New Visa Requirements for Canadians.

[737-700pilot]

As of Jan 2nd, 2011. All Canadians wishing to visit the UAE will have to obtain a Visa prior to travelling to the UAE. 30 day Visa's will no longer be issued upon arrival at the airport in the UAE.

From the Foreign Affairs Office Canada.

[Panama Jack]

So it looks like Emirates and Etihad's plans to increase service to Canada weren't really necessary in the first place. :rolleyes:

[helen-damnation]

Children, this is getting silly :{

[Left Coaster]

Oh...THAT'LL help...:p

[fatbus]

This is the kind of thing that does push it high enough to have airspace restrictions , should be fun to watch. Maybe Canadians working at EK will be forced to leave.

[motley flight crue]

The arrogance of this silly little place is painful. I hope Cananda
close there airspace. Then France, then...............teach them about bullying.

[Voel]

The arrogance of this silly little place is painful. I hope Cananda
close there airspace. Then France, then...............teach them about bullying.

At the end it's the poor traveller who suffers most :ugh:

[5star]

Well now we know they are really dumb at GCAA level and foreign affairs.

Indeed, lets hope the Canadians now start restricting their airspace...:}

To anyone not familiar with things over here, it really IS like kindergarden here...never seen this kind of incompetence at government level...

Next round please...

[neilb767]

next on the hit list must be driving licenses also,,,..absolutely amazing !

[three eighty]

Cry me a river!
Have you checked how long the list of countries is whose citizens are expected to get visas before visiting or even transiting Canada.
Whats good for the Goose....

[Togalk]

380, ya you're right, the list should be longer. Lets start with all the S__t countries that we allow in that don't reciprocate. 'Oh i wish i had a Pakistani passport, i would be sooo happy!!!'
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE etc, etc. I never hear anyone saying, "oh I wish India would allow me and my family to immigrate there, we would have a much better standard of living as compared to Montreal."
Canada does NOT need the UAE or SAUDI, it is THE biggest gas supplier to the US.
So lets start with denying Emirates and Etihad overflying rights. Then we can stop all the military training that the US and Canada give. Stop supplying military equipment, planes, missiles, ammunition, you get my point. Who needs who more?

[whitecross]

This is ridiculous, I will continue listing as well. Canada Should stop giving citizenships for UAE . But Everyone should know the real meaning of UAE,

It is actually UAIP :ugh: and the E soon will be replaced by India and Pakistan :ok:

[Bredrin]

Usually countries require visas for people who want to 'run away' to their country. Come on, who in Canada wants to 'run away' to the UAE.
The politics is benefitting no one.
RIDICULOUS!
Or are you just winding us up.......

[Sindbad]

Canadian police deny Mabhouh arrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/20101020131433409397.html)

May be thats why?

[Red max]

I can't see why the UAE wasn't granted extra landing Rights in Canada. They are all for Free Market when it works in their favor!!! The way the situation is playing out is a bit childish but i say good on them.

[Willie Everlearn]

This is simply a NON-starter.

First of all, the UAE are simply going back to the way it was not so long ago, by requiring Canadians to have visas.
No big deal.

The Canadian Military have already vacated Camp Mirage, as requested.
The Canadian Military will vacate Afghanistan next summer, as intended.
The eviction will cost Canadians millions over the next few months.
We get it, they're not happy EKs didn't get what they wanted.
This UAE response will do nothing for EK or EY.

This is simply immature behavior from a 'mouse that roared' and we don't need a bunch of donut eaters or focus groups telling us how to react. Most Canadians already know how EK and EY should be dealt with despite the fact that our Government hasn't got the motivation yet, to do it.

Canada will do nothing because unlike the UAE, THIS is a real country with global responsibilities, with a real history and a real economy. This hissy fit by the UAE is not going to advance EKs or EYs cause or likely to change a thing.

What a farce. :mad:

Willie :ok:

[vickers vanguard]

best thing our Conservative government did, was to pull out of the sandpit. what I would love them to do, is close our airspace to their monkey airlines. as for the visa thing......yeh right......oooo ! that's gonna hurt.... there are so many canadians( read sarcasm) that want to spend their hard earned dollars in the sandpit paradise of UAE. To hell that place !

....the only ones that would really cry, are all those useless:yuk::yuk: that immigrated to Canada, got a citizenship, went back to work in UAE because they love being treated like dirt. those would be the first to say : " how come ? I shooouuld not need a visa, I haave a Canadian Paaassssport !


now, all you bleeding leftists, go ahead and flame me.

I am wondering how long before my posting gets removed ??:mad::mad:

[jackbauer]

UAE introduce this requirement to piss of you guys and it looks like it worked. Hook line and sinker gentlemen. They are having the last laugh. It's only a visa for gods sake not a ban. Never heard anyone complain about the ban on going to Libya. Oh that's right you don't want to go/work there do you.

[three eighty]

380, ya you're right, the list should be longer
The Canadian government has every right to make the list as long as they like - but don't cry foul when the same restrictions are placed on Canadian citizins.

So lets start with denying Emirates and Etihad overflying rights
and how would that make you any different from the UAE denying Canada the use of a military base.

their monkey airlines
Before posting such an eloquent statement, I suggest you make the effort and talk to someone who has flown long haul on Air Canada and Emirates or Etihad and then decide which is the "monkey" airline.

[GoreTex]

compare the duty times between AC and EK, then lets see who is the monkey airline, I rather fly with well rested pilots than with overworked zombies like myself.

EK is shiny but as they say "you can get a girl out of the trailer park but you can never get the trailer park out of a girl"

bubbles, ricky and julian

[nolimitholdem]

"Pissed Off?" HAHAHAHAAH

I think it's both amusing, and a badge of honour. Anything that helps highlight the differences between the two countries is fine by me. May I never be mistaken for someone who actually respects anything whatsoever about the UAE and the way things are done there.

Just don't keep crying about "protectionism" as you're putting more barriers on your own doors.

[Loopy]

YouTube - notcanada part1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLEwNZ6qkms&feature=player_embedded)


YouTube - notcanada part2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgNIdhOrhnM&feature=related)

[737-700pilot]

Outlaw.....I am so confused by your post:

You posted in Bold:

As of January 2, 2011 a visa will be required for tourism and business purposes. It can be obtained prior to travel at the Embassy of the UAE.

You posted this from the Canadian website, then you wrote that we don't need visa's.

Seems pretty self explainatory that after Jan 2nd, we need a visit visa as a tourist to go to the UAE. Which we have to get before we travel there.

Right now we get a 30 day visa at the airport at no charge.

Canada can't impose a visa on it's own citizens to travel to a foreign country. It is the other country that would impose these restrictions. That is how a visa works. Besides why would Canada do that to it's own citizens.

So I am cofused about what your point is?????:uhoh:

[nsfw]

Any stamp you get in your passport is considered a visa. To enter the UAE you need to get your passport stamped.

It is the same in every country you enter.

As a Canadian you can get this before you travel or right at the airport.

As of January 2, 2011 a visa will be required for tourism and business purposes. It can be obtained prior to travel at the Embassy of the UAE.

The rule hasn't changed, it has always been that.

Its just the media selling news

[737-700pilot]

nsfw:

I understand that any stamp in your passport is a visa. But currently when I fly from Halifax to Toronto and then to Dubai. I just land here and they stamp my passport for 30 days no questions asked.

Now I have to mail my passport to Ottawa and pay to get a visa to come to Dubai. In a self-addressed envelope and it can take upto 5 days to get it back or longer.

That's the difference between what is happening now and what will be happening later. I can't just turn up in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, like I can turn up in the U.S. or UK or Germany, France etc etc.

I just can't jump on a plane and go to Dubai. I have to plan ahead and get a visa first.

That's the difference I was trying to point out to The Outlaw and now you.:rolleyes::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

You two obviously don't get what's going on.:mad:

So for your info....The rule has changed. And now it cost money.:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

And if they are not careful they might just piss off the wrong people and over flight permission might be denied. They'll be doing the south pole route to get to the U.S.

[737-700pilot]

By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 8, 2010 4:06 PM
U.A.E. slaps visas on Canadians

Canadians will need visas to enter the United Arab Emirates as of Jan. 2, 2011, according to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the U.A.E.'s embassy in Ottawa.

The move is the latest salvo in a growing diplomatic spat between Ottawa and the U.A.E. over airline landing rights at Canadian airports that also saw Canada evicted from a key military base in Dubai.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada posted an update to its website that says the visas will be required for tourism and business purposes and can be obtained prior to travel at the U.A.E. Embassy.

Opposition critics have slammed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government for its handling of relations with the U.A.E. — a key Mideast trading partner that had provided the Canadians with free use of the once-covert military base known as Camp Mirage to stage operations in Afghanistan.

But Conservative sources told CBC News the Canadian government viewed the U.A.E.'s use of the base as a bargaining chip in its request for Ottawa to grant state carriers Emirates and Etihad more access to Canadian airports as "blackmail." The Canadian military left Camp Mirage last week.

A U.A.E. embassy staff member noted that every U.A.E. citizen has always needed a visa to enter Canada, including diplomats and the embassy's head of staff.

Visa move a 'tit-for-tat thing': Rae

The Conservatives insist the relationship between the two countries remains robust, but Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said the U.A.E.'s latest move belies the government's line that nothing's wrong.

"It's kind of a tit-for-tat thing that's going on," Rae said Monday during an interview airing on CBC's Power and Politics with Evan Solomon.

"It's obviously an inconvenience for travellers."
A 1999 agreement allows Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways to fly up to six times a week into Canada. But the U.A.E. government says that with 27,000 Canadians living in that country, and a significant trade relationship — the U.A.E. is Canada's largest trade partner in the Middle East and North Africa — six flights per week are not enough.

Air Canada has objected to any increased service by Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways to Canadian destinations. It says that in certain areas, such as Dubai, there is very little originating traffic that comes to Canada.

With files from The Canadian Press

[EYpilot777]

i like that :8 ooooooooh canadians again
Canada will do nothing because unlike the UAE, THIS is a real country with global responsibilities, with a real history and a real economy. This hissy fit by the UAE is not going to advance EKs or EYs cause or likely to change a thing.
and that also :ooh:
....the only ones that would really cry, are all those uselesshttp://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/pukey.gifhttp://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/pukey.gif that immigrated to Canada, got a citizenship, went back to work in UAE because they love being treated like dirt. those would be the first to say : " how come ? I shooouuld not need a visa, I haave a Canadian Paaassssport !
my canadian friends your country is not USA := it.s CANADA belive.t or not
;) happy flights

[pool]

citizen of A needs a visa for country B and has to apply for it beforehand.

citzen of B got a visa on arrival in A, no hassle beforehand.

now citizen B is suddenly treated like citizen A and is outraged.


country B has an airline but does not serve B.

country A has an airline, serves B and would like to serve more.

country B says no, we're all for open skies and trade, but not for A.


Just change the countries and citizens with names of a class in Kindergarten next door, it sounds pretty much the same .... :ugh:

[rakedwings]

Piss on a plate where the food is. It is so childish to fight over such a petty issue. What makes Canadians so special that they should not be required a visa.If Canada was a real first world country with real airlines then we wouldn't see so many here holding their begging bowls.
If Canadian or european airspace is closed we will all be packing our beans to go back home. So whats so great about that.
Steven Harper is an idiot trying to commit the same mistake that has killed canadian aviation in the past. I say let Air Canada go bust and bring on a much needed healthy aviation environment.:D

[dubaicrew]

i dont see why it is so terrible that you now have to get visas before arrival.

I have to do that to almost every country i visit, and have been doing that for three full passports now!

[Saltaire]

Canada has it's issues with open skies and questionable protection practices with respect to EK expansion. Having said that, it is certainly about as first world as it gets, and as per usual it's the UAE gov't acting childish and showing it's class as a spoiled tribe of new found wealth. I hope nothing will change other than a simple 30 day entry stamp, but we'll see what the brilliant minds in the UAE gov't come up with. Do they want Dubai to recover from the brink of failure and encourage ease of travel and tourism? The UAE continues to show one PR failure after another. They really need to allow the airlines to quietly negotiate on their own. I'm sure the heads of EK and EY are shaking their heads and are as frustrated as everyone else when the gov't steps in with poor reactive decisions. Good for Canada.

[Alconguin Crusader]

The UAE does not realise or understand who or where they are in the world sceme of things. They are a 3rd world, piss ant police state. Canada is a first world member of the G7.
Someone wants a healthy airline environment for Canada. I would suggest a visit to the EK clinic and see for themsleves just how "healthy" EK is. EK operates on a whole different level. They don't have anything close to a Transport Canada, do not allow unions, practice in slave labor and don't honor contracts. If anyone thinks that is a level playing field you must be on your wife's drugs.
All the UAE is trying to do is steal the transit pax going to India. If the UAE was a country they would have their own O&D pax and not need to fly Indians all around the world.
Canada is doing the right thing and I hope a airspace restriction is the next step because as we all know the UAE needs Canada a whole lot more than Canada needs the UAE.
Visa requirements have always been slanted in favor of 1st world countries. After all how many Muslims want to live in Europe, N America versus how many N Americans and Europeans want to live in a 3rd world police state, forever? If the numbers are even close to 1000 to 1 I would be shocked.

[odericko2000]

Crusader

You exhibit so much anger and naivety at the same time, been following this thread silently for a while now, yes EK might be slave driving but the fact remains that they command a huge share of the market currently with the reeling aviation sector, much more considerably than Air Canada, how many Canadian families depend on EK vs families in the ME depending on AC, most legacy Airlines are trying to get a piece of the pie in the middle east and Asian traffic, so the chest thumping of how you are the first world doesn't change the facts as they stand currently, it's highly unlikely the Canadian government will restrict it's airspace for EK, as much as you wouldn't like to admit it diplomacy is the only way out any embargoes on EK only serve to hurt both parties.
Oh 'flying Indians all over the world' that's laughable, immature and a bigoted comment, how many airline you know have survived by flying only their native citizens, AC would fold within a year if they were to fly only Canadians around the world, last I checked India is the second most populous country in the world hot in the heels of china, two markets any airline would kill to break into, and seems EK has done a pretty good job in doing so apart from being strategically located.

Hope they get a solution to the nasty situation soon.

[wadi_racer]

FFS chaps two full pages of bitching and whinging when no one has actually bothered to get the fact and at least have a decent bitch.
If you need a visa it is not really a big deal..........it may be an inconvenience, but hey get over it.......

Personally I dont really care whether you need a visa or not, I actually need a visa for most countries but I am not really prepared to go into that as I like most people have accepted the fact.
Build a bridge and get over it................

Wadi:{:{:{

[Saltaire]

Looks like a straight forward case of the UAE savings face and retaliating on the failed expansion of EY and EK into Canada. The latest quote from one of the local papers in Dubai:

"The current status of relations with the government in Canada compared with other countries on the visa waiver programme is at a much lower level. ... It isn't fair to include it with countries with which we have a healthy and productive relationship."

But, of course, if additional landing rights were issued tomorrow, MAGIC... the relations would all of the sudden drastically change. The UAE showing their tribal and draconian reaction when not getting their way. This will certainly not help their case...

I'm sure most Canadians living in Canada would care less; who needs who? Canada needs absolutely nothing from the UAE, including oil. This will just deter much needed tourism and trade into the UAE.

[odericko2000]

Touché, let's sit back and watch the drama unfold:8

[Willie Everlearn]

If I were to wade in any deeper on this, it would be a waste of my time.

Might I simply reiterate what wadi_racer has already so eloquently said.

Willie :ok:

[Willie Everlearn]

Emirates didn't get what it wants/expected from the Canadian government so it went to its government to arm twist the Canadian government into submission.

Air Canada (may have) went to its government to ask it to fend off the 'assault' by Emirates, citing the possibility of its demise as a consequence.

Seems reasonable to me so what did I miss?
It's okay for EK to further its self interests through its government but not for Air Canada?

C'mon. Where is this debate heading?

Willie :ugh:

[LHR Rain]

It is high time the Canadaians close the airspace to UAE carriers. That is the only item that will get the dictators attentention and reset the relationship of who needs who more.

[CIAS]

Then the UAE could close their airspace to Canadian carriers!! That'll show 'em, oh and a ban on Canada Dry for good measure.

[GotOneMate]

Watch it you infidel boys and girls. The sheeky sheiks of Ultra A$$hole Enterprise (UAE) will find willing and obliging mullahs to issue fatwas to de-cap Canada dry until such time when Canada realises that is has to bend many times over to the demands of his royal highnesses.

I wonder what Timi Clarke and Johnny Hogan feel about their bosses' wishes?

[737-700pilot]

Qatar and Canada sign new air agreement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada appears to have found another friend in the Gulf: the National Post and Montreal Gazette are both reporting that:

"Canada and Qatar have quietly signed an aviation agreement that will allow Qatar Airways to fly three passenger flights and three cargo flights a week to and from the Gulf sheikdom.

Talks were successfully concluded on Oct. 25 after only three days of negotiation, according to Qatari news media....

Qatar does not require that Canadian citizens have a visa before travelling there. In a sign of warming relations, Canada is to open an embassy in Qatar early next year."

Canada and Qatar airline deal set to take off

In the war of words between Canada and the UAE is this a score for Canada or an own goal by the UAE side?

[sheikmyarse]

Contacted..by reading your post I believe you really don't understand the socio politics here.. The Dubai Government is EK and viceversa mate and they use the same techiques to maintiain power: intimidation, exploitment and daily violations of human rights.
Dubai has 1.3 million inhabitants as a whole "country" a real small sandy ****hole.
LHR rain...betteter youou takeke a braekek... youou lookok tireded!!

[C-FILL]

The Outlaw:

Also, that it is NOT indicated on the UAE embassy website in Ottawa.

If you refer to the Visa section of the afore mentioned website (here) (http://www.uae-embassy.com/Visas.html) you will see in big bold and italic letters the following sentence "Note: Effective January 02, 2011 Canadian Passport holders are required to obtain a visa prior to entering the United Arab Emirates."

So I sent an email to the UAE embassy in Ottawa to ask for clarification.

Have you heard back from them yet?

What I said again was that I called the immigration people here in the UAE who told me there is no need for a visa even after Jan 2.

It is probably more likely that they didn't "Get the memo" yet.

[Jumbo Wambo]

QR granted landing rights in Canada...


Canada grants Qatar aircraft landing rights (http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/canada-grants-qatar-aircraft-landing-rights)

[737-700pilot]

Canada, UAE relationship needs work: MacKay

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Friday that Canada has "work to do" to repair its relationship with the United Arab Emirates.

The diplomatic relationship between the two countries soured after Canada denied increased landing rights for two state-run airlines from the U.A.E.

In retaliation, the U.A.E. barred Canada's access to Camp Mirage, a covert military base it has been using to stage operations in Afghanistan.

"We have some work to do in repairing the relationship with the [U.A.E.]," MacKay said. "Clearly the circumstances under which we left the base require now some work."

He did not deny that relationship had soured unnecessarily.

Canada refused to grant the landing rights because the U.A.E. tried to "blackmail" it into doing so by using access to a key Dubai military base as a bargaining chip, Conservative sources told CBC News in October.

On Oct. 11, MacKay confirmed that talks with the U.A.E. about the base's closure had failed, and Canada would abide by the country's wishes and vacate it.

Canada has since made arrangements to use alternate bases in Germany and Cyprus.

Reports suggest it will cost $300 million to close Camp Mirage.

The federal government hasn't "calculated all the costs" yet, MacKay said before boarding a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, for a NATO summit.

"Obviously, we'll look at close-out costs when the time is right. We have had to relocate, as you know, to other bases.

"My primary concern is that we continue to have operational efficiencies. We have to continue to supply personnel equipment going in into the Afghan theatre."

[Left Coaster]

What? No mention of the lobby pressure from the Airline business moguls from that so called "win at all costs" flag carrier? Shame! I wonder who gave the MP's the Fly EMIRATES hats? :p

[w7daawi]

what would make you think that Emirati want to become a canadian ?

[EYpilot777]

to be jobless :ooh:

[nolimitholdem]

yep, no unemployment outside of Canada EH?! lol

Youth Unemployment Is A Regional Problem (http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/youth-unemployment-is-a-regional-problem-1.707255)

By Rania Moussly, Staff Reporter Gulf News
Published: 00:00 November 7, 2010

Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing the Arab world today said business leaders at the Fifth Annual Young Arab Leaders (YAL) Regional Entrepreneurship Summit which closed in Dubai yesterday.

The current unemployment rate in the Arab world stands at 16 per cent, 80 per cent of that figure is made up of a youth population of 130 million.

"The biggest challenge we have in the region at the moment is unemployment," said Dr Sulaiman Al Hattlan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Arab Strategy Forum.

"A 2007 report shows that most young Arabs want to emigrate outside the region; and 70 per cent say it's to seek employment opportunities in search of a better income," he added.

Al Hattlan added that according to a recent World Bank report, the region must create six million annual jobs to address the youth unemployment problem of the region.

"To face this challenge we have to look to the private sector in order to create jobs," he said. "[Because] if we look at an overview of the Arab world it's a dim and frightening picture," said Al Hattlan.



So the answer to the question "what would make you think that Emirati want to become a canadian ?" (sic) is - your own leaders make me think this. They've stated this clearly. Their words, not mine.

My own question is, what would make you think that Canada wants Emiratis as citizens? Canada - hell any immigrant nation - needs immigrants who are actually willing to work, integrate into their adopted society, and contribute something to that society.

[EYpilot777]

when you said arab world it's like saying the European Union :ugh:
Is the number of unemployed in France is the same number of unemployed in Germany???? :=
see this and change the names of European countries to arab countries and it will be fair Unemployment in Euro zone 10% and 9.6% in EU; worst case Spain with 20.3% — MercoPress (http://en.mercopress.com/2010/09/01/unemployment-in-euro-zone-10-and-9.6-in-eu-worst-case-spain-with-20.3)

how many locals living in canada and how many canadians live in UAE :ooh: loooooooooooool

i am not local or arabic and i fly a lot to toronto so i know how things goes there
see this about canada Canada Unemployment Rate (http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Unemployment-rate.aspx?Symbol=CAD)

did you see a homeless in UAE ?
what about canada ?
see this Homelessness in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_Canada)

have safe and happy flights :ok:

[three eighty]

From the CanadianGlobe and Mail
The Harper government has added fuel to the heated diplomatic feud with the United Arab Emirates, accusing it of subsidizing its airline and arguing that allowing it to fly more often to Canada would have cost “tens of thousands of jobs” here.

The government’s charge that the UAE government subsidizes the Emirates airline will only fan the dispute, as both have for years vociferously denied charges of subsidy levelled by airlines in Europe, Australia, and Canada, which are fighting the Mideast airline’s aggressive drive for market share.


The diplomatic feud was sparked by Canada’s rejection of the UAE’s demand for its two airlines, Emirates and Etihad, to fly daily routes from Dubai into three Canadian cities. In response, the UAE booted the Canadian Forces out of a Dubai base it had been using to stage operations in Afghanistan, and slapped visa restrictions on Canadian visitors.

The spat has split the Harper cabinet, as Defence Minister Peter MacKay lobbied hard for the government to allow the UAE expanded landing rights – and asserted that the refusal deeply damaged relations.

But yesterday, the Conservative government turned up the tone.

In Lisbon for a NATO summit, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the negotiations for the landing rights broke down because Canadians would have lost jobs.

“I made it perfectly clear that we’re not prepared to put Canadian workers out of their jobs by allowing a subsidized foreign airline to literally flood the Canadian market,” he said.

And in the House of Commons, Government House Leader John Baird suggested Canada’s airline industry would have been decimated: “It would have cost Canada literally tens of thousands of jobs and was not in Canadians’ best interest,” he said. “That is why we said no.”

Mr. Baird’s assertion amounts to an argument that the increased flights – daily from Dubai to Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver instead of three times a week to Toronto – would devastate Canada’s airline industry. The Canadian competitor on overseas routes, Air Canada, employs 26,000, and the industry as a whole, 65,000.

But the Canadian government’s assertion that the UAE subsidizes airlines that use job-killing predatory practices to dump cheap flights on foreign markets will be a red flag to the UAE, which has been fighting this argument for years.

Competitors have claimed that Emirates gets low-cost subsidized fuel and financing from Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and favourable rates from its home-base airport in Dubai, but Emirates denies that. And it has become a hot political issue because European airlines and Air Canada are trying to preserve traffic into their European hub in Frankfurt, while Emirates – and the UAE government – are trying to establish Dubai as a major air-travel and tourism centre.

“The reality is some competitors, realizing that Emirates was emerging as a major competitive entrant, simply devised a plan, sans facts or evidence, to throw enough mud to ensure some of it stuck,” Emirates President Tim Clark said in a speech last year, adding that the claims are “usually fired from a grassy knoll in the Frankfurt area.”

Diplomats at the UAE’s embassy in Ottawa could not be reached for comment.

Emirates entered a fierce lobbying battle with Air Canada over the expanded landing rights, meeting with dozens of cabinet ministers and senior officials before their request was rejected in October.

Emirates insists its request would take up only about 2 per cent of Canada’s international passenger traffic, and wouldn’t devastate the industry here, but opponents said it would force Air Canada to sink resources into international competition, and perhaps cut less profitable routes to regional airports in Canada.

The Conservatives’ insistence that their decision to reject the UAE airlines would protect jobs appeared to place them in an unusual position – winning warm words from trade unions, but criticism from conservative free-market advocates.

Mark Milke, a policy analyst with the free-market Fraser Institute, said the issue of whether the UAE’s airlines are subsidized should affect the Canadian government’s decisions. But with all the claims and denials, the fact that Emirates is government-owned means the public has to take their word for it, or not.

If it isn’t subsidized, more foreign competition would be good for the industry and consumers by lowering prices and creating competition for better service, he said. But either way, he added, the Conservative government’s claims it would cost tens of thousands of jobs are exaggerated.

“That assumes that somehow you’re going to see the disappearance of WestJet and Air Canada. It’s fanciful,” he said. He likened the decision to the rejection of a foreign takeover of Saskatchewan’s Potash Corp. “It’s the kind of protectionist rhetoric that unfortunately the Tory government has become famous for.”

[nolimitholdem]

i am not local or arabic and i fly a lot to toronto so i know how things goes there

Yep, you're pretty much an expert! lol And with Wikipedia to back you up, how can I argue? hahahahah! I'll be sure to remind the beggars that approach me in the parking lots of the shopping malls in Dubai and Sharjah, that they're really lucky they don't live in Canada!

Anyway, back to the thread. I think it's safe to say the the new visa requirements will matter the sum total of about zero to most Canadians, seeing as the UAE isn't exactly a tourist hot spot for Canada and the vast majority are workers on employment visas. But from the posted article it does seem they're waking up to the fact that allowing companies based in shall we say, more "loosely" regulated areas of the world, to sail in and take market share, could be a Bad Idea.

The best point made in the article is

But with all the claims and denials, the fact that Emirates is government-owned means the public has to take their word for it, or not.

And for anyone who has ever worked for EK or EY or in the Middle East knows, NEVER EVER EVER take the word of anyone here. It's worthless.

[C-FILL]

...seeing as the UAE isn't exactly a tourist hot spot for Canada and the vast majority are workers on employment visas.

Good point. It’ll just be a bit more of a hassle for family and friends to come visit Canadians in the UAE.

Although the circumstance surrounding the introduction of this visa requirement is regrettable, one can’t really hold it against the Emiratis. One word, RECIPROCITY. If Emiratis require Visa’s to get into Canada, then it’s only fair that Canadians require visas to enter the UAE. But for some reason, many seem to be taking the news pretty hard and are perhaps blowing the thing way out of proportion. I am reminded of the Brazil vs. USA story (recall the whole finger printing issue and the American skipper that made world headlines with his middle finger ;))

It’ll be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out!

[Desertbannanas]

Anyone working in the UAE has to get Visa's anyway. This is the majority of the Canadian traffic is it not? That being only about 10% of the total traffic on ME carriers. The rest are Subcontinent traffic with family in Canada.

Perhaps Canada wants to grant some access to UAE, but also find space for others in servicing this traffic. Turkish is up and coming, and well positioned for this. Add the fact that they are already Star Alliance members, which would mean that the companies would mutually benefit each other.

[TorGirl]

Much as I dislike the UAE and it's temper tantrums and the way the treat people, as well as the many things they do like throwing people in jail for kissing on the cheek, drinking without the "permission" of the police, throwing an expat female in jail for not accepting the come-ons of a local - things like that.....

I would have to say you are gravely mistaken if you think you will see a "local" beggar. There are none, and if there are in the UAE they are definitely not local. So, before you assume to know things about a country i would suggest you stay there for a year and find out all the beauties there are - beggars don't exist.

[Kamelchaser]

Beggers don't exist?...they certainly don't frequent the areas I do, but they certainly exist. You're right..probably not local, but every year around Ramadan the police have a big campaign to get the beggers off the streets. They arrest hundreds if not thousands (as reported in the papers) every year.

So yes...they certainly exist.

[sec 3]

Not as many as in toronto and vancouver though!:E