I've Got Gas

I hate it when I get gas!

Gassing up at the ADNOC

The UAE has the 7^th largest oil reserves in the world, but they don’t seem to have enough gas stations. And it seems to be an experience unique to Abu Dhabi, where the only provider is ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company). Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven Emirates, and the one with the most oil.

You don’t pump your own gas, of course, and the jockeys are fast and work without stopping. But the line-ups often go right out into the street, with drivers aggressively jockeying for position, cutting in front of each other – just like on the highways here really, …only in slow motion…

Camels on the move

Dubai for example has a number of gas providers and their drivers don’t seem to suffer the way we do, but maybe it’s because Abu Dhabi is the area that’s growing the fastest. Every week, new buildings or roads open up, my GPS can’t keep up!

And, gas/petrol is expensive here (more than twice the price of Saudi Arabia, at least); it costs just over $15/£10 to fill my Corolla from empty.

But, all life passes through a petrol station - even camels; although they always seem to be transported in pairs!

The only quiet time is Friday morning, the Arabic equivalent of Sunday – so that’s when I go get gas.

When we moved into our house I bought an electric stove/cooker. Problem was, when it was delivered there was nowhere to plug it in. The fellow said: “There was a gas cooker here previously.”

Bob and his tank

I don’t think so, I told him, there’s no gas supply.

“No, they’ll have used a propane tank.”

But there’s not even a hole in the wall for the hose to come through.

“Oh, no, you keep the propane tank in the house, beside the cooker.”

…We had an electrical outlet installed.

Later that week, we bought an American gas barbeque – I can’t live without my BBQ – and we needed a propane tank. The guy at the hardware store said: “You can buy them at any ADNOC station.”

So, I went to the nearest ADNOC station: “I need a propane tank for my BBQ,“ I said.

“Just pop over to the supermarket; we don’t sell BBQ tanks here,” the guy said, pointing across the street.

I went to the supermarket and described the tank I wanted. “We don’t sell them here,” the guy said, “you need to go to the ADNOC,” and he pointed back across the street.

I slowly drove back. “Ah, you know what your problem is?” the ADNOC guy said, “a BBQ tank is a small cylinder for a picnic BBQ; what you need is a house tank, and we have them round the back.” He was right. So, now I have a house tank, but it’s situated in the back yard, well away from the house.

Well, it’s Friday – I must go gas up the car and then cook some steak for supper, I think.

Sunset on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi