Is this common in the middle east or elsewhere?
 

I'm in the middle east and going to restaurants almost always I've found waiters just bringing a bottle of mineral water which I didn't ask for and then opening it and pouring it into a cup even before I can say anything, I've caught it once or twice and asked them to take it back (since I've already ordered beer or some other drink) and while they do oblige they are upset about it, but other times they are too quick or pretend not to understand why I don't want water. Afterwards I get a $1-$1.50 charge on my bill for the water (by comparison the local price for the water in the store is ($0.30). This is just plain annoying.

This happens all over the world - even here in the US in some restaurants. If you don't want the bottled water, you need to say so right away.

It is everywhere. Last week at the Sheraton Palace in Moscow at their manin restaurant the waiter, without asked, poured an imported Italian still water and charged US$ 20.00 for it. I protested to the headwaiter, who said, yes that's the price.

It was later removed from the bill. However i have had it happen everywhere and lately nice restaurants have habitually been substituting very, very expensive imported water in tiny bottles in place of invariably cheaper domestic alternatives. Then there are those countries in which automatic cover charges are added, ostensibly for bread.

Ripoffs know no nationality. $1.50? I'd call that cheap!

The use of imported water in countries with their own perfectly acceptable alternatives is stupidly wasteful. There is simply no need in HKG to serve Evian when there a plenty of acceptable local bottled waters. It's not as if there is any real taste difference to get worked up about.

In the Middle East they are used to Western visitors drinking water with every meal hence why it is a default offering.

Exactly. ^

I've made it a rule of thumb to always ask for LOCAL bottled water in each and every country I visit. The only reason restaurants try to pour you foreign water is to jack up (and justify) the price. Forget it.

I've never had a waiter automatically pour me paid-for water, but I've often had waiters or waitresses automatically pour me imported water when asking for just water. Hence I now always ask for "LOCAL water" when ordering. :)

Yeah, it's not about the cost but about the principle, I don't want to pay for stuff I don't want to order..also I consider it extraordinarily rude to automatically order stuff without getting the consent of the customer, this is the first time actually I am experiencing such a thing. Never had it happen to be in restaurants in the US.

I got hit with this at a restaurant in the Hilton Hotel in Seoul.

While there are still many venues where the reliability or the flavor of local tap water may be questionable or unacceptable, trying to push "name brand" imports amounts to close to extortion if not simple gouging. Still true in Italy as it was 50 years ago, bottled water came automatically with the wine order, although "mixing", once common place for families dining out, especially with children along, seems to have grown uncommon. Even in the Lake Region, where the "tap" water is a treat, those locals who drink water at all (and I still believe many Italians avoid doing so ;)) prefer it from a bottle.

Then there was Mexico in the old days, where every restaurant had a young employee charged with filling empty water bottles from the tap in back and recapping them for sale to nervous turistas.

Well 4-5 years ago I used to dine at Carl's Jr. in California (back when I was a part time resident in Calif) where upon ordering a combo meal, the person serving me would often automatically ask "You want medium or large?" meaning he/she is not even offering me the small size combo (which is the default price for the combo at the menu). Meaning more or less trying to force me to upsize the combo by saying medium or large are the only options. I find this very rude, deceiving and unethical as well. I don't mind fast food for wanting to upsell a combo meal, but please at least say something like "Would you like to upsell to medium or large?" when presenting the options.