The roads are shaded by overhanging palm fronds, and cars drive around at a leisurely pace. On an expanse of green, soft grass, a group of schoolboys kick a ball around. As the day fades into early evening, residents can be seen returning home from work while their children come out to play.
This is Al Mushrif, a largely residential area in Abu Dhabi that even a decade ago was considered to be a suburb by residents of the capital. In a city experiencing phenomenal growth, Al Mushrif is progressing slowly, albeit surely and steadily, while retaining its quiet, homely feel.
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The area is often identified as being adjacent to the Mushrif Bridge, which is situated at the entrance to the current Central Business District (CBD). More precisely, it is located between Old Airport Road (2nd Street) and Khaleej Al Arabi Street, and is actually slightly removed from the CBD.
This is perhaps why it is still devoid of skyscrapers and commercial high-rises, and dotted instead by villas and five-storey apartment buildings that are inhabited mainly by families and young couples.
On most mornings, young women can be seen stopping by the many grocery stores. Jiss Paul, a 28-year-old homemaker from India, is one such resident.
"My husband and I moved to Al Mushrif three months ago, just a few weeks before our baby was born, because we wanted to live in a quiet, private area," she told Gulf News.
"We've been in the UAE for three years now, and ever since we shifted to our new one-bedroom apartment here, we have been very comfortable. It's very peaceful and a safe place to raise our child," the young mother said.
Paul's view that the neighbourhoods in Al Mushrif are family-friendly is echoed by most other residents in the area. The villas house larger families, while smaller families live in apartments.
Another major lure of the area is the abundance of parking space that most other neighbourhoods in the capital still lack. While many of the villas have their own garages, parking is also easily available for residents of the apartments.
"There is always enough space to park and the area is quiet. This is why my brother and his family moved to a seven-bedroom villa here two years ago," said Usama Gadalla, 28, a contractor from Palestine. "Their only concern is that passers-by often litter the lawn in front of their house."
However, much of the littering is expected to stop when the many car repair shops located in the area are moved outside the city, as per a Abu Dhabi Municipality directive.
Shopping facilities improving
The other major concern for residents of Al Mushrif is the lack of shopping facilities — the city centre and its malls are at least a 10-minute drive away, which often takes longer during rush-hour traffic. However, the smattering of groceries is a definite improvement to a decade ago, when only a few stores supplied the most basic needs of residents. In fact, the first mini-supermarket was opened where the Al Ghaida General Market now stands.
For most other shopping needs, residents still have to drive down to the city centre. This is, however, set to change with the soon-to-be-opened Mushrif Mall on Old Airport Road between the 23rd and 25th Streets, which is expected to house a large hypermarket and many upscale brands, as well as a the first indoor water park in Abu Dhabi.
Among the small businesses still prominent in Al Mushrif is the line of ladies' tailoring outlets which specialise mainly in stitching and embroidering sophisticated jalabiyas.
Mohammad Ali Anwar, a 35-year-old tailor from Bangladesh at Abu Yousuf Tailoring and Embroidery, said the shop has been serving customers for the past 14 years.
"We usually have more than 10 people placing their orders with us on a daily basis. Business is good," Anwar said as he worked on a jalabiya in front of a colourful display of outfits that were ready for sale.
Mohammad Abbas was drawing up his accounts next door in a shop filled with multi-hued reams of threads, fabric and ribbons.
"Our store provides fabrics and other materials to about 150 tailoring shops in the area, and we have been here for the past 22 years," said Abbas, the owner of Mafraq Tailoring Material Shop.
Living in harmony
A little distance away from the array of tailors is a group of architecturally resplendent buildings that are unique to the Al Mushrif area. These are the churches in the capital city, namely The Evangelical Church, St Anthony's Cathedral for Coptic Orthodox or St Joseph's Cathedral. The area is, therefore, busy on holidays like Christmas and Easter, as well as on Thursday evenings.
Nearby, the beauty of the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque also catches the eye. The mosque, said to be one of the largest in the capital, has four minarets, three domes, and numerous columns embellished with geometric carvings. On Fridays and during Ramadan, the mosque sees a massive congregation of both men and women.
In line with the overriding family feel of Al Mushrif, many renowned and long-established public as well as private schools are also located in the area, including The British School Al Khubairat, Al Nahda National School for Girls, Al Mushrif School and the International School of Choueifat.
The Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, as well as the Ministry of Interior, are in the vicinity, reinforcing the area's sense of security.
For those in search of a place to relax, there is the Abu Dhabi Country Club, famous for its golfing greens and adjacent equestrian stables. Although membership is exclusive, the club's facilities and stables are used all year round. The Mushrif Ladies Park used to be a big draw before it was closed for renovation last year. When it reopens as a general park, the 14-hectare area, first opened in 1982, will include a children's museum and a mini zoo. The Women's Union and the Family Development Foundation also contribute to the social scene.
Family-friendly, then, seems to be the best way to sum up the Al Mushrif area, which continues to remain quiet and homely even as the rest of the capital undergoes massive transformation.
HOT TOPICS
- Restaurants: Restaurants are not a common feature in Al Mushrif area. However, many of the fast food outlets along Old Airport Road, like KFC, Pizza Hut and Baskin Robbins, are just a short drive away.
- Hospitals: The Al Noor Hospital along Old Airport Road, as well as the Mushrif Family Medicine Clinic and the Mushrif Primary Healthcare Centre, are some of the closest medical facilities. Small private clinics are also located in a few five-storey apartment buildings.
- Malls: The Al Wahda Mall, as well as Carrefour, are about a 15 minutes' drive away, and are still the nearest places to shop. The Mushrif Mall is, however, expected to open this year to meet residents' shopping and leisure needs.
- Hotels: Al Mushrif is a largely residential neighbourhood and hotels are scarce in the locality. Only the recently-opened Holiday Inn on Old Airport Road is close by.
- Grocery stores: Small groceries abound in Al Mushrif and are housed near mosques or in apartment buildings. The Al Ghaida General Market has also been serving residents' basic grocery needs for more than a decade.
