Wednesday, May 14

Visa Ban Boiling Resentment

It has never been the intent to use this blog to "point fingers" or aggravate any situation but with the current issue of a newspaper article has caused a stir in the local media platforms, with full fledged biased comments against the country as a whole.

These reports/comments will only add more fire to the flames and drive resentment to a simmer above boiling point between foreign and local residents.  I believe it to be wise to let this issue to rest till an official statement is announced. 

The shocking reactions over the past few days is a clear indication that the situation could only get worse with foreigners feeling that they are getting the short end of the stick, while not as much, based on the local workforce. 

The general consensus from the local residents is that foreign workers are getting enough pay and some to do the worked required of them based on their job contracts, and the new said rule is valid. The flip side of the coin is that the expat community are stating that Oman has closed all doors for proper knowledgeable workers. I have one question in this regard "Where should the cut-off point be?" 

In my earlier reference to the shocking reactions on various social media platforms I do not see the justification in accusing the country in being ignorant, corrupt and completely unlivable. There are those of you who have considered Oman as your home and residence for a number of years, be it what may, due to various reasons. Consider me an idealist or simply naive that anyone could base their whole judgement of a country on a single or a few cumulative negative incidents. 

Simply put...
Judge the powers that be not the people/locals who are just as effected by the same authoritative mandate. 

Aishelaqtta will not entertain any comments posted in response to this.

Addition to blog post
I have scanned MoM web-sites and  Arabic newspapers for additional information in regards to the 2yr visa ban but found nothing since the "official" twitter announcement.

ايش اللقطه
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10 comments:

  1. their whole judgement of a country on a single or a few cumulative negative incidents <-----It is not a single or few incidents. You are naïve as how foreign workers are treated in Oman.

    Aishelaqtta will not entertain any comments posted in response to this. <--- Yes, of course you wouldn't because that is the typical Omani response. Don't listen to anyone else and can't possibly accept something criticism or something about your country isn't that great. Treatment of labour in Oman and the GCC is a major issue and has even been written about by the UN in Human trafficking and against Human rights. Qatar had to change it rules due to the international pressure since the World Cup is coming. The Guttemheim museum in UAE refused to display art at first until the UAE made some concessions about labour treatment. Please take you head out of the sand. Oman and GCC treats most foreign workers in lower and mid positions terribly. I wish you could be an expat for a few weeks under Omani treatment. Your whole perspective would change especially as a female. By the time every Omani guy had tried to sleep with you and followed you by car and all the extra non paid hours .. you will feel differently that your post finding something 'shocking'. Its not shocking , the comments represent a reality you are unwilling to see or accept. Furthermore, Oman would be in deep trouble without help from the outside especially in high skilled jobs...your oil profits would collapse and then your country really in trouble. Also, with out cheap labour from Indian for constructions, the construction business would collapse. You would be back to animal husbandry living on family farms. If you haven't noticed most things Omanis enjoy such as cars, cell phones etc do not come from Oman and are basically paid for by the oil sector profits. Oman doesn't even have the capacity to imitate them or the know how to manufacture themselves; Nor, the engineering necessary to build the roads, oil infrastructure,,,ect,,,without help from the outside. Again, you are not realistic.,,,,,,,,,Oman is not that great as far as their attitude toward foreigners and one of the most racist places I have ever been and I have lived all over the world. So, you need more to compare from instead of being shocked. Sometimes the truth is shameful. I hope someone can get through to you and other Omanis because you are really living naively.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only responding due to this "I wish you could be an expat for a few weeks under Omani treatment. Your whole perspective would change especially as a female. By the time every Omani guy had tried to sleep with you and followed you by car and all the extra non paid hours .. you will feel differently that your post finding something 'shocking' "

      Somehow you believe Omani women are exempted from all that you mentioned above just due to the fact that we maybe naive and over protected rotten pots....think again!
      I still stand by my choice of word since I didnt want to use anything that would seem impertinent.

      Delete
  2. I agree---Omani women do get the same treatment. IF "big if" they never go out of their homes and are ALWAYS always escorted by male reltaive encounters are rarer....

    But as a Canadian (and now majorly veiwed as an Omani woman): rape and harassment aren't exclusive to Oman. I know girls in Canada who were raped more than I know housemaids in Oman, ect... although no matter who you are, the lower someone's social status, or mental status, the greater their chance of abuse is.

    Not all Omani girls are what I'd call the Shatti/Princess set.

    Not all of them even have families, as rare as that is in Oman.

    Being overworked is another thing---people with a consience are often overworked, regardless of nation.

    Abuse happens. We should deal with it, everywhere.

    And this blogger is calling for the Omanization of construction. I think if we raised the wage, we'd get better quality construction, and that's just a fact. Not every Omani is meant to be a doctor or engineer (though there are a lot of those too). Trade schools need to be established and the incentive to study for this should be in the salary and job market.

    ReplyDelete
  3. And of course, keep skilled foremen, keep skilled engineers, keep skilled contractors---they've earned it. But unskilled workers--- give me a group of strong, fit, healthy Omani lads, and give them one summer with my father, and he'll have them doing plumbing, painting, and general construction better than a lot of the Pakistani and Indian labourers here, and that's a fact. The roads would be better, and corruption reported more. Electricians and plumbers should go to school, have certification, and all houses would then have a way for these lads to get ahead in life instead of just minimum wage---they'd be able to become foremen with years of experience, safety supervisors, and even safety inspectors and value-for-property appraisers (which lack in Oman these days---trust me, I've been househunting and in the real estate market for months now).

    ReplyDelete
  4. To remove my comment is pathetic at best. Grow a backbone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was no content within your comment.
      Go ahead and repost.

      Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent!

      Delete
    2. "You don't build a developing nation when you depend on 3rd world labour" by flung

      Delete
    3. Omani Princess seems to disagree.....

      I said, 'You cannot build a developing country when you depend on labour from the 3rd world.' Or words to that effect.

      Delete
    4. You beat me to it! Thanks.

      Delete

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