Another drink too many

[citabria06g]

Woman held in Dubai with daughter for drinking wine on flight (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/10/woman-held-in-dubai-with-daughter-for-drinking-glass-of-wine-on-flight)

WTF is going on here? As either a Brit or a Swede, she would have been eligible for visa on arrival, so what's with this expired visa thing? Also, if the alcohol was consumed over international airspace I don't see how she can legally be found guilty, even in the sandpit system of justice (and yes, I have experienced it first hand).

Also, what's with the one year hold up? If it's really that bad and you're facing a year of lost income, just admit guilt, serve a couple of months and be deported, surely?

Too many questions here, something's missing. Even for the sandpit this sounds too extreme. Methinks the camera and a rotten attitude had a big part in this, but I stand by to be corrected.

[dubaigong]

Citabria06g,

Obviously you know Nothing about aviation regulation…
You should know that anything that happen in an A6 Registered aircraft is considered as it was done on the UAE soil and the UAE law applied.
This is true for any aircraft from any country.
So next time you are on board an aircraft , be careful and make sure you follow the rules if you Don't want to end up in a similar situation.

[DesertHawk]

another example of the wonderful system, how many times do these things need to happen? sad

[Jack D]

Citabria06g,

Obviously you know Nothing about aviation regulation…
You should know that anything that happen in an A6 Registered aircraft is considered as it was done on the UAE soil and the UAE law applied.
This is true for any aircraft from any country.
So next time you are on board an aircraft , be careful and make sure you follow the rules if you Don't want to end up in a similar situation.

Actually it’s not nearly that simple . As this incident happened on ground in DXB then UAE law would apply. It’s a very grey area but in my experience drinking is ok but in case of any subsequent altercation it would be held against you .. the whole jail thing sounds well over the top . More to this than is being reported ... I hope . Got to rush I’m off to the airport duty free after sampling the well advertised wine list on EK. Sounds like a loss of face event plus the photography didn’t go down too well ! A little power in the wrong hands is a dangerous thing

[Jack D]

Boggles the mind that people still want to go to these places for tourism. Never ending stories of just outrageous behaviour by official bodies etc.

So true, but it’s never stated in the tourist brochures for some reason ...

[givemewings]

Filming an immigration official would cause issues in most countries regardless of the reason; more so in the UAE where this is definitely illegal.

Definitely more to the story- while drinking is "technically" illegal as a tourist, it's usually jot an issue until linked to some other behavior the authorities take issue with.

Visa one puzzling, unless she was intending to conduct work or business and they found out?

[SOPS]

I am confused. EK serves wine as other types of alcohol on almost ALL their flights. Is everyone getting off a EK flight in Dubai doing an illegal thing?

[Jack D]

Filming an immigration official would cause issues in most countries regardless of the reason; more so in the UAE where this is definitely illegal.

Definitely more to the story- while drinking is "technically" illegal as a tourist, it's usually jot an issue until linked to some other behavior the authorities take issue with.

Visa one puzzling, unless she was intending to conduct work or business and they found out?

Sums it up pretty well, immigration officials can be
obnoxious in many countries USA and Oz come to
mind,passengers also . I suppose that using the alcohol card when it suits them is seen,quite rightly, as rather hypocritical... The Visa issue is probably the main point whatever it may be ?

[pilotguy1222]

Guess she should not have started an argument and then started filming a UAE national. If she had not, alcohol would not even have been brought up.
The visa would have been an easy fix if she listened more and talked less.

[crewmeal]

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/09/drunk-woman-tells-police-cant-arrest-clean-thoroughbred-white-girl-7816881/

something in common perhaps?

[White Knight]

while drinking is "technically" illegal as a tourist

My understanding was that the tourist visa stamp entitles the visa holder to drink in hotel bars. You can also bring in duty free booze (to drink in your hotel). You can't buy alcohol though in MMI or A&E.

I think the filming is the real issue as well as the attitude!

[Adam Barfy]

Methinks the “one glass of wine” is also a little white lie.
I imagine what really happened would get her locked up for at least a night in most countries

Just like the last big story where the guy “brushed past” a local. Lol

Don't believe all you read.

[Adam Barfy]

Boggles the mind that people still want to go to these places for tourism. Never ending stories of just outrageous behaviour by official bodies etc.

you should see the behaviour of the tourists.

[PanAmFalcon]

Methinks the “one glass of wine” is also a little white lie.
I imagine what really happened would get her locked up for at least a night in most countries

Just like the last big story where the guy “brushed past” a local. Lol

Don't believe all you read.
what about the guy that brushed past?

[Joker11]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6049925/British-mother-jailed-Dubai-daughter-drinking-wine-Emirates-flight-FREE-home.html

In all fairness. EK had nothing to do with this.

[Hansol]

The issue here is straight forward. If you stick a camera in an immigration officers face, or anyone else without their permission you are breaking the law.

[Kennytheking]

As to the hypocrisy of EK providing the alcohol......public intoxication is an offense in many countries around the world.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_intoxication

Taking a drink carries certain responsibilities and for good reason. In society all service providers are required to provide drinks in order to compete. If they don’t they lose to those that do. Now that in itself may bring a responsibility upon themselves but only insofar as they can control their patrons eg like on the plane(DDDD), etc......

Agreed that the punishment appears harsh but once again, i would surmise that any case that takes a year to wrap up is probably as a result of her side indicating they intend to fight this thing in court. Of course in parallel they will fight it in the media with half-truths. Regrettably, I think she is bringing this reign of **** down on herself.......

[givemewings]

My understanding was that the tourist visa stamp entitles the visa holder to drink in hotel bars. You can also bring in duty free booze (to drink in your hotel). You can't buy alcohol though in MMI or A&E.

I think the filming is the real issue as well as the attitude!
yes that's what I meant with the "technically". You're good in a hotel but once you leave said hotel if you do anything to draw attention then good luck. As for the DF previous cases have shown that's a grey area indeed.

the second she started filming she was done. There's other ways to address issues that is not one of them. And yeah I've seen people get bollocked for using phones in Customs queue in Sydney. Stupid woman was taking video of the crew without permission saying we were cutting in front (we were in the crew lane) and persisted even after we nicely told her its not allowed, stuck her phone in my and the pursers face she then tried to take a photo of me saying she was going to complain to EK. Customs officer came over, confiscated the phone and took her to secondary screening informing her that he could enforce the 10k fine if he so chose so she has better be polite. Don't do it kids.

[White Knight]

Anyway, apparently HH Sheikh Mohammed has ordered her release... Update courtesy of the good old DM!

[atakacs]

Well I for one have in many occasion slurped a glass of wine during an EK flight - never thought it could, even potentially, get me in trouble...
I'm sure there is much more to this story.

[redsetter]

The story was reported in a number of quality papers - not just DM.

[777boyindubai]

A friend who is a dentist sent me a screenshot from a dental forum. Allegedly the lady was working previously in Dubai. Her visa had expired. She was doing BOTOX injections which ( in Dubai, at least) dentists are not licensed to undertake.

imagine if she filmed immigration officials at JFK.....

A lot more to this than meets the eye me thinks....

[WingNut60]

.... Her visa had expired. She was doing BOTOX injections ....

My logic tells me that, for two reasons, she must have been doing Botox injections on men only.

[groundagent]

This has caught the attention of the Dubai Government Media department:

http://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/media-c...0GS6XGi4.email (http://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/media-center/news/11/8/2018/statement-by-the-attorney-general-of-dubai.aspx#.W280GS6XGi4.email)

The lady arrived on expired Swedish passport, then produced valid Iranian passport, but kicked off as she had to pay for visa an adjust return flight as only allowed to grant 96hr visa. Escalated from there as she started filming officals in immigration.

I'm sure there are 2 sides to every story, but this is interesting ...

GA

[atakacs]

I really wonder how she managed to board an EK flight outbound from Gatwick with an expired passport... Or did she use the Iranian one? What about immigration?
In any case more to this story than report in the DM.

[The Turtle]

Whatever the story its another example of a western woman with an entitlement attitude who didn't know when to keep her mouth shut....

I hope this teaches her a lesson. But I doubt it.

[GrahamO]

So, the Schengen passport holder has a slightly different Visa on Arrival limit to her husband as a Brit only gets 30 days and can do border runs to renew. Schengen passport holders get 90 days multiple entry but on the 91st day they have to leave for the next 90 days and cannot do border runs. So its entirely possible (passport expiry aside) that she could have got this wrong and arrived during her embargo period.

So even if she had a valid passport, its actually still possible to arrive in the UAE and be unable to get entry, or to not be able to buy anything on arrival.

But as others have said, the reason was not drink as there were at least two or three options to eject her.

Her issue now, having been deported, is that she cannot come back and cannot transit through the UAE for the foreseeable future.

[Dubaian]

Strictly speaking you should have a Liquor Licence in order to consume (not just buy) booze anywhere in the UAE, including on board EK or EY.
But you can only get one a) if you are resident for visa purposes and b) fulfil certain other conditions...…including a supporting letter from your employer.

As usual in that part of the world, the rule is rarely applied and only if you somehow cause other trouble to draw the attention of the authorities. Then your non-observance will be added to the charge sheet.

Now in Dubai you will not be able to buy booze other than at duty frees or at hotel restaurants/bars/room service. Off licences will demand a valid liquor permit.
Down the road in AUH however there are many more off-sales outlets and they are not interested in a permit..

There are of course other off-sale options in Umm al Qwain.
As usual there's nothing United about the UAE.

[fatbus]

Dubaian , you need to do your homework.

[LivingINtheDream]

I am confused. EK serves wine as other types of alcohol on almost ALL their flights. Is everyone getting off a EK flight in Dubai doing an illegal thing?

According to “dubaigoing” yes.

In international airspace every airline has to adhere to that country’s regulations regardless of registration such that any airline in Saudi airspace will not serve you alcohol whilst transiting or on the ground.

Sounds like she ran into the wrong habibi.

[Adam Barfy]

As an iranian born dual national, she is considered moslem, therfore should not have consumed any alcohol.
Moslems are not allowed to hold a liquor licence, so there may actually be a law banning them fom consuming.
Mr and Mrs average westerner dont need to worry about having alcohol on flghts, despite the Daily Mails BS.

i have personally witnessed Iranians being sent back to duty free to refund their alcohol purchases.

[givemewings]

As an iranian born dual national, she is considered moslem, therfore should not have consumed any alcohol.
Moslems are not allowed to hold a liquor licence, so there may actually be a law banning them fom consuming.
Mr and Mrs average westerner dont need to worry about having alcohol on flghts, despite the Daily Mails BS.

i have personally witnessed Iranians being sent back to duty free to refund their alcohol purchases.



Good point. For sure they cannot hold the license, and I believe if found to be intoxicated in UAE a Muslim would be charged not only with being drunk in public but consumption of such (cannot recall where I read this but automatic 3 ((30?)) days in jail?)

Not the wrong habibi, just one that wasn't going to put up with the tantrum. She probably pulls this all the time to various staff to get her own way; people like this usually do and then cry foul when called on their BS.

I've found Immigration in Dubai to be without exception polite even if there is some passport or ticket issue. But then again I've never shouted at nor photographed them...

[atakacs]

So, the Schengen passport holder has a slightly different Visa on Arrival limit to her husband as a Brit only gets 30 days and can do border runs to renew. Schengen passport holders get 90 days multiple entry but on the 91st day they have to leave for the next 90 days and cannot do border runs. So its entirely possible (passport expiry aside) that she could have got this wrong and arrived during her embargo period.

So even if she had a valid passport, its actually still possible to arrive in the UAE and be unable to get entry, or to not be able to buy anything on arrival.

But as others have said, the reason was not drink as there were at least two or three options to eject her.

Her issue now, having been deported, is that she cannot come back and cannot transit through the UAE for the foreseeable future.
I'm not sure to follow your reasoning... Schengen or not her passport was expired. She would not be let it... and I'm still wondering how she got on the plane.

[BigGeordie]

She got on the plane because she had a valid Iranian passport, but to use that she had to pay for a visa to enter the UAE. Her original objection appears to be that she didn't want to pay for a visa and that is why she got stroppy. From then on it was never going to end well. There are also some reports that she was providing Botox services in the UAE for which she wasn't licenced so it is possible she actually got off quite lightly.

For sure, this story had nothing to do with alcohol consumption and everything to do with bad journalisim.

[atakacs]

So she has dual Swedish and Iranian nationally and lives in the UK while apparently doing some shoddy business in the UAE, all that while traveling with a 4 yo.
Interresting

[777boyindubai]

https://www.thenational.ae/uae/swedish-woman-deported-from-dubai-offered-botox-treatments-without-licence-1.759961

Looks like Elham was trying to work illegally in the UAE....

[GrahamO]

I'm not sure to follow your reasoning... Schengen or not her passport was expired. She would not be let it... and I'm still wondering how she got on the plane.


All I was illustrating is that its entirely possible to get on a flight, with a valid Schengen passport and still get sent back for not having or being able to get a visa. Someone asked how they could even get on the flight - its easy as a foreign passport checker would not be able to assess their 90 day clock status.