Lifestyle for Foreigners in RAK
Ras Al Khaimah is continually growing to be home to an exciting, diverse, multicultural blend of dynamic and professional people enjoying the unrivalled lifestyle Ras Al Khaimah has to offer, including a variety of restaurants, leisure activities and sports.
Its location less than one hour from Dubai ensures that inhabitants can enjoy a more quiet and peaceful location while being able to reach Dubai easily and in a short time to take advantage of services and leisure options available there.
Safety
Street crime is very rare in Ras Al Khaimah and most visits to and stays in the emirate are trouble free. Expatriates are nevertheless advised to follow normal precautions to ensure safety and to take out appropriate insurance.
Public Transport
Apart from school buses organised by individual schools and transportation organised by employers for staff members, there are no public bus lines operating in Ras Al Khaimah. There are no public buses connecting Ras Al Khaimah with other emirates. The only public transport means are air-conditioned taxis which can be hailed on the street or booked by telephone.
Health
Medical facilities in RAK are of a high standard. Both public and private sector options are available. Currently there are 5 hospitals in RAK. The Health and Medical Services Department provides medical care for all UAE nationals, visitors and resident expatriates. Currently expatriates can go to any hospital as long as they have a valid health card. However this may change in the future and all expatriates may require having private insurance coverage.
Most medicines are readily available at pharmacies which can be found in the Manar Mall and across the RAK city. The opening hours are 9am till early evening. Emergency 24-hour pharmacies are open in all hospitals.
Leisure Activities
Saqr Public Park and the smaller Khuzam Park offer green areas for walks and picnics as well as a wide selection of gaming and entertainment facilities for both children and adults. There is also large children´s playground in the Manar Mall.
Sights in Ras Al Khaimah include:
- National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah: housed in the former palace of the ruling Al Qawasim family, it shows natural history and arts and crafts of the past centuries
- Dhayah Fort: the only surviving hilltop fort in the UAE
- Shamal and Sheba´s Palace: tombs and ruins of a medieval palace attributed to the Queen of Sheba
- Al Falayah: the former summer residence of the ruling Al Qawasim family
- Al Jazeera Al Hamra: an abandoned village showing the architecture of 1950s
- The Old City and Souq: offer an opportunity to see both traditional and modern shops as well as artisan workshops
Khatt Hot Water Springs Resort, opened in 1982, offers a large swimming pool and various spa facilities for relaxation and regeneration. Other leisure options in Ras Al Khaimah include date farms, an ostrich farm, Ahmed Bin Majid´s memorial, camel racing course and camel farms.
Many other tourism and leisure facilities are currently at various stages of planning and construction. These include the WoW theme park, a heritage village and Jebel Jais Mountain Resort.
The Ras Al Khaimah emirate has beaches and coastline, fertile plains and green oases, as well as rugged mountains and dry wadis. It can thus offer a wide spectrum of leisure and recreational activities – from water sports to walks in the wadis and mountains or desert safaris and dune driving.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Authority (RAK Tourism) has information on sights and other places to visit and can organise a tour.
Sport Facilities
- Tower Links Golf Club is a 18-hole, 72-par course, fully floodlit, and has a golf academy, driving range and short-game facilities. It also has a clubhouse restaurant and an Irish pub.
- Bowling Centre has 12 lanes, food court, internet cafe and recreational center.
- Ras Al Khaimah Shooting Club has air-conditioned gun, pistol, rifle and archery ranges as well as a fast-fighting shooting range.
- Al Jazeera Aviation Club is the only micro light club for hobby flying in the entire Gulf Co-operation Countries region. It is authorised to train and issue micro light pilot permits and has a fleet of modern micro light aircraft, two landing strips, a hangar, and a clubhouse.
- Ras Al Khaimah Equestrian Club
- Ras Al Khaimah Water Ski club
- Emirates Maritime Sports and Diving Centre
- Carting club
Shopping
- The Old City and Souq: offer an opportunity to see both traditional and modern shops.
- Manar Mall: a modern Western shopping mall opened in 2005, it offers the Carrefour hypermarket, a large number of shops, pharmacies, bank outlets, an exchange office, restaurants, a Starbuck´s cafe, a hairdresser, a large food court, children´s playground and a seven-screen multiplex cinema.
- Lulu Supermarket: offers a variety of products, particularly food and accessories.
- Spinney supermarket, an Australian chain, opened in Al Hamra Village complex in early 2008.
- Home Centre: offers a wide selection of furniture and furnishings
- Al Safeer supermarket: offers food items and clothing, shoes, kitchenware and toys.
- Ras Al Khaimah also has several vegetables and fruit markets and a fish market.
Restaurants
There is a wide selection of both traditional and modern restaurants in Ras Al Khaimah. These are located both in the old city and in the modern Nakheel quarter. The public can also use restaurants in hotel complexes in and outside the Ras Al Khaimah city, such as the Hilton Beach Club, Al Hamra Fort Hotel, and Khatt Springs Hotel. There are a restaurant and an Irish pub at the Tower Links golf club. McDonald´s and Kentucky Fried Chicken chains have outlets in Ras Al Khaimah city.
Related Links
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