OhMAN! Another Exit Story

It’s not always rainbows and butterflies.

My #MiddleEastDiaries aren’t all about traveling, skyscrapers, dancing fountains, speedy cars and thousands of flowers.

Well let’s say, just like the place, my diary has been full of surprises and spices!

What I thought would be my final exit from Kuwait actually led to this moment – me writing about another exit story from the U.A.E.

Remember when I said that Armenia was a better exit option over Oman? No? You can actually read it here.

I never thought I would experience exiting to Oman soon. But, here I am living to tell the tale. Haha! 😅

Trust the Process?

As part of the employment procedure in most Middle Eastern countries, a newly hired expatriate has to get a residence visa under the sponsorship of the company. In Kuwait’s case, it could be one of a few options:

(a) a transfer of visa from a previous employer, wherein the employee can immediately work while waiting for the transfer to finish,

(b) a new application for visit visa holders, wherein the employee has to go back to his/her home country or exit to another GCC country while waiting for his/her working visa, or

I fall under option (b).

If you think bureaucracy only happens in the PH, I am telling you that it’s not. Sometimes, it’s even worse here. What’s unfortunate is that a lot of our Kababayans here are victims of the twists and turns of this visa processing. More on that later.

Looking at the brighter side, I am staying positive that I’ll be back to base (Kuwait) soon with my husband and family. 🌞

As what they say, it’s a process – a long and challenging one. For now, we are all praying for patience while actively waiting. 😁

UnHappy Holidays

Now, exiting to Oman is apparently normal for thousands of “Kabayans” in the U.A.E. Before diving into the actual exit day, I tried to read about others’ experiences. I have also watched random YouTube documentations of their exit stories. Some were smooth, while others are heartbreaking.

Here’s a piece of my story.

With everything planned out, we booked my exit via a partner of our trusted agency on April 16, which is also the last day my visa validity.

Why did I book my exit on the last day?

Well, I was still waiting for the confirmation of the Company’s HR Supervisor on the availability of my visa. When she confirmed that it wasn’t out yet, it was the only day that has an available trip.

You see, weekends in the Middle East are usually on Thursdays to Saturdays. So, I really had to wait.

Days before my exit, we already had confirmations from our trusted agency regarding my bookings. Instructions were also given on where to meet. We have traveled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai a day before to avoid any transportation hassle on the actual day. Everything was A-OK.

Assembly and registration will be done in their partner agency’s office, Happy Holidays, which is located in Al Satwa, Dubai. I arrived at around 7:30 am, which is a few hours from the actual opening of the office. Of course, I didn’t want to be late.

Lo and behold! I was fourth on the registration list, paid the required 40 AED border fee and waited for the bus to arrive.

At this point, I was so confident that everything will go smoothly. I had everything on my checklist done ahead of time. I felt relaxed and ready to close my eyes once we begin the seven-hour ride to Buraimi, Oman.

Then, something happened.

After the first group of passengers, including myself, were able to reserve their seats on the bus, we saw frustrated and shouting Kabayans in the waiting area who were not able to make the cut. Apparently, there was an announcement from the agency’s receptionist that there will be another ride, but would most probably be late. It was also announced that the border will be closed at 12 noon.

It was already around 11:00 am when all of these happened. Just imagine around 50+ hungry and hot-headed people all anxious to leave.

Me? I was already quite happy with my seat. I even started a small conversation with my seatmate about why she was in the U.A.E. Of course, we felt sorry for those who were not able to make it. But all of us there were holding on to the agency’s words that another ride will be coming. We even agreed to wait for it as long as we will all arrive there together. We were just all hoping we could still reach the border in time.

But oh, how the tables have turned!

Next thing I knew, I was one of the fourteen Kabayans left behind by the bus.

I swear I tried to fight for my right to be on that bus... most of us did. It was my last day and I really didn’t want to pay any fees for overstaying in the Emirates. We were trying to understand why they made all the passengers go down again and called on random names to be on that trip. What’s even worse was they promised us that there really was another ride coming. But it was a lie! It was a really bad strategy.

It turned out there was a miscommunication between the partner agency’s staff and manager that led to the overbooking of passengers. Two lists were made – one considered the time of registration and the other one was randomly prepared by the manager. Of course, the staff had no choice. 😔

On a positive note, our trusted agency offered to pay my overnight stay at a local hotel as well as the overstaying fee amounting to 300 AED. Fees, by the way, usually cost 300 AED for the first day and an additional 100 AED for the following days.

It wasn’t my fault and I believe asserting my right at that moment paid off. Hehe! 😁

The Journey

On the next day, everything went on smoothly. 😊

The “Mighty Fourteen” made sure that everyone got their rightful seats on the bus.

On a normal and non-problematic day, the bus usually leaves Al Satwa at around 10 to 10:30 am. The Entry Visa for Oman is distributed on the bus before departure. Three things should always be in check – passport, old UAE visa and the entry visa for Oman.

There will be four different stops along the way that’s why the trip will last for around 7 to 8 hours.

The first stop will be at the Hatta Border Customs. Here, the customs officials will check the passport and visa. Once checked, one will already get his/her UAE Exit Stamp. Overstaying tourists, such as myself, still need to go to a separate counter to pay the fines.

Warning and Quick Tip: Taking pictures is strictly prohibited inside the vicinity of the Border Customs. Agencies will require the photo of the stamped passport. For it to be processed immediately, take and send the photo once you return to your bus seat. Make sure to capture it with the passport number visible. Also, communication lines will be immediately cut off once you cross the Hatta Border. So, make use of your data plan and send that stamp away! 😊

The second stop will be the luggage check. It’s a manual process with sticks and all. Make sure to pack efficiently. To avoid any delays, do not bring any questionable items such as big containers or packs of pharmaceuticals or electronic e-cigarettes. On the way back to Dubai, there could be a random check that will use x-ray luggage scanners. You don’t want to be the cause of the delay, right?

The third stop will be at the Oman Border. Here, the printed Oman entry visa will be collected by the Immigration Officer. An Oman Entry Stamp will then be reflected on the passport. It will indicate the date of your entry as well as the expiration date.

The fourth and final stop will be a second checking if the passports have actually been stamped. Honestly, we didn’t really get this point. It was not strict at all. All we did was form a line, individually flashed our stamped passports for around 0.05 seconds to the officer and went back to the bus. Oh well, welcome to Oman! :)

And oh! I must not forget the most interesting and important part of the journey – the driver.

You see, the agency has only one driver for its trips from Sunday to Wednesday. This Omani driver travels back and forth to Dubai for four straight days in a week. By the way, they usually have an Omani driver because he will stand as the sponsor for the agency once the group will cross the border.

So anyway, this driver, whose name I believe is Abdullah, has amusing ways to keep himself awake. He would turn the volume up of his favorite Arabic techno music, stand up and dance while he’s driving, take selfies and control the bus in a wiggling and zigzag motion.

Remember when I told you I was looking forward to a long nap during the trip? Well, I held on to my dear life and just had a few minutes of that sought after nap.

Quite a ride, Habibi!

Finding Friends

Unfortunate events can sometimes lead to unexpected friendships.

This trip proved to be one.

It still amazes me how the warmth of Filipinos can make the world smaller. We love to talk, share our experiences, our frustrations, our struggles and most especially our joys.

From the “Mighty Fourteen” that were left behind by the bus, I found an instant connection to some of them. I learned that some also came from General Santos City. So, lines like “Oh! Bisaya diay ka te? Asa ka sa Gensan?” opened up long and interesting conversations.

One of the most memorable people that I met was Myra. She’s an Ilongga like me and hails from North Cotabato. What first touched my heart was her gesture of sharing her lunch with me on the road. I didn’t plan to eat a complete meal while traveling so I just brought biscuits and a bottle of water. Food is life! So, imagine the instant connection! We’ve become seatmates and roommates as well! 👭🥘

Apparently, most of my companions in the trip are “veterans” of The Oman Exit. Some of them have done it for four to six times in a span of 1 to 2 years. So for them, it was just a breeze.

When we arrived at Al Jimi Hotel, which has rooms that accommodate 12 to 15 individuals, more Kabayan stories welcomed us. Some of them have been staying there for more than a month. Others have taken part-time jobs at the hotel while waiting for their visas back to UAE just to be paid with a free stay at the hotel. Some of them have lost touch with their supposed employers. Some of them were stuck in the hotel for the weekend since their visas did not arrive on the cut off day.

Nevertheless, these people remain joyful and positive. Every night, the Pinoy Cafeteria downstairs is filled with cheerful Kabayans. Some share stories over a cup of hot tea or coffee, while others sing their heart out in the nearby Karaoke station.

Resilience at its best!

The Redemption

As if all the stars calmed down and aligned, I immediately got my UAE visa the next morning. I immediately went to the hotel’s reception, paid 10 AED for the printing of my visa and had my bus seat reserved. This time, I made sure I was on the list.

We left Oman with the same driver but a smaller ride – a coaster – at around 9:00 pm. We went through the same route and stops but arrived a little late in Dubai due to some delays in the UAE border. Remember the forbidden e-cigarettes I told you about? Well, that was one of the reasons for the delay. So, it’s definitely a big NO NO.

OhMAN!

“Oh man! Why of all people do I have to experience that very inconvenient trip?”

Looking back, I am still grateful that I was able to experience that one memorable trip. Yes, my stress levels were high. But after listening to different stories from our fellow Kabayans, I realized that I need not fuss about the small stuff. Others have fought greater battles than I did.

We all have our different struggle and success stories. At the end of the day, what’s important is how you face your everyday battles and use it to touch someone else’s life. 💗