Saturday, October 18, 2008

Drinking in the UAE - Watch Out!

I came across this piece of information the other day and thought it was worthy of inclusion in my blog. This extract is taken from the Worldworx website and it should be heeded.

"Drinking or possession of alcohol without a Ministry of Interior liquor permit is illegal and could result in arrest and/or fines and imprisonment. Alcohol is served at bars in most major hotels but is intended for guests of the hotel. Persons not staying at the hotel who use the bar technically are required to have their own personal liquor license. Liquor licenses are issued only to non-Muslim persons who possess UAE residency permits. Drinking and driving is considered a serious offense. Penalties generally are assessed according to religious law."

The all-important word in the paragraph is "technically" and that could mean anything!

It sounds ridiculous but it is the law of the land, so beware!

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