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The tug war between Canada and the UAE seems to have taken another turn!!.

Canadians can now get their UAE visa online for just $61.50, but only if they fly on Emirates or Al Ettihad Airways!!

http://www.emirates247.com/business/vis ... 3-1.337245

Stay tuned for updates!!!

Hahahaha seriously? OMG cheeky so and so's. Intersting to sit back and see how this one plays out.

Just thinking though, wouldn't that go against anti-competitive laws?

Yes very cheeky but also brilliant strategy I would say, but haven't we already discussed this in the other thread, maybe it was another forum.

Anyways anti-competitive laws, I don't think it would fall under that as the price of the airfare is unaffected wheter you get a visa through Eimirates or the Ottawa embassy. I think UAE found a perfect legal loop hole.

Anyways even if this is against said laws, Canada's refusal for landing rights was also nothing but protectionism. So again the tit for tat battles continue.

On a side note my friends are here from Toronto ( they do visit every year ) and the just managed to slip under the Jan 2 deadline, but they flew Emirates direct for the first time and said if there were no visa charges they would still fly Emitrates anyways, plus DD and many other Canadians have been heard saying the same thing that if given a choice none would actually fly Air Canada regardless.

So basically much do about nothing really. As for the Visa charges totally fair. Canada charges UAE citizens around the 70 ish dollars aswell.

When even rich citizens of countries with which the UAE has ample trade, like India, Iran, South Africa all have to pre apply for visas,, I dont see whats the big deal with having Canadians apply for visas beforehand.
Most Canadians were probably flying EK/EY to the UAE so I dont think it would make a big difference in that front

To slightly go off topic here, thats the whole point this mentality of "We as a big western nation can do whatever we want and the smaller ones will have to oblige without anything in return"

It is a stupid spat, and protectionism of a floundering airline (Air Canada). It will be resolved at some point.

I don't think anyone had an issue with Canadians having to apply for visas, it's the ridiculous cost. I can't think of anywhere where a short term visa would cost you 250$.

Chocoholic wrote:I don't think anyone had an issue with Canadians having to apply for visas, it's the ridiculous cost. I can't think of anywhere where a short term visa would cost you 250$.

Again, 160 nationalities pay exactly 250$ for a short term UAE visa and apparently didnt deter visitors from those countries that much...

BlackburnRovers wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:I don't think anyone had an issue with Canadians having to apply for visas, it's the ridiculous cost. I can't think of anywhere where a short term visa would cost you 250$.

Again, 160 nationalities pay exactly 250$ for a short term UAE visa and apparently didnt deter visitors from those countries that much...

Yeah but they're not from 'safe list' countries are they? It's a silly tit for tat thing, the UAE didn't get what they wanted, so they threw their toys out the pram.

BlackburnRovers wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:I don't think anyone had an issue with Canadians having to apply for visas, it's the ridiculous cost. I can't think of anywhere where a short term visa would cost you 250$.

Again, 160 nationalities pay exactly 250$ for a short term UAE visa and apparently didnt deter visitors from those countries that much...

good point.

Canadians can afford it anyway...let Bangladeshis in for free (they have less cash in hand).

Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

Chocoholic wrote:Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

But Canadians would not announce that they are not giving visas to Pakistanis (they just wont issue them visas). Besides, most of the Canadians in this part of the world also have a Pakistani passport.

Ambassador wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

Besides, most of the Canadians in this part of the world also have a Pakistani passport.

Since when does ~20% translate to "most"

i would assume 45% of "Canadians" here are Arab Canadians, and a further 45% are South Asian Canadians, so Pakistanis, even at a stretch would not form than 20% of all Canadian passport holders in the UAE

Ambassador wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

But Canadians would not announce that they are not giving visas to Pakistanis (they just wont issue them visas). Besides, most of the Canadians in this part of the world also have a Pakistani passport.

LOL, or wish they did have! Isn't that right DDS? Or Aussie or British or anything else western for that matter.

Ambassador wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

But Canadians would not announce that they are not giving visas to Pakistanis (they just wont issue them visas). Besides, most of the Canadians in this part of the world also have a Pakistani passport.

I meant the UAE is stopping Pakistani visas, not Canada.

Chocoholic wrote:

Ambassador wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Actually aren't they trying to get rid of people from the sub-continent? Heard they've stopped issuing visas for Pakistan altogether.

But Canadians would not announce that they are not giving visas to Pakistanis (they just wont issue them visas). Besides, most of the Canadians in this part of the world also have a Pakistani passport.

I meant the UAE is stopping Pakistani visas, not Canada.

Really Must look for a British gardner now then...

TORONTO - Two Canadians have been caught in the crosshairs of the deepening diplomatic spat between Ottawa and the U.A.E.

Darius Mosun and his business partner were stranded at Abu Dhabi airport for more than 15 hours Friday when confusion over newly imposed visa requirements prevented them from entering the U.A.E.

"It was a surprise for us," an exhausted Mosun told The Canadian Press.

New visa requirements were imposed on Canadian travellers in January after relations between Ottawa and the U.A.E. deteriorated over a commercial landing-rights dispute.

Ottawa has refused to increase landing rights for the Persian Gulf country's two major airlines, which are currently allowed only three flights a week to Toronto.

The U.A.E. announced in October that it was evicting Canada from Camp Mirage, which had been an important staging ground for the military mission in Afghanistan. And three weeks ago it imposed the new visa requirements which cost Canadians between $250 to $1000.

Mosun, 42 said he and his business partner were able to enter the U.A.E. last week with a visa acquired in Canada, but were stopped by customs when they tried to re-enter the country after a side trip to Saudi Arabia.

He said U.A.E. officials told him his visa was only valid for a single entry, even though that rule wasn't written on the document itself.

"It's very confusing, I was here a couple of times before, we were so well received, and now it's like there's a stain on our passports when we arrived."

Mosun said Canadians like himself were being singled out at immigration counters for additional screening which included retina-scans.

"It's clearly discrimination," claimed Mosun, who missed a meeting with an important potential client and now worries about the impact of the diplomatic spat on his business.

"If an exporter is trying to make a proposal to a U.A.E. client it would be very difficult to say we wouldn't be viewed lesser than our competitive counterparts from other countries."

Mosun's firm, Soheil Mosun, is in the architectural fabrication and design business.

It was responsible for the monument unveiled this week at Canada's Immigration Museum in Halifax to commemorate the nearly 1,000 Jews who were turned away from Canada on the eve of the Second World War.

Mosun has voiced his concerns in letters to International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan and has also written to the Prime Minister's office, asking that something be done to protect Canadian businesses caught in the diplomatic fray. The U.A.E. is Canada's 12th largest investor at $4.4 billion.

The Toronto-based businessman doesn't blame the U.A.E., and said officials at the airport and Etihad Airlines tried to accommodate him as best they could. Ultimately though, the matter appears to be a political one.

The Harper government — despite a major cabinet split on the issue — rejected the U.A.E.'s landing-rights request, saying it did so to protect Air Canada from losing business.

The issue flared again last week when the Gulf News newspaper reported that relations between Canada and the U.A.E. were at an "all time low" following comments Prime Minister Stephen Harper made questioning the reliability of the Arab country as an ally.

The article quoted an unnamed U.A.E. government official who said the U.A.E. deserved an apology from Canada for its "vitriolic attack."

From the perspective of a businessman struggling to find new export markets in a sluggish global economy, Mosun said Harper's comments had not helped.

"These broad sweeping Clint Eastwood-type one-liners that sound cool in the press, really have dire consequences for the little guy like us. I just think we could have handled it differently."

In the meantime, games of foozball with an airport bartender and countless messages to his worried wife have punctuated the long hours while Mosun waits to board a flight home.

"I'm looking forward to getting on the flight," he said, understating his predicament

-- Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:20 pm --

Mosun said Canadians like himself were being singled out at immigration counters for additional screening which included retina-scans.

"It's clearly discrimination," claimed Mosun, who missed a meeting with an important potential client and now worries about the impact of the diplomatic spat on his business.

This bit had me laughing...

The slick Darius Mosun thinks Canucks are the only ones being "discriminated" against, when 170 other nationalities, including Saffers and Indians and Iranians and Turks all have to undergo the same procedure.

If outsiders read this, they would think there is a separate counter for Canadians where they are humiliated with retina scans while everyone else waltzs in through the immigration counters.

Just a couple of dumbasses to be honest if they can't figure out a single entry visa from a multiple entry one.

Retina scans etc etc, welcome to world of people not on the preferred list of nations.

And to top it off there is something even funnier, a comment from a possible "Canadian" immigrant, who


i think the seniour Diblomats of UAE AND CANADA should sit aroung the table with each others and try to solve this issue in good manors as its effect to the Canadian Public specially those , who has some personal and business relationship with the UAE , according to my experience, nothing can be solved with out negociation and with out open minded thoughts, I donot blame to no one, but i will say please try to make some soft corner for the poor inocent Canadian people . I also would like to bring in the attention to the Canadian Diplomats and Higher Authority of Canadian Government that mostly its effected to the Muslim Cominity due to this dispute, and further more we face bad remarks about Canadians from other wenstren countries ,that why only Canadians are not allowed to get the free entry from the UAE AIRPORTS , PLEASE THE DISPUTE MUST BE SOLVED IMMIDIATLY , THANKS

BlackburnRovers wrote:And to top it off there is something even funnier, a comment from a possible "Canadian" immigrant, who


i think the seniour Diblomats of UAE AND CANADA should sit aroung the table with each others and try to solve this issue in good manors as its effect to the Canadian Public specially those , who has some personal and business relationship with the UAE , according to my experience, nothing can be solved with out negociation and with out open minded thoughts, I donot blame to no one, but i will say please try to make some soft corner for the poor inocent Canadian people . I also would like to bring in the attention to the Canadian Diplomats and Higher Authority of Canadian Government that mostly its effected to the Muslim Cominity due to this dispute, and further more we face bad remarks about Canadians from other wenstren countries ,that why only Canadians are not allowed to get the free entry from the UAE AIRPORTS , PLEASE THE DISPUTE MUST BE SOLVED IMMIDIATLY , THANKS

Translation: Hey!!! UAE!!!!! Dn't skrew up my chanses to get the Canadian paspurt!!!!!

Bora Bora wrote:

BlackburnRovers wrote:
.......i think the seniour Diblomats of UAE AND CANADA ......

Translation: Hey!!! UAE!!!!! Dn't skrew up my chanses to get the Canadian paspurt!!!!!

Bora, I agree, another one headed for....Canada.....

hope the Diblomats solve his problem favourably.....

I do have the feeling he already is a "Kanadi" and not someone headed for Canada

I think the fee is high as per the latest news, as this says
"Canadians must now pay C$250 for non-renewable 30-day visit visa, C$500 for three-month stay or C$1,000 for multiple-entry, six-month visa"

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20110124033031/

If you apply on your own through the UAE embassy in Ottawa. If you buy a ticket from Ethihad or Emirates the airline will arrange it for you for just 61CAD.

desertdudeshj wrote:If you apply on your own through the UAE embassy in Ottawa. If you buy a ticket from Ethihad or Emirates the airline will arrange it for you for just 61CAD.

DDS What's the prices like to Australia from Dubai, any ideas?

LOL, what do I look like a travel agent !

Bethsmum wrote:

desertdudeshj wrote:If you apply on your own through the UAE embassy in Ottawa. If you buy a ticket from Ethihad or Emirates the airline will arrange it for you for just 61CAD.

DDS What's the prices like to Australia from Dubai, any ideas?

Which location would you like to fly to?

sage & onion wrote:

Bethsmum wrote:

desertdudeshj wrote:If you apply on your own through the UAE embassy in Ottawa. If you buy a ticket from Ethihad or Emirates the airline will arrange it for you for just 61CAD.

DDS What's the prices like to Australia from Dubai, any ideas?

Which location would you like to fly to?

Dubai x Brisbane - Dhs 6155/-
Dubai x Perth - Dhs 5495/-
Dubai x Melbourne - Dhs 6055/-
Dubai x Sydney - Dhs 6825/-

All Emirates of course.

Hello All...

I felt the need to reply to this thread, as myself being "Canadian-eh" and all I have first hand have gone through the application process of a visa. I just wanted to mention something, yes the visa is significantly cheaper if you fly with emirates or etihad, but the cost of the ticket is much higher...so really it’s all the same in the end. Most people fly with emirates or etihad because it’s a direct flight.

I just checked for the hell of it what the cost would be to fly from Ottawa > Dubai, its around 2000 dollars (with Emirates)/1600(with Etihad), with Emirates its double what I paid and with Etihad its still 400 dollars more than what I paid!

It's all pathetic, I sent a letter to our PM as well. It was received and sent to the right people, but I doubt anything will come of it. I don't blame UAE at all for doing what they did, its unfortunate that we have to pay such a high fee for a visa, with that being said, this will be my last trip to UAE for sure - so I will make the most of it !!

How much is the ticket from the other airlines ? My friend who just left today booked it a couple of months in advance on Emirates and I think paid only around 1200. He's done this route for a few years now and flow a couple of other airlines out here and said they were horrible and would never travel on them again.

Only complaint he had with Emirates was the timing of the food served. One meal just after take off and one just before landing with a long gap in the middle, other than that he was quite happy.

Anyway I haven't met a Canadian yet who would choose Air Canada over Emirates, so yes just average people caught in the diplomatic crossfire.