Just a personal opinion about where to live, but I rate Abu Dhabi as better than Dubai. Reading Chandler Bings unhappy postings I am glad I live in Abu Dhabi where the air is comparitively cleaner than Dubai and Jebel Ali.
It isn't clear fresh Alpine air by any means, because there is a lot of sand flying around whipped up by the occassional strong wind and all the construction work going on...............oh and we are not in the Alps
People love the place, some loathe the place whilst others are ambivalent to it. If you can get here to visit I strongly suggest you do so that you can see what suits you best, rather than what suits those of us replying to you!!