FINALLY: You can book appointments at the Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi online

*Me and a Mountie.

While I have always taken great pleasure in getting to the embassy early enough to get the '001' ticket, I'd much rather do this. In an email sent out tonight to Canadians in the UAE, the embassy announces: 

To better serve your needs, we are pleased to announce our new online appointment system for requesting passport or consular services for Canadian citizens. This will avoid long and sometimes unexpected waiting times. You can do this either through the website or through Facebook.  

*Not a real Mountie.