Page 125 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

Silicon from Sand: Essential Background on the GCC 109

are fast compared with the time required to render the same
services by similarly regulated countries. These fast-track
capabilities contribute significantly to the country’s open-for-busi-
ness environment.
On flights into the UAE, you will not see any flight attendant
walking through the cabin handing out landing cards. The reason is
simple—landing cards are not required by the UAE. GCC nationals
just show their passports and enter. Citizens of the United States,
the EU, and several other nations simply have their passports
stamped by an immigration officer on arrival and come into the
country without hassle. Citizens of countries requiring visas can
have visas arranged for by their hotels or hosts, and they can pick
up those visas at desks located in the airport. For a fee, travelers can
arrange for premium service (called “Marhaba” in Dubai) and have
an airport worker whisk them through the process. Residents of
Dubai and very frequent travelers can have electronic passcards
made, which enable them to complete the entire entry process with
just a swipe of the card.
For perspective, contrast this process with that required to
enter the United States. Well before flights land, instructional
videos are shown demonstrating how to fill out various forms.
There is a white form for some, a green form for others, and a blue
form for all. Visitors get their pictures and fingerprints taken at
immigration. Consider this: American citizens have to fill out more
paperwork to enter the United States than they do to enter the UAE!
Dubai “eGovernment” is another example of fast-track gov-
ernment services at work. The suite of electronic tools includes an
“ePay” service through which residents—called “customers”—can
pay fees, fines, and other charges with credit cards and by other
electronic means. There is an “AskDubai” service, which allows
customers to communicate at any time with all relevant Dubai
government agencies via phone, fax, e-mail, and online chat. There
is even an “mDubai” service connecting customers to government
agencies through cell phone messaging, or SMS.

Liberal-Lifestyle Policies
Dubai is renowned worldwide for its live-and-let-live attitude
toward personal lifestyles. Unlike its stricter neighbors, Dubai has