After a solid night’s sleep, I had a nice early start. I briefly stepped outside to hand some papers to the security station at the accommodation and was pleasantly surprised to hear Afrikaans being spoken as my neighbours moved in for the academic term. A pleasant surprise indeed—and now I have partners in crime when it comes to braai time. At some point, I’ll have to poll just how many South African expats are here.

However, the main focus of the day was to draw some cash from the ATM and then hunt down home supplies and essentials at the lowest possible prices. One of the top recommendations was Lulu, so off I went.

I headed to Khalidiya Mall—the closest to my flat and home to one of the many Lulu Hypermarkets.

In South African terms, it’s a hypermarket on steroids. I saw fruits and vegetables I’d never encountered before, and the ones I recognised were all super-sized. The variety was staggering. For a South African comparison, imagine Game, Checkers, Food Lover’s Market, and Mr Price (Home, Sport, and Clothing) all fused into one enormous store.

And that’s just the start—alongside Lulu are countless speciality stores and higher-end boutiques catering to more niche tastes.

The entertainment floor obviously included all the regular suspects like a cinema (and did I mention the massage and beauty parlours?), plus a whole array of fast-food kiosks—KFC and the usual names—along with several that don’t exist in South Africa at all.

But what really topped it off for me was the “kiddies” Fun Zone upstairs. Think of the big arcade-style play areas back home—now put them on steroids, then add a roller coaster and other rides for the bigger kids.

Khalidiya may not be the biggest or most glamorous mall in Abu Dhabi, but it’s nearby, and a quick 4-minute taxi ride gets you there. (Walking in this heat? Not a chance!)