Life in Abu Dhabi: wealth, weather, and wonder

by Juli Fischer

My husband, Phil, and I lived in Abu Dhabi for three years (2020-2023), with Phil working for Mayo Clinic at a local hospital. The thought was to create a fourth campus of Mayo in that part of the world. The hospital venture did not succeed, but we are still grateful for our time there. We enjoyed the differences life brought us (other than the extreme heat!), and we learned some significant lessons. 

Our time there could be summarized by three words – wealth, weather, and wonder. 

The first obvious factor that hit us when we arrived was the wealth that seemed to appear everywhere. The country is fairly young and has garnered multiple sources of wealth, oil being the primary. The buildings almost dripped with the appearance of money, and the roads were full of luxury cars. The malls were beautiful, with high-class stores where one could buy almost anything.

There are multiple opportunities for both men and women to advance careers and make money to support a family. The Emirati people make up only 12% of the population with the remaining coming from all over the world to work. Many of the workers are from poorer countries, and they come alone to the UAE to work and send money back home to support their families. Wealth does seem to drive the runnings of everything, however the country is governed well and many people are benefiting. 

The weather affected life there to a large degree. There were many malls with grocery stores, banks, theaters, restaurants, and shops that provided relief from the heat with one stop. Parking was often underground so as not to let cars bake in the sun. The daytime temperatures could easily be in the 120s in the summer with high humidity. Lots of people left for the summer just as snowbirds leave here during the winter. Driving up to McDonald’s and honking for service was a real option! Filling up with gas was done without getting out of the car and with the car running so as to keep the air conditioner on. Air-conditioning was everywhere, and in the terms of some of the locals, was fierce! With 100+ temperatures outside people would be in sweaters inside due to the intense air conditioning. It was humorous to see people bringing blankets to church to sit through the service. 

We saw many cultural differences and we learned about Arabian life in Abu Dhabi as well as about life in the other nearby countries we visited (Pakistan, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon).  It was all very interesting and challenged some of our thoughts. However, we were most encouraged by seeing what God is doing there. Our church was similar in size to Calvary and had  both a seminary and an apprentice program for young pastors who came from several different countries. It was encouraging to worship with others who were from 50+ countries. Our worship times were rich with singing and learning and praying. The fellowship was indeed sweet. The church is thriving and was an experience for which we are grateful. 

God is at work in the Middle East.  It was an awe-filled privilege to be there.  

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Juli grew up in California where she met Phil. Together they served in central Africa as missionaries. They have lived in Rochester for 27 years and have 5 children, 2 daughters in laws and 5 grandchildren. She is fairly new to Calvary and enjoys Renovare.