Being held captive in Abu Dhabi
When I was moving to South Korea for an exchange semester I had to transfer in Abu Dhabi. I would have had a layover of two hours before smoothly taking off towards Seoul. The night before I had eventually moved out from my student accommodation in Austria and we had a late night on the town.
Therefore, I was arriving at Abu Dhabi Airport quite sleepy. I needed to get my ticket for the next flight, therefore I made for the airline check-in. A friendly staff member welcomed me and checked my documents. While I was waiting and yawning he was nervously staring at his computer screen. I became uneasy because it really took longer than usually. He started slowly speaking to me: “Sir, I am really sorry to inform you that your supposing flight is fully booked”.
“Sir, I am really sorry to inform you that your supposing flight is fully booked”.
I could not believe what he actually had told me. Obviously, my flight had been overbooked and now I was stuck in the middle east! The employee quickly handed me over a colourful piece of paper while speaking calmly that he will sort out this incident. It was a voucher for any restaurant at the airport. So I went to a typical Arabic restaurant and had my first Arabic dish: Mc Arabia Chicken with curly fries and coke.
While eating I pondered on the fact that I could stay here longer and I would miss some essential appointments I had to attend. I felt fairly despondent. As I devoured my meal I marveled at the imposing architecture of the airport. Everywhere blue and gold ornaments. It was different from the airports I was used to knowing.
I then returned to the check-in desk. The guy had already awaited me and told me that I would stay one night in town. The airline would shuttle me to paid hotel and on top of that I got a three-hundred-dollar voucher for my next flight with the airline - Not bad. I grabbed the documents carrying on towards the exit.
I got a three-hundred-dollar voucher…
As soon as I got there an endless queue of people welcomed me. Nevertheless, I showed the documents to a guard and he immediately took me to the immigration check where my documents got checked. Interesting fact, while the civil servant was checking my documents he talked to some other colleagues who had come up to him and he even answered a phone call. Doing a couple thing at the same time was unusual to me but I learnt later that this is quite common in Arabic countries. He put a stamp into my passport and I could shortcut the queue. I was now in one of the rising Arabic metropoles.
A chandelier huger than an elephant…
Woken up by the smell of roses I got off and saw the hotel I would stay the night. The hotel’s appearance was French baroque and called “The Rose Hotel”. When I went inside pure luxury interior awaited me. I was really impressed. A chandelier huger than an elephant (no other comparison came up to my mind) with gold and crystal hung in the middle of the hall. At reception desk I was warmly welcomed and I got my key card while I had my luggage taken up to my room.
I had a quick glance at the price list: thousand Dollar per night. Wow… It was before midnight, yet, they prepared me a sandwich and I than fell into my cozy king-size bed in apartment with two toilets, a rainfall shower and a television which knew my name.
On the next day I got served an enormous buffet with various delicatessen. After being really stuffed I ordered a personal car service who would drive me across
the city. I wanted to grab the chance and see as much as possible during my stay in Abu Dhabi. I had my own car plus driver who drove me wherever I wanted to go. The city was surrounded by the sea from one site and moving away from the coast desert awaits you. Although it was February, the temperature was about 30 degrees and had to put on my sun glasses.
I visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, large enough to take up forty thousand worshipers. In the middle of desert an imposing purely white building welcomed me and when I went inside I had of course take off my shoes.
Inside, I stepped on the world’s largest carpet. Wherever you looked there was gold and silver. The building was full of handmade ornaments in different colours. The mosque was surrounded by a vast garden and pools between garden and mosque. On the left hand-side a small building from which a repetitious voice sounded across the area. In the building the Emir, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan found his final resting place and twenty-four hours a day someone read from the Koran next to his grave.
Then I moved to the Etihad towers. At the top I had a magnificent view of the city and enjoyed a coffee for eight euros.
Next stop was Masdar City. A projekt for autonomous energy supply by just using renewable ones.
I was also visiting the the quai and some archaic museum about life before the economic emerge of the Emirates. Just imagine, that this hasn’t been a long time ago yet.
Finally, I visited Ferrari World, a huge Theme Park with the possible fastest roller coaster of the world.
Returning to the shuttle service a had a nice swim at the roof top of my hotel. When it came to check-out the guy at the reception told me that I had to pay the day. I thought: “Are you kidding me?!” One night cost like two months in the student accommodation in Korea! I eagerly explained that the airline ensured me that they would pay the whole stay.
“Are you kidding me?!”
He then vanished to the back office and I had to wait for some time. In the meanwhile, my shuttle service came and I was supposed to get to the airport soon unless I wanted to miss my flight. He returned and told me that the problem was solved and felt relieved and could move on to the airport. Arriving at the airport I thought the day over and was glad that I had this unique unforeseen opportunity to visit this interesting place.
