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'The ChatGPT of Abu Dhabi': 92,000-member social media community fosters a culture of kindness
6 July 2025 22:58
KIRSTIN BERNABE (ABU DHABI)Anyone familiar with the Facebook group Abu Dhabi Q&A (ADQA) would agree that it could be the Google or the ChatGPT of the this community page, members can ask just about anything related to life in the UAE capital - from how to get traffic fine discounts and where to find affordable 2-bedroom flats for rent, to restaurant tips, and even parenting and marriage while ChatGPT can deliver answers in seconds, it can't comfort an anxious mother or broadcast a marriage proposal "to any woman". No AI bot can drive out in the middle of the night to help someone find a life-saving feeding tube for a seriously ill ADQA community has done all of this - and much more - over the past 12 years. Now with 92,000 members and counting, the private Facebook group broadcasts dozens of posts every day with members actively helping each other Jaffar, the founder of ADQA, doesn't think ChatGPT can replace the group, even if such bots can answer all essential how-to questions."The magic of the group isn't in the answers, it's in the community. The real people and their real stories," Jaffar, an Abu Dhabi resident for 17 years now, told the Year of Community, ADQA stands as proof of how human connections - even in an online space - can create a culture of kindness and compassion.
How It All StartedJaffar founded the online community in January 2013 out of a need for "accurate, real-time information in the city". "Back then, I felt Google 'failed' Abu Dhabi. There was no reliable online space that acted like a local citizen's advice bureau where you could simply ask a question and get a trustworthy answer," she expat, who moved from London to Abu Dhabi in 2008, started the group with 70 of her friends on Facebook."What began as a small, practical solution to a personal challenge grew into something far bigger: a community-powered network of knowledge, kindness and connection," she there are dozens of similar groups on Facebook, ADQA stands out for the values it has consistently upheld through the years: accessibility, transparency and community."What sets ADQA apart is that it was created with no business motive or agenda. I started it purely to help, and I've stayed true to that," Jaffar said.
An Unforgettable MomentFor many of the group's members, ADQA is a reminder of the good in humanity. Helena Jordan has seen firsthand how strangers are willing to go out of their way to lend a hand during a difficult a learning assistant who lived in Abu Dhabi with her family for 16 years, clearly recalls a core memory from 10 years ago, when her dad in Serbia was in critical condition and needed a particular feeding tube that was nowhere to be found. She raced against time as she had to catch a flight within hours, at 2am, and bring the life-saving tube to her father."In my panic, the only other thing I could think about was to post in the Abu Dhabi Q&A group," she said. The post garnered almost 200 responses within reached out with ideas on where to find such a tube. There were pharmacists who went back to their sites to check if they had it in stock. One orthodontist quickly drove to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and coordinated with senior doctors on good Samaritan was able to help Jordan pack two different feeding tubes into her suitcase, in the hopes that one of them would help her father. None of them worked, and by the time the family managed to get one from Croatia, Jordan's father was already in a coma and all they could do was wait."Ten years later, the pain still feels fresh; however, every time I think of my father, I am reminded of the wonderful community of strangers who became friends, of people who sent prayers and offered their help - the amazing people of ADQA," she said.
Rays of PositivityAnother group member, Muhil Sureshkumar, turned to the group during a vulnerable moment as a mother and "never expected the overwhelming wave of love, prayers and strength that followed". At that time, her newborn son was battling a rare congenital heart defect. "I was flooded with messages of encouragement and hope from complete strangers who became my pillars of strength," said the expat who hails from Sri will never forget how Jaffar went above and beyond her role as group moderator."She visited me at my home after I returned from the hospital with my baby, just to make sure I was okay. In a city where I had no extended family, her presence was a blessing. It wasn't just her kindness, it was her selfless nature, her genuine care, her quiet strength that held me during a time I was falling apart," said the expat, an AI engineer who runs her own online tutoring academy.
Trust as Currency, not AlgorithmsRunning ADQA has completely shaped Jaffar's life as a resident of Abu Dhabi. "Behind every post is a person sometimes in need, sometimes angry, sometimes lost, but always seeking connection. And managing that space has taught me how to read people without ever seeing them," Jaffar a moderator, she makes sure posts are kind, polite and family-friendly, and urges members to be aware of the UAE's cyber the years, Jaffar has learnt that "digital spaces are deeply human"."I discovered that trust is the true currency online and not likes, not reach, not algorithms. And once earned, it's powerful. Once broken, it's nearly impossible to rebuild," she posts are not all SOS entries. Community members do get a good laugh once in a fact, one of the most popular posts in the group was shared in 2017 by a "handsome Lebanese man, aged 32" who was looking for a woman to marry."She must be rich - age and nationality not important," read his post, which received almost 700 comments.
He's now 40, and still not married, Jaffar said. While ADQA has changed lives and helped many, some problems are just beyond its reach.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
