| THIS WEEK:
ALCOHOL & LICENSING
1) If you are a Muslim expatriate, drinking
alcohol is strictly forbidden in any circumstance.
2) If you are non-Muslim, you may only consume
alcohol if you personally hold an alcohol licence. You should keep
this licence with you at all times. The licence is granted by the
police licencing authorities in the Emirate in which you live. The
alcohol licence will allow you to purchase alcohol up to a
percentage of your monthly salary.
3) Even if you hold an alcohol licence, you
should only drink alcohol in your own home or a licenced restaurant
or bar. It is against the law to consume alcohol or have alcohol in
your system if you are not in your own home or in a licenced venue.
Whilst this law is usually only enforced in conjunction with another
crime, expatriates should be still be careful, considerate and
courteous whilst travelling from venue to venue on an evening
out.
4) Alcohol should only be purchased in the
Emirate in which the expatriate holds an alcohol licence. It is
therefore against the law for an expatriate residing in Dubai to
purchase alcohol from liquor suppliers in Ras al Khaimah.
5) There is zero tolerance laws for expatriates
drink driving in the UAE. This means that you may have NO alcohol in
your system whilst driving. Alcohol can take up to 48 hours to leave
your system. Take this in to account when driving the day after a
night out.
The penalties for breach of any of the above
licensing laws is a jail term and can be combined with deportation
in some cases. |