Finally escaped the UAE
 

Yes I finally got out, after damaging my passport and having to visit Dubai immigration 3 days in a row from Abu Dhabi just to get permission to leave the country, I made it to wonderful Thailand and never plan on coming back to the UAE. I'd fly over Antarctica just to avoid a transit stop of the place.

No issues leaving the country, no issues with my company approving a visa transfer even though I'd lost my job... everything sweet.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Yes that's all very well, but you'll be coming back for the next BE Night Out I assume???

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Oh yes and it will be my first one.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

good luck in Thailand :)

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Congratulations on your escape AW hope it all goes well.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Thanks :)

Oh and a couple of hours ago, someone ffrom First Gulf Bank called on my UAE number asking if I wanted a loan top up. :rofl:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

You owe them?

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Yes I have a loan with them but havent missed a payment..... yet.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

You've already left??

And they've offered you a top-up??

Then take the idiots for every penny they've got...............

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Thats what I was thinking. I wonder if they would credit my account without getting anything from my side...:huh:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Then you use your online banking facility to transfer the money to Thailand.....

I'll take 10% for the idea, you keep the rest............

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Ah the old trick of trying to copyright an idea ehhh. Next time the idiot calls me I'll ask him to western union another 100k over here and see what he says. :rofl:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

In general I would advice against skipping paying FGB in particular, any other UAE bank but FGB.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Would you care to elaborate on the reasons why?

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Because it´s a bank with a direct connection to all major western intelligence networks.
Its chairman is head of UAE intelligence and security and runs an "invisible" prison for CIA just to give you an example..

But then they will hardly pursue anyone for a minor sum, but they will always know where you are and your name will always be on a file somewhere.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Ahh so I may become a victim of Emirati rendition?

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Haha, no but if you start to move up in the world they will let you know that you owe them..

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Your information re the chairman doesn't surprise me; or scare me but it would make me nervous if I were to expect a transition through the GCC anytime in the near future. To tell you the truth I wasn't planning on just dumping what I owe for the rest of my life, just for a shortish time. I don't want to have that hanging over my head until I die. Not to mention the hassle of having to avoid major ports like Dubai when travelling, of which I tend to do a fair bit.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

That´s easily sorted, just inform them that you have moved and that you unfortunately must let payments be deferred until you have settled down.
Will they be happy about it?..not really but compared to just listing you as a defaulter with unknown adress it makes them look better.
And given the clout the Bani Fatima that control FGB got in Thailand thru Thaksin and his red shirted followers it might be the best solution..IMHO of course.


What are you going to do in Thailand anyway? work or pleasure?...Have done a few leaps of honour there.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Pleasure as usual.

Funny you should mention Thaksin, my good friend here is related to him by marriage. ;)

I actually came to visit her but shes gone overseas for a week so I'm stuck in Bangkok alone.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

WTF..If she got an inside track to Thaksin she might get in touch with the big guys in Abu Dhabi that controls FGB. When Thaksin sold Manchester City he did it to the former FGB chairman..Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed who´s the biggest shareholder in Barclays now.
Your debts might simply vanish if Mansours assistents tell FGB that you are "favored".

How come you never tried to use this albeit distant connection to your advantage in UAE..? :blink:
Even the remotest links are almost a license to print money.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Well... I honestly never thought of things that way. I asked her where he is and she says she doesn't know and also claims she might not ever see him again... shes also a lot closer with his kid/s.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

She´s close with his kids but doesn´t wanna speak about their dad who lives in Dubai...Given the political powerstruggle in Thailand that´s understandable.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

yeh things starting to luck a bit risky again in Thailand. Just hope they don't target the airport again as the Mrs has to fly through there in a couple of weeks to get back here.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

I have never heard of any one being "alone in Bangkok" for more than a few hours.;)

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

speak for yourself love..

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

hmm well I woke up late today to find out my embassy recommending me to leave and soldiers having fired blank rounds at demonstrators this morning along with tear gas. From one shitty situation to another :rofl:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

where are you at the moment? the main trouble always seems centered around downtown and never towards foreigners so if you're out of the way and dodge the bullets, you should be fine! :thumbup:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

:eek:

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

As usual it is concentrated in a couple of areas and not really near me. Even if it was near me I wouldn't be worried at this stage.

Its stil song kran as usual and I cant leave the hotel without getting splashed.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

AW glad to hear you are out safely, I take it you did not cancel your visa but can you tell us why you had to get Dubai immigration permit to leave. was it because of damage to your passport!! or losing your job. My visa is cancelled now and I am about to leave and am wondering what will happen at the point of exit ie at the immigration desk.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Rosebud, Thanks. I damaged my passport. Therefore I had a new passport with no evidence of entry or residence... as you may or may not know, if there is no evidence of you entering a country, they won't let you leave.

I dont think anything will happen at immigration desk when you leave. If immigration department don't notice anything when your visa gets cancelled I can't see how immigration at the airport would, since the immigration department also seem to have the same computer system. At least thats what it looked like when they looked up my residence details.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

AW, thanks for the info. wish you the best of luck where ever you are.

I'll tell you and others how I got thru if and when I cross the border.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

I think it is matter of course that your visa gets cancelled and you then have 30 days to leave as I understand it, unless you do a visa run and re enter on a visit visa.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

normally once you Visa is cancelled your ex-company will send a PRO with you to the airport. You are given a token at the DNATA desk which the Immigration guys then take off you. thats what happened to me (twice) and once for my Mrs.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Your assumption is correct if the visa is properly cancelled by the employer. But if you leave without cancelling it is fine as long as you are not reported as absconding by the employer (which is considered as a criminal act in the UAE). Even that has a time limit to it, you can't stay on your employer's sponsorship for ever and at some point he would have to revoke the visa, that is when the trouble starts as you are not in the country.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

[QUOTE=Inselaffen;7478091]normally once you Visa is cancelled your ex-company will send a PRO with you to the airport. You are given a token at the DNATA desk which the Immigration guys then take off you. thats what happened to me (twice) and once for my Mrs.[/QUOTE

My ex-company will not escort anyone to the airport since they have made so many redundant and do not have the resources to do it. Therefore they have given me my passport with a letter in Arabic/English attached that I'd have to hand in to the immigration officer at the point of exit. I guess your experiences must have been prior to recent mass redundancies.

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

No prob for me and the missus last September when we left Abu Dhabi.

Company PRO had our visas cancelled and gave me two bits of paper that were stamped at the airport that I sent on to him which proved we had left.

Easy

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Had anyone got in touch with the bank after leaving?

Re: Finally escaped the UAE
 

Tried emailing one of mine. One of the guys direct, their customer service directed me to him. Ignored my email so far. Its been over a month.