The idea behind ICAO licenses
The Chicago convention requires ICAO member states to recognize each other licenses in order to permit international travel. This does not mean that they have to convert a license issued by another state into one of their own. It only means that they have to allow a UAE registered aeroplane flown by a UAE licensed crew into their airspace.
Whether the UAE meets the ICAO standards is subject to ICAO audits of the UAE DGCA. Based on these audits any ICAO member state may then refuse the UAE lisence. This then becomes a political issue of which we all know that money and economical power dictate reality. If you buy Boeing and Airbus nobody is going to say anything.
The UAE license is a good license but there have been serious shortcomings in the past that have been sorted out in the mean time.
The problems were caused by expats and not by locals.
Last edited by Pitch Up Authority; 28th Aug 2010 at 12:08.