Brains1983

I doubt it'll ever need done, however the border point at Al Ain (Hikiti?), is a manual process. Even if they update the records electronically after you leave, I'd be certain that we would be on a flight out of here fron Muscat before they know what's happening.

Sandboy

just to have nothing to keep me here - no property, no money in the bank and 5 minutes from the airport

the only worry is we can only run to Oman and it would be a bit busy if anything did kick off

Oyibopeppeh

You're all assuming that Oman will continue to have an open border policy with the UAE....

Meow

Are there not places where one could cross into Oman illegally, say offroading in a 4x4? Just wondering...

Oyibopeppeh

What I was meaning was that Qaboos is knocking on a fair bit and doesn't have any heir to succeed when he pops his clogs. Along with the undercurrent of civil unrest plus the Omani relationship with the bad guys across the Gulf doesn't necessarily mean that the good times are set to continue.

mummy2dolly

I'm curious/naive about what would make someone need to have a 'get out in an hour' plan???

What would make you need a get out fast plan?

(we don't have one..... and am now wondering if we should have one!!)

co durham boy

No one in Dubai needs a 'get out in a hour plan' . You might need one in Kabul , Khandahar or Baghdad but then again you wouldn't be too worried because you'd have to be nuts to be there in the first place.

You can't even get down the SZR in a hour never mind escape...

Escape to Trade Center Roundabout......

Yoohoo

Actually, he does have a successor - it's just that nobody knows who it is. Evidently there are two envelopes, at opposite ends of the country, with the name of the heir written therein. Unsurprisingly there is much speculation about whose name is there but very little as to whether the envelopes actually exist.

As for whether they continue their relationship with the 'bad guys' across the Gulf - I think they do that because it's better to keep one's friends close and one's enemies even closer. Your point about internal unrest is more the one I think to be relevant in issues about border control. The unrest is more to do with official corruption than anything else so perhaps a change of the guard may actually decrease the likelihood of political isolation once Sultan Qaboos departs this world.

OriginalSunshine

no you wouldnt.

you'd need a Muscat entry stamp before you were allowed to leave by plane. they are very thorough at immigration, even for residents.

and for info: Oman did shut down the borders between Oman & the UAE for anyone driving without a woman or child in the car during the Sohar unrest, since several of the "protestors" were found to be UAE police/army officers.... of course, not mentioned very widely, but if UAE ever kicks off, do not assume that Oman will let anyone in with a UAE registered car. there was a softly softly approach originally, but this has begun to harden.

Brains1983

You get an entry stamp when you get to the Oman border point...

OriginalSunshine

true - you do, if you go through the border. but if the sh*t hit the fan in the UAE the border would likely be closed.

scrubbedexpat141

I've got a big lilo, two frying pans for oars and a 6 pack of masafi.

I'll be fine.

csdf

I would have thought that many of us here are employed by companies who in turn employ firms like International SOS who would be used to get us out in an emergency. Many of my colleagues were evacuated from Bahrain with a few hours' notice that way. It all sounded very James Bond: burly ex-army man in armoured Land Rover turns up at 4am and drives them very efficiently to the airport where they jumped on a chartered plane along with everyone else.

Oyibopeppeh

You'd be surprised at the lack of emergency planning even by the biggest companies.

I used to work for the 2nd biggest oilfield services company operating in Libya (but left before the shit hit the fan). Their emergency response was dismal, with many expats just making their own way to the airport and fighting it out with several thousand others all trying to do the same.

Tockalosh

Agree completely. The question to ask your employers is did they perform or do they review if they did, a security assessment of starting operations in your current country. If they say No and 99.9% of companies will say No then dont expect there to be any contingency planning in place for when shit hits the fan.

Also dont bleet about the embassy not helping you. Your employers got you here and really they should get you out.

Whilst on about reasons to get out quick. My family are under orders to hit the airport immediately should they or I run over an Arab on the road especially a rich looking one. I am more than happy to deal with the legal aspects from a non Arab country. Sitting in jail pondering on how to stump up half a million quid blood money for some ****wit who staggers across the road in front of my Range Rover is not an ideal state of affairs.