Dubai Alcohol

For Western tourists visiting Dubai, there is often some question over the matter of drinking alcohol. For clarification, the United Arab Emirates is a majority Muslim country and there are strict rules on the purchase and drinking of alcohol. Among these rules are one which forbids the purchase of alcohol in an off-licence (or liquor store) without an alcohol licence. These are issued only to residents of the UAE who are not Muslim. You can buy alcohol in a hotel bar/restaurant or in a private members’ club, but may not drink it in the street or a public space. Additionally to this, the minimum legal drinking age is 21.

It is not a good idea to visit Dubai under the impression that the rules will be easy to get round. Dubai is, after all, mainly Muslim and the Muslim religion frowns on the consumption of alcohol. However, as long as you are willing to work within the laws – which are fairly liberal compared with those of a number of other countries in the region – you can enjoy a drink. Conscious of the number of Westerners who visit Dubai on business and holidays, the authorities have found a way for the Dubai travel sector not to suffer from laws which are stricter than those in the West.

In any case, the Dubai travel industry has seen to it that most of the hotels in the region are places where the visitor can enjoy their time without needing to go out into the wider city every night. The hotels – particularly the showpiece ones – tend to have at least one restaurant that compares favorably with others in the city. So if you feel that a drink would improve your experience, you need not compromise on quality and freedom.