Canada VISA war, my intake !

The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, said recently that the UAE was working on securing visa on arrival for Emiratis in 34 countries, whose citizens can obtain visas on arrival here. [Gulf News]

This was in June 2008 and what happened since then? Nothing !

Actually, there is New Zealand which changed their rule recently giving Emiratis visas on arrival but who wants to wander with the sheeps anyway.

The only countries where there is reciprocity, beside the GCC, are Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea and New Zealand.

In HENLEY & PARTNERS VISA RESTRICTIONS INDEX the UAE scored 64 countries where Emiratis don't need to apply for visa prior to their arrival after Kuwait 71, Bahrain 67 and Qatar 66. This is kinda embarrassing especially if we compared ourselves to Bahrain and Qatar. [Arabian Business]

But there is this thing that has been bothering me for a while. It is the reason why I wrote this topic. No, its not the fact that I have to go all the way to Abu Dhabi to apply for the visa to go to Canada and then go all the way back to Dubai. Its not that we are almost treated like shit in the American consulate in Dubai Trade Center.

Here is the story; the privilege of easy visa regulations is mostly the effort of bi agreement between those two countries. It is also an indicator of the country status. The ministry of foreign affairs usually work to make this happen.

So I am wondering, and my non Emirati brothers wont like this, why is it that our effort go to waste for us Emiratis while other nationalities get privileges here that they wont get back in their country when it comes to visas. If it is because of our country effort that such visa measures were made easy with other countries, why should there be a rivalry or equal standards with other nationalities?

Why should I be in the same queue with someone who would have to book an appointment a month earlier for visa if he was in his country? Visa are sovereign decisions made by agreement between countries. So shouldn't I as an Emirati get my own queue here instead of being dipped in with 100 guys from other nationalties?

Ok, the topic does look silly, but am still annoyed !

Movie of the Week: The other guys

Another movie you should never see. Very silly but can be funny at times. Gets really boring by the end. Many have left the hall before the end of the movie.

Movie of the Week: Expendables

Bunch of old guys saying odd jokes and too much talking. The movie is so 1990s, with a predictable typical story line. I think they thought the movie will look better if they stick all those actors together. The movie should be watchable in MBC MAX or something.

Eid Mubarak

I forgive you Ultra[blue] :P

Picture stolen from dubaiinternetmarketing.com

The Development of Hypocrisy: Episode 3

Couldn't resist posting this one, its a continuation of my previous post.

The current trend seems like its going from this

TO THIS (project planned for Emirati housing)

The Development of Hypocrisy: Episode 2

For the clueless guys, Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment is an entity that was formed to integrate the effort of several governmental institutions. The ruler court was responsible for giving the loans while the responsibility for granting lands was the Municipality. At that time and in the process of changing their procedures, when you go to the Municipality they would say that they can't give u a land unless u have 500k in your account and when you go to the Ruler court they say that they cant give you a loan unless you have a land so it was pretty messed up. Fortunately, they fixed all those issues.

I rememeber when they first annouced building 10,000 houses for Emirati youth worth 10billion dirhams, they even called it a gift "makruma" only to turn out as economical housing program where we need to pay a supposedly reduced amount of money. I bet the 10billion dirhams included the named land price and electricity and water connections and any form of infrastructure. They are not even that cheap especially considering that the land is being granted by the government, not to forget that they "stole" Emaar desings and the lands are smaller than our house extension. The lands are mere 8000 to 10000 sqft comparing to a general 15,000 in other areas. Oh, speaking of that, they lowered the new areas land plots sizes to 10,000.

So I heard from different sources that Mohammad Bin Rashed Housing Establishement has stopped accepting application forms from Emirati bachelors. In fact, they didn't only do that but also even the ones who applied 5 years ago and were about to get their loan was stopped. Ya3ny, its pathetic that we need to wait several years to get loans and then stopping it all together?

They also said that they will raise the pathetic loan of 750k in the boom but backed off when the crisis started saying that building houses is more affordable. Well, I don't think anyone can build a decent house with a stupid 750k before or now and while am not of those many people who say that we should be getting the 750k as a grant and not a loan I still think that they should raise the loan to 1.5 million dirhams and everyone will be happy.

Another final thing, they raised the mol7aq houses by 200 to 300 thousand dirhams too and that is in the so called depression and when the construction costs are way lower. Also the number of loans being granted every month has gone for 150 loans per month to God knows how many now. I don't even remember the last time the annouced granting those loans like they always do in the newspaper with an advertisement that occupy a full page, you know, the Dubai way of marketing and glorifiyng everything

So this is a main pillar the government didn't fulfill its duties in so some wonder, what should the government priority be?

Restaurant Review 1: Al Damyati

This is just another Karama resutarant. If you are looking for a fancy restaurant where you want to show off and use a fork and a knife then this one is not for you. It is tasty yet cheap.

• Value: 5
• Ambiance: 1
• Service: 2
• Decor: 1
• Food: 4

Location map

The food

The bill and the Menu