LIVING ON AUS CAMPUS

ARRIVAL

When you arrive at Dubai Airport you will be met by a representative of the Airport’s “Meet & Greet Service” - Marhaba. Marhaba will complete Immigration procedures on your behalf. Once your entry visa has been stamped in your passport they will assist you in collecting your baggage and escort you to an AUS driver, who will take you to AUS campus.

UNIVERSITY HOUSING

AUS provides modern housing for its faculty. Faculty residences are located on campus. Units of one, two, three or four bedrooms are assigned based on the number of accompanying resident family members and are subject to availability at the time of joining AUS. If your family situation changes while you are at AUS, you will be moved to a unit appropriate to your family size, on an as available basis.
Please click here to view the AUS Campus housing

AUS provides cable services, for a monthly fee, which carries 49 stations including CNN, BBC, Orbit ESPN, Super Movies as well as official stations of the surrounding Emirates.

DAYCARE CENTER

The Daycare Center provides quality care for children from the age of 2 months up to 5 years of age.  It provides a program for nursery children age 2 to 14 months, a toddler program for children 14 months to 2 years, a pre-kindergarden program for children 2 to 3 years, a KG1 program for children 3 to 4 years, and a KG2 program for children 4 to 5 years. There are structured fees associated with these services. The center is well equipped with a variety of learning resources.

In a grassy area directly outside the doors of the center is a children’s playground, utilized by both the center and the community. Opportunities for outdoor play are provided. The AUS sports complex is also utilized for gym programs and the leisure center for swimming lessons.  Arabic lessons are introduced at KG1 level. The center’s aim is to provide holistic care for the children.

The center follows the AUS Academic calendar. There are two semesters, pre semester and a summer program. Spaces are limited, therefore if you are interested it is advised to secure your child’s place as soon as possible.  For more information please contact Ms. Dawn Stephenson, Day Care Center Manager dstephenson@aus.edu or click here the daycare webpage.

EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

In some cases, there are extra fees for deposit, registration, books and uniforms.  Please contact the schools you are interested in as soon as possible to get the information regarding their programs, availability, and documents required for admission. Some schools have waiting lists, so waiting until you arrive is not recommended. You are responsible for providing transportation for your child to and from the school. Some carpooling takes place, and some schools have a bus that will pick up your child for a fee. Private buses to various schools in the area are also available for nominal charges.

Click here for a list of some of the schools in Sharjah and Dubai that children living on campus currently attend.

TRANSPORTATION

The university provides a regular shuttle service from faculty housing to the university buildings, and two trips per evening three times a week to the nearest supermarket and fast food outlets in Sharjah. There is also a bus service three times a week to points in Dubai for a nominal charge.  On arrival, it is possible to rent a car on a monthly basis. AVIS rent-a-car is contracted with the university to provide rental car services at a reasonable rate. Taxi service is available on call and some faculty have chosen to use taxis to Sharjah and Dubai instead of purchasing a private vehicle. UAE law allows new faculty members to buy a vehicle after their Residence Visa is issued. This process may take up to six weeks.

MEDICAL CARE

The University Health Center (UHC) provides primary health care for all faculty, staff, and students at AUS, and also for dependents of faculty and staff. It also provides free twenty four hour emergency care and an ambulance is stationed on campus to deal with medical emergencies. A wide range of health care services are available at the UHC.  In short, great emphasis is placed on making the campus a healthy and safe place to work and live.
The following services are provided by the (UHC):

• Health care (including twenty-four hour emergency care to campus residents)
• Basic investigation – blood sugar, urine sugar/protein, ECG, pulmonary function tests.
• Diet and counseling services.
• Vision test & blood grouping for driving licenses.
• Follow-up treatment, referrals to specialists (or insurance network providers).
• Psychological counseling services

There is no difficulty in obtaining medication in the UAE provided that a medical practitioner prescribes the medication. If you are currently taking medication, it is advisable to bring three to six months supply with you until the same medication or a medically accepted substitute can be obtained.

PHARMACY

The pharmacy is conveniently situated in the Student Activities Center (SAC) and is open from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm on Sunday through Thursday and 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on Saturday.

DINING SERVICES

There is a food court in the SAC which offers hot meals, grills, clay oven, sandwich corner as well as the following fast food restaurants and outlets:
• Burger King
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Pizza Hut
• DeliMarché
• Dunkin’ Donuts
• Baskin Robbins
• Abela
• Momento

These facilities will be available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Home delivery is available for some selected outlets.

LEISURE CENTER

The leisure center is designed for the use of all faculty and staff living on campus and their guests. It includes a swimming pool which is heated in winter and cooled in summer, a children's pool, a jacuzzi and a gymnasium/work-out room. A lifeguard is on duty during hours of operation.

SPORTS COMPLEX

The sports complex is for the use of students as well as faculty, staff and dependents. Indoor facilities include an olympic size swimming pool, squash, tennis and softball courts, two fully-equipped work-out rooms, multi-purpose halls for aerobics, karate, etc. Outdoor facilities include tennis, basketball and volleyball courts and a soccer field. Some of the facilities have separate schedules for men and women.

MINI MART

There are two mini marts on campus selling a range of products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, canned and frozen foods.

DRY CLEANING/LAUNDRY SERVICE

A dry cleaning and laundry service operates on campus every day of the week except Friday.

BANK

A branch of Sharjah Islamic Bank is located in the main building.  There are also two Sharjah Islamic Bank ATM machines on campus.

BEAUTY SALOON

Located on the west side of the residential area of AUS campus, the saloon welcomes all female AUS students and residents.

BARBER SHOP

Located in the SAC, the barber shop welcomes all male AUS students and residents.

TRAVEL OFFICE

The travel office is located in the SAC. A representative of Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA) is available to assist with bookings for personal and business travel.

BOOK STORE

Located on the ground floor of the library, the book store carries text books, novels, stationery and artist’s supplies.

INTERNET CAFÉ

Located in the SAC, the Café provides Internet access in a convenient, comfortable atmosphere.

POST OFFICE

A post office is located in the Main Building. Faculty can have personal mail delivered to their office.

COPY CENTER

The Copy Center provides quality and reasonably priced document reproduction services, binding etc.

POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM [POS]

A point-of-sale system is available, allowing students, faculty and staff to use their ID card as a debit card. This service is available in all outlets.

MAIL SERVICE

There are regular, express and registered postal services between the United Arab Emirates and the rest of the world at reasonable rates. There are also efficient commercial courier services. Currently it costs 4 dirhams to mail up to a 20 gr. letter to the US by normal post, and delivery usually takes place within eight to ten days.
All faculty receive their mail here at the university. Your mailing address will be:

Name
Department
American University of Sharjah
P.O. Box 26666
Sharjah,
United Arab Emirates.