Another drink too many

[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]

Originally Posted by 777boyindubai

.... 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

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by atakacs

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.