Ongoing dispute between Canada and UAE

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by greaser4life

This government's foreign policy is out of touch with the rest of the world. Being the USA's lapdog will not get you anywhere. No surprise that Portugal and Germany have permanant UN Security Council seats (and NOT CANADA). Just imagine, Conservatives actually managed to piss off a very moderate Arab country in the UAE and an important ally. I can't believe that people still vote for these people. The country is taking steps backwards on many levels.

Countries like India and China voted for Portugal instead of Canada because of Harper's Foreign policy which might as well be written by the Bushes.

Did you read anything the above posters said? I guess not....

[redforever]

Originally Posted by greaser4life

This government's foreign policy is out of touch with the rest of the world. Being the USA's lapdog will not get you anywhere. No surprise that Portugal and Germany have permanant UN Security Council seats (and NOT CANADA). Just imagine, Conservatives actually managed to piss off a very moderate Arab country in the UAE and an important ally. I can't believe that people still vote for these people. The country is taking steps backwards on many levels.

Countries like India and China voted for Portugal instead of Canada because of Harper's Foreign policy which might as well be written by the Bushes.

Read this article to get a better understanding of how the nominations and voting takes place.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/13/david-frum-un-puts-the-blocs-to-canada/

[SeeBass]

You are correct I read Frums article this morning

I think he says it best

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by greaser4life

This government's foreign policy is out of touch with the rest of the world. Being the USA's lapdog will not get you anywhere. No surprise that Portugal and Germany have permanant UN Security Council seats (and NOT CANADA). Just imagine, Conservatives actually managed to piss off a very moderate Arab country in the UAE and an important ally. I can't believe that people still vote for these people. The country is taking steps backwards on many levels.

Countries like India and China voted for Portugal instead of Canada because of Harper's Foreign policy which might as well be written by the Bushes.

Yes, we pissed off a Arab country about its demands to bring unfair competition to our airline industry. We managed to piss off a country that doesn't really recognize the right for Israel to be a country. We pissed off a country that mistreats its woman. We pissed off a country that is the birthplace of Islamic extremism.

I think I can live with that.

Add to that, this was a country that put these things and their own self interests ahead of the UN mandate.

I can live with pissing them off.

[jolinar of malkshor]

U.A.E. slaps visas on Canadians

Canadians will need visas to enter the United Arab Emirates as of Jan. 2, 2011, according to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the U.A.E.'s embassy in Ottawa.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/201...#ixzz14jnEMRfy

[CaptainCrunch]

Maybe we should demand cavity searches for all people coming into Canada from the UAE. Anally probe a diplomat a couple of times, and maybe they'll get the message.

[sa226]

God I hope they don't cave.

[Bigtime]

You know as a self described "skyscraper geek/nerd/enthusiast" I was hoping to visit the UAE (specifically Dubai), now I'm not so sure I want to give them a cent of my money.

[redforever]

Shuffle shuffle shuffle...

Going to find my bucket list...

Found bucket list.....

Check if UAE on list of countries I have to visit....

UAE is not on list....

Conclusion, not a big deal.

[jolinar of malkshor]

UPDATE:

U.A.E. slaps stiff visa fees on Canadian travellers


Canadians wishing to travel to the United Arab Emirates will have to pay stiff visa fees of up to $1,000, according to the Middle East country's embassy in Ottawa.
A new fee structure posted on the embassy's website says that Canadians must fork over $250 for a 30-day visa, $500 for a three-month visa and a whopping $1,000 for a six-month, multiple-entry visa.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=CalgaryHome


Can these UAE guys get any more pathetic? They are acting like 10 year old who didn't get picked first to play on a hockey team and are now taking their puck home.

What a bunch of losers

[mykalberta]

The only people this will affect are the small number of Canadian tourists who will instead choose somewhere else to spend their money. It seems a strange move by a region who is trying to transition from a resource based economy to a tourism based economy. Anyone going there for work will have that fee payed for by their employer.

They must be really straining for places to fly all those A380's to.

[kipperfan]

I guess there was probably 2 or 3 Canadians who woke this morning, pretty distraught to hear this news. Sorry UAE, the other 30 million of us could care less. Personally, if I am able to travel to every other country in the world, twice, then I might consider a trip to UAE or a neighbouring country. Lack of democracy, endless desert, unbearable heat, consistant and constant mistreatment of women and now, a $1000 visa fee!! When do we leave!?

[JD]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Lack of democracy, endless desert, unbearable heat, consistant and constant mistreatment of women and now, a $1000 visa fee!! When do we leave!?

Maybe you should go to visit. You know absolutely nothing about the UAE!

But after reading this thread, you don't appear to be alone.

Selfishly, I would love to have Etihad and Emirates give me direct flights there. And throughout my adult life I've absolutely loathed Air Canada for a number of reasons, although flying Lufthansa has raised my opinion of AC. I'd be a happy guy if the Canadian government reconsidered. But I admit I don't know or understand all the issues so I'll step aside and let those that do continue the discussion.

But you should know that the UAE's women are treated JUST FINE. This is not Iran or Pakistan we're talking about.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

I guess there was probably 2 or 3 Canadians who woke this morning, pretty distraught to hear this news.

According to the linked story, there are 25,000 Canadians who live and work in the UAE. I think that's a few more than "2 or 3" - unless this visa is only for tourists, and not for work.

I fail to see how this is unfair; Canada charges for UAE citizens to get a visa to visit here. Not quite as much, but you gotta squeeze some nuts sometimes if you want to get results. I doubt this is going to work, though. The 25,000 Canadians who work there will probably just get their employer to cover the increased visa fee.

[JD]

Originally Posted by billybob123

According to the linked story, there are 25,000 Canadians who live and work in the UAE. I think that's a few more than "2 or 3" - unless this visa is only for tourists, and not for work.

I fail to see how this is unfair; Canada charges for UAE citizens to get a visa to visit here. Not quite as much, but you gotta squeeze some nuts sometimes if you want to get results. I doubt this is going to work, though. The 25,000 Canadians who work there will probably just get their employer to cover the increased visa fee.

Myself and my Canadian coworkers have 3-year resident visas so I don't think these fees would even apply to us. Our employer pays whatever fees there are anyway, as you say.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by billybob123

According to the linked story, there are 25,000 Canadians who live and work in the UAE. I think that's a few more than "2 or 3" - unless this visa is only for tourists, and not for work.

I fail to see how this is unfair; Canada charges for UAE citizens to get a visa to visit here. Not quite as much, but you gotta squeeze some nuts sometimes if you want to get results. I doubt this is going to work, though. The 25,000 Canadians who work there will probably just get their employer to cover the increased visa fee.

Of course they will. This fee will basically only affect pleasure travellers, of which I can't imagine there are many.

And JD, thanks for the UAE plug but you haven't changed my mind. It is a giant desert, it does have unbearable heat and the government is run by a monarch, despite you're demeaning tone nothing I said was incorrect. Oh, and if you consider the sex trade/slavery problems that Dubai has to be "treating women just fine" then I feel sorry for your wife and/or mother.

[blankall]

Stupid move on behalf of the UAE if you ask me. The UAE is trying to diversify their economy right now and build their tourism industry. They have now added a deterent to any potential tourists from Canada.

[JD]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

And JD, thanks for the UAE plug but you haven't changed my mind. It is a giant desert, it does have unbearable heat and the government is run by a monarch, despite you're demeaning tone nothing I said was incorrect. Oh, and if you consider the sex trade/slavery problems that Dubai has to be "treating women just fine" then I feel sorry for your wife and/or mother.

And then you counter with some condescending insults of your own. Thanks.

Have you been there? I really had no intention of changing your mind, but the UAE is an amazing country to visit and it's a shame that people wouldn't go because of the half-truths and non-factors you cite.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by JD

Have you been there? I really had no intention of changing your mind, but the UAE is an amazing country to visit and it's a shame that people wouldn't go because of the half-truths and non-factors you cite.

What of the alleged near-slave labor conditions for the massive immigrant labour force? I haven't been there, so its hard to get a balanced perspective, but by many accounts its pretty bad.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by JD

And then you counter with some condescending insults of your own. Thanks.

Have you been there? I really had no intention of changing your mind, but the UAE is an amazing country to visit and it's a shame that people wouldn't go because of the half-truths and non-factors you cite.

The only "truth" I need is the dick maneuvers employed by the country in this whole spat. Screw them and their sand sucking ways. I wrote my MP and the FA minister demanding they refuse overflight to UAE based airlines. They can take their medieval social practices and fly their planes elsewhere.