Why work in Dubai

[throw a dyce]

I've just been listening to an item on the radio about Dubai customs.They are arresting people for minute traces of banned substances,which are used in painkillers and sleeping tablets.These substances are completely legal elsewhere.People are being given 4 year jail sentences.Is it worth working for Serco there,when you can be slammed up for nothing.You might not even get into the country to start with.

[expediteoff]

Hey, same thing happens if you visit any such country on vacation - what's working for Serco got to do with any of it?

Won't worry you though TaD will it,as you'll never be leaving Scotland.

[jangler909]

I guess TaD is referring to these cases:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=512815&in_page_id=1770&ito=1490

That is something that could happen to anyone of us. "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is always a good advice, but has nothing to do with this.

[Yellow Snow]

TaD,

I heard on the grapevine that you were ex DXB Serco, I take it that's incorrect?

[TheFalcon]

I wonder why you are asking is if its worth working for Serco when you can't take painkillers and sleeping pills, We all know its hard work with Serco but surely painkillers and sleeeping pills?!!!!:}

[throw a dyce]

Yellow Snow,
Incorrect :p

Expedite off,
I can leave this lovely country any time I please.Last time I looked the passport was still valid.It won't DXB as I'll think we'll give that a miss.Don't want to upset Customs at all there.:}
A good example of how to self destruct your own tourist industry.:D

[mocoman]

The local laws are what governs. i.e in Holland most, but not all, substances are legal but in the UK they are illegal.

I agree; with certain reservations.

What riles me is that UAE are enforcing a policy which means that legal, or tolerated, intake within another sovereign country can be prosecuted within the UAE.

If you arrive in physiological possession of a UAE controlled substance and are tapped then you are in the s**t.

Their definition of 'controlled drugs' extends to Tixylix; a childrens' cough syrup!

I daren't even use Nurofen Plus if going to the UAE in the near future.

To my, RupertBear-sized mind, this is wrong.

If I decide to go to a party, country or pharmacy where a specific substance is tolerated then I should not be condemned for any inconsequential or residual amounts within my physiology or baggage when I arrive on your soil.

If I arrive 'in-country' having tangible amounts on my person or within my baggage then I should receive the full weight of the local law.

:ugh:

And a postscript:
It's NOT 'legal' in Holland; merely tolerated. Check your sources.;)

[Itswindyout]

Yet is a banned substance in UAE Customs...

discuss.

windy.

[Yellow Snow]

Cheers TaD, I stand corrected.

[NZScion]

Here is a scenario:

You are taking prescription medication, and you pass through Dubai with it in your luggage (purely in transit). If the substance is illegal in the UAE, can you still get arrested if you are not entering the country, legally?

[bigmanatc]

If you`re in transit....how does your luggage get anywhere near customs....??? :ugh: and the only way they would find a gram or ounce of anything is if somebody tipped them off to have a look..... there`s no way they can find a gram just by chance..... all you dope smokers...don`t bring the stuff with you....you`re either ignorant or stupid arriving with it in a place where its banned :ugh::ugh: as for prescription stuff....don`t bring it in...get it here...from a Dr.... how silly/dumb/ignorant are you....?

[WHODOUDO]

So what about all those BIG airlines serving/giving alcohol to their puntas who route/hub thru the Middle East?

Just like that, just like that...how did Tommy Cooper get his hat...JUST LIKE THAT!

WHODOUDO

[mhk77]

So what about all those BIG airlines serving/giving alcohol to their puntas who route/hub thru the Middle East?


What about it?

It's not illegal to drink in Dubai. Granted it's not actively encouraged, but you won't get thrown in prison for some beers/cocktails/wines.....!

[Fox3snapshot]

Ummmm, yes you will without a liquor license :rolleyes:

It is still UAE law that an expat on a resident visa requires a liquor license, if you are visiting then the hotel you are staying at are your 'sponsors' and technically you must always carry proof to the effect that you are on a tourist visa.

The liquor license isn't just for storing the booze in your household (which is supposed to be in limited amounts) but also for consuming it on public/private premises. If you screw the pooch and get in the poop it will be the first thing the authorities will try to hammer you on.

Whilst this law gets lost a little in Dubailand it is still Federal law. :ooh:

An excerpt from the US consulate General for Dubai residents:

Drinking or possession of alcohol without a Ministry of Interior liquor permit is illegal and could result in arrest and/or fines and imprisonment.

Alcohol is served at bars in most major hotels but is intended for guests of the hotel. Persons not staying at the hotel who come in to use the bar technically are required to have their own personal liquor license. Liquor licenses are issued only to non-Muslim persons who possess U.A.E residency permits. Drinking and driving is considered a serious offense. Penalties generally are assessed according to religious law.

[mocoman]

Vercingetorix,

Simple fact is that if you walk into Dubai thinking that you can have a Spliff and then stub it underfoot and then no worries you're much mistaken. Try it in Texas and you will kiss your loved ones good bye for 20 Yrs +.

That was not my point at all; in fact I agree with your sentiment as expressed in your quote above.

MY point was that the UAE is actively pursuing a policy that locks people up for using LEGAL AND NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION while outside of the UAE.

If Codeine is detected in my system because I used some Nurofen Plus BEFORE leaving the UK; I can be jailed for four years in the UAE.

I'm not in physical possession of the medication; I purely used it to combat a headache in a country where such usage is allowed. My imprisonment for such physiological possession would be, to my mind, unwarranted and excessive.

If I were to be so stupid as to smuggle even the smallest amount of ANY substance, including the aforementioned Codeine-based product, into the UAE then I would deserve everything I got.

Regards

[bigmanatc]

Throw a Dyce...to answer your original question....For the $$$$ plain and simple. This other gibberish you`re on about belongs in another forum topic.

[throw a dyce]

Hey bigman,
Yeh I know what your saying about the big bucks.But if you have a balance of two buckets,one of money,and the other of B:mad:****,and when either one is full you leave.Just seems to me that the BS bucket is full before you get there going to Dubai.Can't think why anyone would want to go within 500 miles of Dubai customs.That includes Serco employees and new recruits.:cool:
If you think it's gibberish then hey I don't really care.What about the people slammed up for 4 years for nothing.Oh sorry I forgot life is VERY cheap in Dubai.:hmm:

[mocoman]

Sorry, this is out of sequence but I missed it last night.

If you`re in transit....how does your luggage get anywhere near customs....???

It happens; I speak from personal experience and not from having it happen at DXB.

I was travelling home with work collegues from Rio to London via CDG; myself and two other collegues were stopped on our way to the gate in Paris and escorted through French Immigration and into a room. Our hold luggage joined us in the room within 15 minutes.

We, and all of our luggage, were searched thoroughly and then we were sent on our way. We made the connection; the bags didn't!

:ouch:

[bigmanatc]

Throw....so what banned substances do you take....???

If you arrive in a country with substances that are banned there.....its your own ignorance. If I`m going to visit China tomorrow for eg.....then for sure I am not going to take/drink/smoke something which may cause a problem...why..? cause I don`t know whats banned or is`nt banned. When I get there I`ll find out....and if I`m going to work/live there...then I abide by what their laws are...weather I like them or not....if I don`t like em I`m free to leave...why would I run them down from afar...its their country... their laws and my choice to love it or leave it. You don`t like Dubai...well hey...stay away...:=

[mocoman]

Bigman,

I agree with your sentiments about abiding by local laws et al; I have no problem obeying local laws and customs.

However,

If I`m going to visit China tomorrow for eg.....then for sure I am not going to take/drink/smoke something which may cause a problem...why..? cause I don`t know whats banned or is`nt<sic> banned.

So how many days does it take for various substances to be clear of the physiology. How much notice do you have for your travel arrangements.

As an real example; I had a call on Saturday afternoon about a job in Kuwait. I can't do it because I am starting another job tomorrow, but farmed it off to a collegue who travelled yesterday.

I can and have had six hours notice for travel to various places around the globe for business. Would have been a bit of a pain if I took the job but had a nasty headache on Saturday morning. :E

then I abide by what their laws are...weather<sic> I like them or not....if I don`t like em I`m free to leave

That's my point. I am FULLY prepared to abide by THEIR laws WHILE ON THEIR SOIL. I should not expect to have to pro-actively engage in watching my Codeine (for example; could have just as easily used many other over-the-counter examples) intake JUST IN CASE I get a job there or have to travel through.

As It happens I will be transitting in July (NOT MY CHOICE) on my way to Beijing; maybe I need to detox and buy a new set of luggage.

Note to Self: avoid the poppy-seed bagels at LHR when airside(don't need four years in jail)

:ugh:

[VoxPopuli]

I was always under the impression that the transit area of an airport was kinda like "No man's land". From the above posts it would appear that a person transitting the UAE (i.e. not entering the country at all), can be hauled out of transit and then arrested for illegal substances. Am I correct?

[CuitoCuanavale]

Vercingetorix, judging by some of your answers in this thread its appararant that you certainly are well read............anyway, just a nod in your direction.

What caught my attention in this thread is the repeated reference to codeine. Now, I too on occasion take pain relievers that I have brought in from my country that contain codeine phosphate (10mg), quite simply because I find any and all the local stuff extremely weak. The exception to that is of course Zomig (available over the counter here), but at QR100 for 3 tablets, it is a tad pricy!

Having said that I am, without sounding naive, a little surprised at the extreme 'no tolerance' in the UAE. I dont bring in much, but on one occasion used an overnight service and the local goverment dept hauled me in the following day for a personal pick-up......upon which I was informerly questioned for about maybe ten minutes. When they were satisfied that it was for occasional personal use, tablets were handed to me and was sent happily on my way..................nothing, no warning or any of the like.

In addition to that, on several occasions my parcels were routed by the freight company through the UAE, and even though I could clearly see that they were opened (re-sealed with a customs verification tape), there was no parameter or warning attached.

Is it specific pain relievers that have maybe been red flagged?, because I honestly have never had a problem.

[Scooby Don't]

Going back to the title of the thread, why work in Dubai?

Well, probably the best ATC pay in the world, with an employer which can be trusted to pay on time and will stand by its staff when they need hospital treatment, etc.

An exciting city, and yes it's a construction site but it's a construction site with lots and lots of great bars! Yes, the drivers are lousy but once you've bought the sports car or the huge SUV and having the reactions and skills of an ATCO, you'll be just as bad a driver as the locals. How can anyone hit you when they're all behind you, right?

You needn't worry too much about being robbed, mugged, burgled or taxed (except on booze). It's a Muslim nation that never pretends to be anything else yet gives limited rights to Christians, as opposed to all those "Christian" nations that bend over backwards to avoid the slightest offense to their Islamic immigrants while losing sight of whatever national character they once had.

Above all, a great mix of Kiwis, Brits, Sefricans, bloody Aussies, Scandanavians and assorted Europeans and North Americans, most of whom can be counted on to be good company at Friday brunch. Abide by the local laws, enjoy the lifestyle and do the work, and what's not to like?

[Yellow Snow]

Excellent reply Scooby.

I look forward to joining you for brunch sometime when I start in July.

We could fill this forum with a thread on 'why work in x' x to be any country in the world that has ATC! Hell I'd like to work in the US, if only they didn't have such protectionist, zenophobic emplyment laws. Yet IMHO the US is the most fu*/ed up country on the planet, huge %age of population locked up, no healthcare for those that need it most......yada yada.

UAE customs aren't exactly playing a blinder, but it isn't stopping the 4 LHR ATCOs who are leaving for the desert this year and the 5 others thinking about joining up early 2009!

[Scooby Don't]

It's nice to hear that word is getting out - there is life beyond NATS!!! :eek:

And whatever people think of Serco in the UK, Serco ME is an okay employer!!! :eek:

[throw a dyce]

Scooby,
Serco ME is an OK employer.:}

Hmmm now there's a phrase I haven't seen much on PPrune.
Lets see when the next Middle East package isn't big enough thread starts.:p

Fair enough about lifestyle etc.That's always been the ME way.Let's see how long your customs keeps up it's policy.Should be interesting.Mah salam y'all.:cool:

[Scooby Don't]

Throw a Dyce - whatever it takes to keep you happy in Ice Station Zebra... :E

[2 Dogs]

with an employer which can be trusted to pay on time and will stand by its staff when they need hospital treatment, etc.

An exciting city, and yes it's a construction site but it's a construction site with lots and lots of great bars! Yes, the drivers are lousy but once you've bought the sports car or the huge SUV and having the reactions and skills of an ATCO, you'll be just as bad a driver as the locals. How can anyone hit you when they're all behind you, right?

You needn't worry too much about being robbed, mugged, burgled or taxed (except on booze). It's a Muslim nation that never pretends to be anything else yet gives limited rights to Christians, as opposed to all those "Christian" nations that bend over backwards to avoid the slightest offense to their Islamic immigrants while losing sight of whatever national character they once had.

Above all, a great mix of Kiwis, Brits, Sefricans, bloody Aussies, Scandanavians and assorted Europeans and North Americans, most of whom can be counted on to be good company at Friday brunch. Abide by the local laws, enjoy the lifestyle and do the work, and what's not to like?

Here Here!

Hey TAD, you worked in the ME and you went and worked for the Chinese. How can you question anyones reason for working somewhere. i am sure you didn't go to either place because of the quality of the whiskey.
Serco, with all their faults, are a bloody sight better to work for than the Chinese ever were - and the lifestyle is so far ahead of Honkers as to be a mute point.
I must confess I don't live in Dubai and avoid the place like the plague but I am sure it must have some redeeming features (apart from Russian Ho's) :)

[Maskedhedgehog]

why work in dubai?
it's hot, there's nothing but sand and too many rich people ... i'm happy at swanwick

[mocoman]

From the above posts it would appear that a person transitting the UAE (i.e. not entering the country at all), can be hauled out of transit and then arrested for illegal substances

Transit is a misnomer; country is irrelevant.

The answer is Yes.

:E

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

why work in dubai?
it's hot, there's nothing but sand and too many rich people ... i'm happy at swanwick

Coming from a person who has obviously spent a lot of time in the UAE. Believe me mate with that sort of attitude, we out here are even happier that you are staying in Sunny Swanwick.

[throw a dyce]

The Times newspaper,not your average rag,has a link on the articles about this to the UAE Drugs dept.There you will find a list of pills and potions that are :=.All 28 pages of it,including cold treatment like Actifed and pain killers Tramadol.They obviously don't include the Heathrow poppy bun seeds,or the 0.003g drugs on the sole of one's shoe.
I certainly don't condone people who smuggle drugs,but some of the Dubai cases are very reminisent of the film ''Midnight Express''.If you haven't seen it then look it up,as 4 years in a Dubai jail is probably the same.

ANSA,
You won't get any flow system from the UK guys.It's done from CFMU at Brussels .Just have to stick to the UAE way.Hey but when in Rome who have obey all their laws.;)

2Dogs,
How's your telling Management to F:mad:off letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.:D

[2 Dogs]

2Dogs,
How's your telling Management to F:mad:off letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.:D

Hey TAD, chill man - is the cold weather getting you down? Forgive me if I'm wrong but that response seems to have a tinge of spite in it.

I don't remember ever writing to management and telling them to, as you so eloquently put it "F:mad:off". I may have engaged in the occasional discourse about the ineptness of HK management but I was always open to reasonable argument. The problem was there is no Cantonese word for "reasonable" :ugh:

[Number2]

'it's hot, there's nothing but sand and too many rich people ... i'm happy at swanwick'

Ah, I remember the days when I was 22, ignorant to the rest of the world and didn't know when to use capitals letters!

[TheFalcon]

Hey Maskedhedgehog, absolutely no reason to work in Dubai. Its full of flies, sand, rich people staring at us miserable controllers trying to make a decent living. Stay at Swanwick or wherever you are in blighty or elsewhere and please tell the others what a dreadful situation we in the Emirates all are. Hope you are earning more than we are (and unfortunately you aren't ) cos we are pretty desperate here. We really need to stop the flow to get the next pay rise :p........cheers

[On the beach]

Bonjour Dicey,

Getting itchey feet for the sand, again? Or the chop suey?

Meant to get up to the Ice Station and check out what you're growing in the tunnel, but the snow stopped me this time. Wouldn't want to get one of those awards from the "off-roaders". Will be back up to "the big smoke" (EDI) in May. So May check up on that tunnel! Get the whisky in - Ha ha ha.

Twa dogs

Glad to see you're still alive and enjoying the other Jebel. Where shall we meet next? I'm bored with the "City Centre". Any suggestions?
Never did learn the Putonghua for f:mad:cough. Probably as well 'cos I couldn't have drawn it anyway!!

Anyway, back to the thread.

On the Beach

[throw a dyce]

Bonjour Beachy,
No itchy feet at all.May :ok: There's plenty of good stuff left over from the Aussies last visit.The tunnel,well just going out to plant some poppies.Probably looking at 30 years in DXB jail at the moment.;)

2 dogs,
Sorry mate.Didn't mean it like that.Mind you any slight discourse was taken by them and the black marks were stacked against you.I argued with them about Toil and the look on their faces was pure horror.How dare I question them,and they were wrong as well.Wx lovely at ISZ.:ok:

[2 Dogs]

No problem TAD, I'm probably just getting a bit touchy in my old age :)

Ah, TOIL - that wonderful system that only ever worked in the favour of the employer. but lets not go there again. TOIL, thank goodness, is behind me forever.

[2 Dogs]

No problem TAD, I'm probably just getting a bit touchy in my old age :)

Ah, TOIL - that wonderful system that only ever worked in the favour of the employer. but lets not go there again. TOIL, thank goodness, is behind me forever.

[2 Dogs]

I stay well away from Deira City Center these days. You need to take a cut lunch to get anywhere near Deira just so you don't starve to death while you wait in the traffic jams. Way worse than Honkers ever was.
If I do have to go near Dubai it is usually to Ibn Batutta or MoE. that way you can sneak in the back way and avoid (most of) the traffic.