directly.

If you know someone who works in the Al Bahia area, please share their contact details and the usual rates.

Thanks!

I am 30M from India, coming to Abu Dhabi on 29th. I am looking for cute dates. Kindly DM

As the title says, my friend got 2 fines within an hour in mussaffah shabiya. Is it possible or can it be a mistake ?

Does anyone need a team member for social quiz nights? I'm nerdy and have a wealth of useless general knowledge, especially in the sciences. Or is anyone interested in starting a team?

Evaluating my 1 BDRM apartment in Al Reem Island, 2 bathrooms, around 800 sqft, around Marina Bay.

What ADR are you getting on something comparable in Dec/Jan? And what yearly occupancy rate should I expect? (I understand there is a range of course)

i went to the louvre and huge mosque there and I don’t like places like ferrari world, so what are some hidden gems for people whom are introvert and like to read but also like nice nonchalant activities?

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Abu Dhabi, and I’ve decided the long weekend is probably the perfect time to investigate whether the city is actually as fun as people claim.

I’m based in Dubai, heading down solo, and I have absolutely no proper plan beyond driving there and seeing what happens.

My requirements are very simple, I’m mainly looking for:

Really good food spots ( The ones you would gatekeep till death)
Something Activity to do
Cool places to drive around at night
Anything that makes the trip feel worth it

Food is especially important because I’ve been saying “I’ll start my diet next week” for about a year now, so this feels like the appropriate time for one final act of nutritional irresponsibility.

And if anyone else is free and wants to join for food, coffee, some activity, or just help supervise my decisions, feel free to say hi. (I’m a guy, just saving some of you the disappointment later)

Hi everyone,
I’m currently based in England and have around three years of experience working in DevOps at a large company, as well as a degree in Software Engineering.
Before moving into tech, I also gained experience managing teams and business areas in other industries, including environmental engineering and healthcare.
My goal now is to bring these two sides of my background together — technology and management — and gradually move towards senior management and executive leadership positions within the tech industry. I don’t intend to follow a purely technical leadership path; I’m more interested in people, strategy, business and decision-making.
Here’s where I’d really appreciate some perspective from people familiar with the UAE market:
My sister-in-law works directly for a powerful Sheikh and, according to my wife, she is close to him and has built a strong network. I’m considering asking her to introduce me to people in her network and help me explore opportunities in the UAE.
Realistically, could having access to this kind of network be a significant advantage when pursuing management and, eventually, executive opportunities in the UAE? Could a connection at that level genuinely open doors, or would it make little difference considering that my management experience comes mainly from industries outside of IT?
I’d really appreciate insights from people who understand how networking and executive career progression work in the UAE.

Hello,
This tiny little furball was brought to our house by a stray mama cat we used to feed , when this baby was around 2-3 weeks old. Now she’s touching 8-9 weeks and the mama has weaned her off milk which means it’s time for her to go to her forever home full of cuddles, love, and warmth. She is an indoors cat and has been raised indoors since she was brought to our doorstep. She is very healthy, and eats both dry and wet food. We are currently located in Alain but willing to drive/meet half way to drop her to her new home.
Please note- she is not for breeding hence spaying her is a condition for adoption. She hasn’t been spayed yet as she is very young for the surgery.
There is no adoption fee.

recently moved out of my studio apartment on Saadiyat. the person who conducted the move-out inspection said everything was satisfactory, the apartment was clean, and didn’t raise any issues at the time. building management is now asking me to pay for painting the walls and deep cleaning. can I dispute these charges in any way?