Paddy: I agree with you. This is absolutely atrocious, but you and I both know what it's like there so I am not surprised anymore.
Regarding the DAC evac: I was assisting in crewing the day that happened. (what a day that was!) Maybe I have misunderstood your post, but, as far as I am concerned, the crew (all SEP trained) did a fabulous job and evacuated the pax in 54 secs.
(By the way, that day is the ONLY time I caught a glimpse of compassionate side to the wee ****e... commonly known as AAB...he offered to dispatch and Amiri aircraft to bring the crew back to DOH!)
However, the fact still remains this is a huge safety issue and should be reported to the relevant authorities if true!
Cheers
HR