Until now, alcohol in Dubai has been one thing. It was available in resorts. Not on the street. If you wanted to buy alcohol yourself, you needed a license. Then again, an ID card was enough. Either way, alcohol in the Emirates is not always easy. Now, however, the previous thirty percent tax on alcohol in Dubai is supposedly being dropped.
Drinking in Dubai
According to local media, drinking in Dubai has become cheaper since Sunday. Not only because the tax no longer has to be paid. But also because retailers no longer have to pay license fees. This information is not official. In other words, the government of the emirate, which has a population of 3.3 million, has not yet commented on the matter. For tourists, this means that alcohol will now be cheaper in Dubai. The new regulation will initially apply for one year.
What else changes? Nothing. Drinking in public is still strictly prohibited. And even if you consume beer, wine and the like behind closed room doors, you have to be careful. Even the display of your illuminated state is problematic. In other words, if you’re drunk, stay inside. Drivers are subject to a 0 per mille limit. But that’s a point of honor anyway.
Why won’t there be an Alcohol Tax any longer?
It is mainly conjecture that one hears on this subject. Supposedly, the aim is to become more attractive for tourism. However, it has to be said that the second-largest Arab emirate cannot complain about a lack of visitors. After Bangkok, Paris and London, Dubai is the fourth most visited city in the world. Partly due to the lax Corona rules, around 180 percent more tourists came in the first half of 2022 than in the first half of 2021.
What could already play a role, however: Dubai is facing growing concrastination from within its own ranks. After all, Abu Dhabi is doing everything it can to become more attractive for tourists. And even the smaller emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah are trying to attract visitors. And Qatar, not an emirate but a neighboring country, has been a constant topic of discussion in recent months anyway.
Video by Max Avans
