[Tooner]

The other thing to remember is in the UAE you can't win a "he said, she said" if the other person is a UAE national.

[Happy Dude]

Originally Posted by clifford

Yes Browski, I second that. If you are caught with any kind of liquor whatsoever in Saudi, you will be subject to severe physical punishment.

How do I know that? I was a DFAT officer there.

Those posters who haven't been to Saudi wouldn't understand what I am talking about. Trust me.

I don't need to have been to Saudi to have an understanding of the ramifications of breaking Sharia Law, and I'd never under-estimate what one person could do to another, particularly in an ultra-conservative place. Doesn't mean I wouldn't be shocked, appalled etc by it though. However, I'm always keen for enlightenment, so feel free to share some of the good stories....

In my UK time, I was an engineer for a large firm with offices in Saudi (and other countries "like Saudi"), and I heard a few stories from returnees along the same lines as told by tuapekastar. And from a few unrelated sources too. The one thing in common was the "foreigner compounds".

Anyhoo, we're getting a bit off track here.....

I'm still none the wiser as to why the lawyer would publicly make what appears to be such a refutable and incorrect (?) claim. I'd be a bit miffed with this guys big mouth if I was Etihad. Although, as drron points out, their hardly in a position to espouse standards.

[drron]

Todays SMH goes a little further.Problems on both sides it seems.
First-class fracas, but facts remain in a sky-high fog - National - smh.com.au

[simongr]

Hmm - adds more but not much more clarity. Mind you I like the photos of the Diamond lounge

[BiziBB]

SMH reports that the banana boys are out of luck and out of a job...

Abu Dhabi playboys cut loose
JUPITER Mines has jettisoned its consulting agreements with the so-called "bananas in pyjamas" for the second time since 2005.
The Sydney exploration company yesterday said it would immediately terminate consulting agreements with Jeremy Snaith and David Evans, the company directors who were famously arrested in Abu Dhabi after misbehaving while flying first class on Etihad Airways in April.
Other directors and some shareholders have also requested the company hold a meeting to sack Mr Snaith and Mr Evans from the Jupiter board after they were convicted of sexual harassment and intoxication by an Abu Dhabi court...

Although they were Jupiter's original promoters, they were let go as consultants in March 2005, just three months after the listing.
When their agreements were terminated, they each received 500,000 Jupiter shares instead of a cash payment.

Later in 2005 - upset with Jupiter's languishing share price - the pair took advantage of their large shareholdings to call a meeting which led to the removal of chief executive Warren Staude.

Mr Staude later said the pair had been sacked as consultants because "the company felt they were not making a valuable contribution.''

[mianos]

I can say from recent experience (3 weeks ago), the cabin crew in the F cabin were completely unattentive, ignoring calls and forgetting requests.

I am even more annoyed arriving in Abu Dhabi just now to find that have permanently rescheduled the flight to leave at 11:40 instead of 10:10. I got here at 7:30. Based on my experience so far I'd not travel with them next time.

Frankly I am a very light drinker but after reading all this before I left I was nervous to even drink anything. They had to reset the TV system which took about half an hour but what they did not tell us was all the lights would go into night mode and the seats would stop working at that time, which can be annoying if they are all the way up and you can't read your book.