Friday, June 06, 2008

I'm not here.

Until the end of June it's a business trip to the UK, followed by a chance to catch up with old friends who are now living in Provence.

I bet they get more visitors than when they lived in the UK! Although they lived in a great little village there too, so maybe they did get a lot of weekenders to see them even then.

Anyway, a horribly early start, as it so often is from DXB, but at least we arrive in London at a reasonable time, then it's up the M1 to Leicester for the first set of meetings on Monday.

Not sure whether I'll be able to update anything here - if not, we're back in Dubai on June 28...

8 comments:

LDU said...

Have a safe trip!

Anonymous said...

Have a great time! We'll miss you!

Neugent Reality said...

hope you have a wonderful trip!





http://tour-dubai.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Enjoy the cool weather.

Anonymous said...

Have a great time....enjoy!

I wonder if you've heard of the new Visa rule for those foreigners that buy property in Dubai? Apparently, it seems as if property buyers will not automatically get a residence visa. Instead they will be given a 2-week Visit Visa to see their property once a year.

Seabee said...

anon, I've heard the rumour that circulates every few months about the property/residence visa change. It keeps being denied by the authorities and in any case, using basic common sense, it can't happen. The entire economy would collapse.

Anonymous said...

Yes, the economy certainly would collapse.

However, there was an interview of the head of RERA printed in both Gulf News and Khaleej Times, in which he said purchasing property in Dubai would not automatically entitle the purchaser to a residence visa, much the same way as a person buying a house in Australia would not automatically get the right of a residence visa there.

Certainly, there are plenty of people who would be impacted by this law.....but it seems as if the proposal has been sent to the Federal level, and if approved would apply UAE-wide.

Interesting times, what?

Seabee said...

anon, Mr Galita was more than a little confused about the res. visa rules, the 'journalist' misrepresented what was said - nothing new there then - and it is the opposite of official government statements and the law.

Here's how the article started: Dubai is to introduce a set of short-term visas for foreign investors in the real estate sector, a top official said.

"We have submitted the proposals to this effect to the higher government authority in Dubai to review the visas for property buyers. Once this law is approved, this might be implemented at a federal level as well," Marwan Bin Galita, chief executive of Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) told Gulf News yesterday.


Just look at the appalling standards of 'journalism' including the editor's in those two paras. The opening para states that Dubai 'is to introduce', while the next para gives the actual quote, which is that RERA has simply proposed it to the Dubai government.

It then makles the preposterous statement: His comments reverse the government's earlier stand.

RERA is not the government and it can't reverse government decisions.

Mr Galita also said: "It is not a must that those who buy a property can get a residence visa," he said.

"If a development company goes bankrupt, what happens to the residents sponsored by that particular company? We are also examining."


That's correct, it is not automatic, the buyer has to meet the Immigration Dept. rules, but it's also a fact that only the government-owned Master Developers are able to sponsor owners for a res. visa. Mr Galita is confused in thinking that any developer can sponsor owners of its properties. Nakheeel, Emaar and Dubai Properties aren't likely to go bankrupt.