Why work in Dubai
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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?
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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.
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.
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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?
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?
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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!
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!
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Scooby...
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?
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?
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)
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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
The answer is Yes.
Last edited by mocoman; 1st Mar 2008 at 01:13.
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why work in dubai?
it's hot, there's nothing but sand and too many rich people ... i'm happy at swanwick
it's hot, there's nothing but sand and too many rich people ... i'm happy at swanwick
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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
off letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.
.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
off letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.
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Who? Me?
2Dogs,
How's your telling Management to Foff letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.
How's your telling Management to F
off letter writing skills going.Still got the CAD one.DOH.
I don't remember ever writing to management and telling them to, as you so eloquently put it "F
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" 
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'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!
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!
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No reason to work in Dubai
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 ........cheers
........cheers
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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 fcough. Probably as well 'cos I couldn't have drawn it anyway!!
Anyway, back to the thread.
On the Beach
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
cough. Probably as well 'cos I couldn't have drawn it anyway!!Anyway, back to the thread.
On the Beach
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Bonjour Beachy,
No itchy feet at all.May
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.
No itchy feet at all.May
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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Hey Beachy....
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.
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.
