Yesterday my 8-year-old son, Felix, sat on my reading glasses and broke them. This was just a few days after my wife suggested I get a new pair as my current set were looking a little tired. So Felix did me a favour. I might have put off getting a new pair for several more weeks or months if he hadn’t accelerated my decision-making process.
So I sent an email to the alainexpats yahoo group and asked everyone where I could find the best opticians in town.
Within an hour I received an email from Geraldine Kershaw who helps run the Al Ain Choral Society and has lived in Al Ain for many years: she said the place to go was Al Hakeem Optical, opposite the Jashanmal store on Khalifa Street in the centre of Al Ain.
An hour later I drove into town, had my eyes tested, and my new specs will be ready within 24 hours! Yippee!
Here’s the outside of the store I went in…
Here’s the second store which is 4 stores to the left of the one above: this one has a workshop in the back where the glasses are made to ensure the 24-hour turnaround…
There are also branches in the Al Jimi Mall and in the Al Ain Mall too.
This is the team which served me in the first store. From left to right are Yasmin, Yovi and Venus…
Venus carried out the eye test. Thankfully my new prescription will be almost identical to the measurements I had done 3 years ago, so my eyes aren’t getting worse…
This is the set I’ve chosen from their vast selection…
My wife objected: quite rightly. Venus suggested I get glasses with a frame as they’re less delicate, especially with young boys that like to wrestle. I agreed. These are made from titanium, and are nice and flexible…
The price? 100aed for the spectacle frames, reduced from the ticket price of 150aed. Plus 80aed for the lenses with anti-glare and anti-reflection. (I passed on the anti-freeze option: rarely needed in the heat of the desert.) Total: 180aed (£30, US$45).
Venus said that, if the workshop didn’t have my lenses in stock, my spectacles would take another day: a total of 48 hours. That’s service.
Telephone this branch of Al Hakeem Optical on 03 766 2051.
If you pop in, do tell them you found out about them on this site. Thanks!
(And if you know of any other great opticians in Al Ain, do let me know in the Comments box below.)