Thursday, Nov 11, 2010
Calm and quiet is how most residents will describe Shaikh Khalifa City. However, they also point out many shortcomings.
A few of them are even fortunate enough to wake up to the sound of birds nesting in trees inside villa compounds, a rare blessing in a desert environment!
“I [have enjoyed] sound sleep without any disturbances since I moved to Khalifa City four months ago,” said Layal Halaby, 26, a Leban-ese supervisor of customer services at a medical centre.
“But the lack of malls and good restaurants is a concern,” she added.
The recently developed residential area does not have residential towers, but mostly villas.
Khalifa City, located just a few kilometres from Abu Dhabi International Airport, has been divided into two parts — A and B.
Khalifa City B is still in the initial stages of development and lacks many supporting amenities such as shops. Most of the residents live in Khalifa City A.
Emiratis and a few privileged expatriates enjoy a serene lifestyle in spacious independent villas with wide courtyards — far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Each villa’s individual design makes the area attractive.
Most expatriates live in villas-turned-independent flats. While such a scenario makes up the ideal multicultural community of Arabs, Asians and Westerners, residents shy away from interacting with one another (although this may be the story in almost all residential areas in the UAE).
Breaking down barriers
However, if one takes a walk in the evening, they will see children ignoring such barriers and playing together in villa compounds.
Children have proved to be much more open and liberal than their parents, who are totally resistant to cultural interaction.
Despite being located about 30km from the city centre, the easy access to the city — around half an hour’s drive or more depending on the traffic — makes the project an attractive option for those who work in the city.
“You can get out of here without any traffic congestion,” said M.S. Shajan, an Indian accounts manager who also likes the serene environment. He expects that ‘Khalifa City A Trading Centre’, which will open soon, will be a good shopping venue.
He noted that several facilities have come up recently, including a SEHA health care centre and two private clinics.
The vast residential area is largelyy dependent on the main market, with the exception of two or three neighbourhood grocery stores.
The market boasts all sorts of shops, including several small supermarkets, a few restaurants, coffee shops, stationery shops, building materials, laundry and tailoring establishments.
However, many residents complain that most shops charge higher prices for their goods and services as there is no mechanism to check such practices. Although some of the supermarkets offer “free home delivery”, it is never guaranteed as it depends on the distance to one’s residence and the amount of goods purchased.
After the main market, residents can be found gathering at Etihad Plaza, Etihad’s staff housing and facilities complex located opposite the airline’s head office in Khalifa City.
By Binsal Abdul Kader ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
