"Marhaba - Welcome" wadibash's Profile

The overland route from Muscat to Abu Dhabi is about 600 kilometres. From Muscat, you drive up the Batinah Coast of Oman upto Sohar and then turn into Wadi Jizzi to reach the UAE border at Khatam Shakla. You first pass through the Oman border post like a breeze and then reach the UAE border post.

Abu Dhabi is the richest kingdom in the region but crossing the road border is a nightmare. You have to go from pillar to post to submit your visa papers make the payment and cross up and down in front of heavy goods vehicles.With two in the queue before you the immigration officials will take about an hour to stamp your passport! The procedures are repeated when you wish to leave the place and YOU HAVE TO PAY TO EXIT THIS EMIRATE!

Abu Dhabi has recently created 'Brand Abu Dhabi' and a passage in their brochure reads "Our traditions of hospitality reach back into our past. The harshness of desert living meant weary strangers were welcomed as returning family." Nothing is further from the truth! They have no intention of welcoming visitors driving into the Emirate.

We visited the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi said to the be the third largest in the world. (See picture)

While booking a table for lunch at the Emirates Palace Hotel the lady read me a sermon on the dress code for the Vendome Brasserie. We did not know what to expect and were relived to find a mix of local residents and Italian tourists - quite a few of them were not informed about the dress code!