RIP OFF?

An interesting bit of bureaucracy today. We went to get Mrs Seabee's UAE driving licence, which she should get automatically because she has an Australian licence.

She handed over her passport, Aussie licence & all the paperwork. The lady behind the counter prodded away at the computer keyboard and said "You had a Dubai licence in the past". My wife agreed she had, but that it expired in 1984 when we left Dubai, 21 years ago.

"You can't have a new licence, you must renew the old one".
"Why?"
"That's the regulation".

So she had to pay Dh25 for an eye test, then - and this is the real rip-off - she had to pay for renewal every year since 1984! The licence cost Dh310.