tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post754366595682220897..comments2024-03-27T15:45:49.926+04:00Comments on Life in Dubai: Ministry of ClarificationSeabeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-42829304296833010392009-05-10T17:03:00.000+04:002009-05-10T17:03:00.000+04:00Oh no. They are in place alright. They just don't ...Oh no. They are in place alright. They just don't answer their phones, or if they do, don't answer any questions, or get back to you in a month... And now, no one else will speak to the media as only spokespeople are allowed. It's painful. I don't see how they can say the system facilitates the flow of information, its done nothing but cut journos off from their sources and made it take WEEKS to get any info out of a ministry because it all has to be approved by one person. It was bad before, now its dire.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-51690064375766648292009-05-07T11:38:00.000+04:002009-05-07T11:38:00.000+04:00Seebee - one major cause of many of the problems y...Seebee - one major cause of many of the problems you repeatedly adumbrate on this blog with regard to the inefficieny etc. of much of the Dubai government bureaucracy is a lack of <I>democratic accountability</I>. Ultimately, the Dubai government has real accountability to only one man and thus no real incentive, save incurring his displeasure, to really try to sort these things out.<br /><br /><I>By the way, it's not unique to the sandlands. I've just been watching the news from London about the gurkha fiasco. Ms Lumley had a meeting with the PM and she says he's promised to sort it all out, come up with a new proposal. That's after all sorts of U-turns, revisions, changes of policy - sounds familiar to me.</I>Actually, this example shows why in a democracy badly thought through and/or unpopular policies proposed by a government can be changed when such policies are popularly opposed with the support of the democratically appointed legislature! Do you really think Gordon Brown would have met Joanna Lumley had he not lost the Gurkha vote in the House of Commons last week?Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-71754301873073517612009-05-07T11:14:00.000+04:002009-05-07T11:14:00.000+04:00It boggles the mind...:)It boggles the mind...:)Spear The Almightyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234873551632663281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-52961560743837553202009-05-07T08:29:00.000+04:002009-05-07T08:29:00.000+04:00Here's a joke to lighten your morning...EXCLUSIVE:...Here's a joke to lighten your morning...<BR><A HREF="http://business.maktoob.com/20090000002602/EXCLUSIVE_Dubai_mulls_low_income_driving_ban/Article.htm" REL="nofollow">EXCLUSIVE: Dubai mulls low-income driving ban </A>Emjayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793498216962134801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-52521930139095215892009-05-07T08:13:00.000+04:002009-05-07T08:13:00.000+04:00Seabee, even if you did have the temerity (sic) a...<B>Seabee</B>, even if you did have the temerity (sic) and even if you were NOT a <I>"Bloody know-it-all Western expates telling 'em how to run their own country..."</I>, its not like anyone's listening or taking (corrective?) action.Emjayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793498216962134801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-31802583645877994382009-05-06T21:09:00.000+04:002009-05-06T21:09:00.000+04:00Elle, keeping up with it is the easy part. Underst...<B>Elle</B>, keeping up with it is the easy part. Understanding what's going on is where I run into a wall.<br /><br /><B>Keefie</B> I wouldn't have the temerity (where did that word come from?) to do that, merely thinking out loud.<br /><br />By the way, it's not unique to the sandlands. I've just been watching the news from London about the gurkha fiasco. Ms Lumley had a meeting with the PM and she says he's promised to sort it all out, come up with a new proposal. That's after all sorts of U-turns, revisions, changes of policy - sounds familiar to me.Seabeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-49258755140278311772009-05-06T18:58:00.000+04:002009-05-06T18:58:00.000+04:00Seabee, I'm impressed that you can keep up with wh...Seabee, I'm impressed that you can keep up with whose saying what.Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122180526177141484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-33566323893185266092009-05-06T18:09:00.000+04:002009-05-06T18:09:00.000+04:00And a ministry of misunderstandings to clarify the...And a ministry of misunderstandings to clarify the misunderstandings that the ministry of reclarification has with the ministry of clarifications....<br /><br />My head hurtsRose in Dubainoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-46775219865616690342009-05-06T17:33:00.000+04:002009-05-06T17:33:00.000+04:00I suspect we will also need a Ministry of Reclarif...I suspect we will also need a Ministry of Reclarifications for further interpretation of the Clarification Spokesman......... <br /><br />Or have I just been in Dubai too long??Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03473866776176076777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-64377993226854212962009-05-06T17:17:00.000+04:002009-05-06T17:17:00.000+04:00Catalin, they not only have two committees they al...<B>Catalin</B>, they not only have two committees they also allow people not on the committees to interfere.<br /><br /><B>Emjay</B>, many mornings in peak traffic times I wonder why lanes are blocked by cleaning trucks and the trucks parked by gardeners removing grass clippings. Wouldn't it help the traffic flow if they started outside peak times - but then what do I know, I'm not a traffic expert.Seabeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-34647116218156302252009-05-06T16:49:00.000+04:002009-05-06T16:49:00.000+04:00Also needed is a Ministry of Communication. Just ...Also needed is a Ministry of Communication. Just to get th edifferent ministries to talk to each other.<br /><br /><BR>That way, we wont have the RTA clos off half a lane of a two lane road, and then have the Municipality send in Road Cleaning machines at 7:30 AM effectively blocking a busy thoroughfare at a peak time. (Any one exiting The Gardens / Discovery Gardens by the <B><I>alternate route</I></B> towards Dubai knows what I am talking about)Emjayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793498216962134801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-38529636298193003862009-05-06T16:05:00.000+04:002009-05-06T16:05:00.000+04:00I think all the points you've made are valid, but ...I think all the points you've made are valid, but I would take a guess that this will never get done. Just the other day I heard on the radio that the government has announced that two committees were established to deal with the swine flu in case it shows up here. One committee to set policy, the other one to make sure the policy is implemented. Hardly one line of communication... (the story about the 2 committees here: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/04/28/10308510.html)Catalinhttp://www.momentaryawe.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-24552763006337793492009-05-06T15:54:00.000+04:002009-05-06T15:54:00.000+04:00Thank you Elisabeth :-)Thank you Elisabeth :-)Seabeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-25586326848860120392009-05-06T15:46:00.000+04:002009-05-06T15:46:00.000+04:00I really like your blog, well done.I really like your blog, well done.Mademoiselle Glamoratihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11664375788759614214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-72434402324408904642009-05-06T15:37:00.000+04:002009-05-06T15:37:00.000+04:00This is a good one "Minstry of Clarification" the ...This is a good one "Minstry of Clarification" the last thing you need for people with arabic culture.<br /><br />It all depends on the hirarcy and wether one is talking from a nationwide level (agreed by all and no one has a 2nd say about it and it applies to all in the country as a whole), fedral level or local emirate level... keep these three hats infront of you and pick from among them depending on the topic sensitivity.<br /><br />Sometimes the three hats also don't work and then I can not suggest anything else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com