The Surprising Place Shaq Says He Would Consider Moving To — and Why! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:DCT Abu Dhabi

DCT Abu Dhabi

The former NBA star took on the culinary scene of Abu Dhabi in a short video -Street Bites with Shaq- in which he experiences the flavors and cuisines of the city.

“I was invited to Abu Dhabi. It was a great place. People there were very hospitable,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE of his time partnering with Experience Abu Dhabi.

This wasn’t O’Neal’s first time in the capital, and certainly won’t be his last. “It was my third, fourth time there. The place is really like heaven on earth,” he says. “The ocean has no waves. You don’t have to lock your door at night. Streets are clean. The houses are big. Women are beautiful.”

Despite it not being his first time in Abu Dhabi, the basketball legend was eager to experience all that he could. “I wanted to check out all of Abu Dhabi. I didn’t just go to the places that they made me go. I was like, I want to check out all of it,” O’Neal says.

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Of course, this also meant trying as many different dishes as a hungry 7’ 1” man can. “I went to old Abu Dhabi and tried out some of the local dishes…. I actually tried everything,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE. “My two favorites were the lamb ghouzi and a special shawarma.”

While O’Neal went to the United Arab Emirates metropolis for the food, he couldn’t help but fall in love with the people, too. “The people there were just - like I said, it’s heaven on earth, but I haven’t really been to a place where everything is upbeat,” he says. “You go to the mall, different cultures, different people. Everybody’s smiling, everybody’s having a good time. I actually would consider living there.”

Now that he is back in the United States - for now - O’Neal is thinking about what comes next. “Man, we’re just going to continue to do positive things,” the sports analyst says. “We’re working on a lot of stuff… I haven’t played professional basketball in 20 years, but yet I’m still working and my schedule is full. I’m thankful for that."

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source: people.com