Booze and bang to rights
It really is a bizarre day when someone gets prosecuted for drinking beer in a Dubai pub:
"Dubai: A Briton has been acquitted of drinking alcohol because he had a liquor permit issued to him by the police."
All well and good, but what about tourists? They don't have special permits when they visit Dubai.
"A police report said the man was caught drunk and was referred to the Public Prosecution which charged him with having beer at a Bur Dubai pub."
This is completely arse about tit. Drunken, rowdy behaviour in public - fine. Charge him with that. Don't charge him with something that is 100 per cent legal in the sandlands (Stone Age Sharjah excepted).
"His lawyer told the court that the general manager was allowed to purchase and consume liquor. The suspect purchased the beer in a pub in a hotel. The pub is authorised to sell liquor and he had a permit to consume liquor, explained the defence lawyer."
One really has to wonder how cases like this ever get to court. What a total waste of everyone's time and money.
In other news, given how advanced the UAE's medical facilities are becoming, it's unusual to see people travelling to Bangkok for "medical treatment". And if your wife is going to write ten million dirham cheques in your absence, all the more reason to seek "treatment" closer to home.
"Dubai: A Briton has been acquitted of drinking alcohol because he had a liquor permit issued to him by the police."
All well and good, but what about tourists? They don't have special permits when they visit Dubai.
"A police report said the man was caught drunk and was referred to the Public Prosecution which charged him with having beer at a Bur Dubai pub."
This is completely arse about tit. Drunken, rowdy behaviour in public - fine. Charge him with that. Don't charge him with something that is 100 per cent legal in the sandlands (Stone Age Sharjah excepted).
"His lawyer told the court that the general manager was allowed to purchase and consume liquor. The suspect purchased the beer in a pub in a hotel. The pub is authorised to sell liquor and he had a permit to consume liquor, explained the defence lawyer."
One really has to wonder how cases like this ever get to court. What a total waste of everyone's time and money.
In other news, given how advanced the UAE's medical facilities are becoming, it's unusual to see people travelling to Bangkok for "medical treatment". And if your wife is going to write ten million dirham cheques in your absence, all the more reason to seek "treatment" closer to home.
23 Comments:
I was told when I first arrived in the UAE that guests at a hotel that serves alcoholic beverages are allowed to drink legally in the bars of that hotel and nowhere else.
In order to drink legally in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, temporary guests working in the UAE and not staying in hotels must have a license to drink in the hotel bars and to use the off-license shops.
The license can be obtained only with a letter from the temporary guest's employer stating that the guest is an infidel, and that the employer has no objections.
Or one can take a taxi to Ajman or Umm Al Quwain.
But the Orient is a place where laws are enforced with a certain flexibility seldom seen in Western countries.
So the casual observer sees what would seem to be large numbers of unlicensed drinkers.
And the Internet trawler can read that such unlicensed drinkers have been lashed at least once in the past.
This is completely rediculous. It is 100% legal for a traveller to bring alcohol into this country. Now if a friend visited me and dragged a few bottles of alcohol along, we could potentially both get arrested for consuming that alcohol at home!! I can have alcohol and I can look at the alcohol but I can't consume the alcohol - or is looking and owning it at home also illegal?
It still means that as a resident without a liquor permit I stand a chance of winning the lottery with that police man having a bad day and getting arrested for consuming alcohol at the Dubai 7's or at home. Even though the alcohol was obtained perfectly legal within the UAE.
Look, the law is stupid. You know it, I know it, we all know it.
It's not the fact that we don't know that the law is stupid, it's the fact that we don't know the law. I've never entered a bar and seen any notice that it is illegal for me to drink alcohol there unless I have a permit. I have never seen it in a tourist brochure, nor any guide to Dubai. Nor has anyone ever told me this, in five years here. This article is the first time I've found out about it.
So either they need to ask people for their hotel key or alcohol permit in bars, or they need to change the law.
Assuming the US State Dept. has obtained the info from the UAE federal and state law...all I can say is that hotels should then be charged for breaking the law, as they don't check the permits while serving alcohol.
Dubai Duty Free should be charged for selling alcohol to those without permits and allowing them to go home with them...a higher charge!
And Dubai Govt is the biggest criminal of all, as they own half these hotels (if not all) and Dubai Duty Free!
And that's all M'Lord!
Liquor licenses are issued only to non-Muslim persons who possess UAE residency permits.
So discrimination against expats in other words. I have seen locals in their white outfits having beers on more than one occasion.
So the conclusion is when you go drinking, have a white dress ( or whatever you call that ) close by.
The whole alchohal situation in Dubai is very hypocrital. U either have it available or u dont.
the law has always been the same and it is up to your employer/embassy/sponser to clarify this with you. Tourists are supposed to be informed by their hotel/sponsor.
The reason that only hotels are licensed to sell alcohol is because you are supposed to sleep over and not just drop in to fill up.
Forget Nationals and their drinking habits, it really is NOT the issue here. The important part is that all companies are responsible for informing their employees. And as an Islamic country alcohol is forbidden unless you have been directly authorised to purchase it.
Anyone who says that they do not know the law should call their embassy and ask. I did see it up on the board at the British Embassy about 20 years ago. And anywhere you read about Dubai, you will see regarding alcohol that you require a license. It is not allowed to be out in public after drinking, nor to drive a vehicle.
Another law that has not been ammended (to my knowledge) is that it is illegal to be out after 11pm under the age of 17 without an 'adult'. Plenty of teenagers do get picked up and held until someone comes looking for them.
I saw the arse over tit comment on your blog and thought I'd cheekily post this to state that I just finished an article summarising a few British slang words.
http://arabianheartnsoul.blogspot.com/
Regarding this I knew a few friends who would drink at hotels. They were arab-expats, non-infidels (Thanks dontfearfreedom) and with no alcohol licence. Whether that meant that they were risking a few lashes, we'll never know.
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Good point desertnorm! I knew that LEGALLY you need to be a non-muslim to get a license which allows you to drink at venue, purchase from MMI or A&E and to drink it at home. And non -muslim hotel guest can drink at the venue.
But how do i know this or what specific laws relate to it, that is something I don't know... seems like all of us are just regurgitating rumours without any HARD FACTS to back us up..
BTW does anyone know of a website that has UAE laws in English?
Good point Smither427. The same applies to the Nad Al Sheba Club, the crappy India Club and the Dubai Country Club, to name but few.
Probably because these institutions have a ‘Club’ status and the law states that clubs can carry a liquor license. But that would still break law no. 1234 (or whatever it is) saying you can’t drink unless you have a pvt permit or are a hotel guest at that hotel.
So technically only those who have drinking permits are allowed to drink at clubs. So clubs are also breaking the law by serving those who don’t produce permits.
Oh what vicious circle we find ourselves in.
The Dubai Country Club and the Indian sports club were both 'granted' licenses by the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It was a favour to the very small community of expats at the time. The ony other watering holes available then were the Red Lion and The Bangkok Cellar (Sharjah).
I do agree that the law should be clarified, but still feel when in a Muslim country it goes without saying that anything to do with sex & alcohol should be carefully thought about before enagaging in.
And any comments about ladies of the night and hypocritical locals are nothing to do with this.
For such a clever bunch of people I find it almost boring to hear you asking for law books and claiming to not know the basics.
Here is what I found on the net for Americans, Aussies & Brits. That covers quite a lot since those from the sub-con & Stans already know what Islamic law is all about:
From here I found this:
Liquor licences can be obtained by residents to consume alcohol in private homes, and alcoholic drinks are served in licensed hotels and clubs. But it is a punishable offence to drink or to be drunk in public.
And here, this:
Drinking or possession of alcohol without a Ministry of Interior liquor permit is illegal and could result in arrest and/or fines and imprisonment.
And more here:
Drinking or possession of alcohol without a United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior liquor permit is illegal and could result in arrest and imprisonment.
Look, if anyone want's to read up on the law manual can probably find a dog eared copy tucked away at the Public Library. I recall fishing it out years ago for a class project...
CG: those laws still don't explain:
(1) why someone can buy liquor duty free without a license
(2) why tourists are allowed to drink without a license. Does that include all non-muslims on visit visas? Does that mean that if my parents visit, they can drink in their hotel bar, but I have to sip soda water?
(3) And what are the implications for tourists drinking at other hotel bars?
(4) And given that only one person is named on an an alcohol license (eg the husband not the wife, or whatever) does this mean that he can drink but she can't? Because only working people can get those licenses, so does this debar wives/sponsored husbands (rare though they are) and adult father-sponsored daughters from ever being able to drink?
It truly is a basket case of a situation.
secretdubai:"(4) And given that only one person is named on an an alcohol license (eg the husband not the wife, or whatever) does this mean that he can drink but she can't? Because only working people can get those licenses, so does this debar wives/sponsored husbands (rare though they are) and adult father-sponsored daughters from ever being able to drink?"
I was looking at the application form for a liquor license the other day; a husband can specify a spouse who can share the liquor license.
a husband can specify a spouse who can share the liquor license.
Aha - fair enough. Would that include adult daughters and other family members (parents) living here on sponsorship?
NO way am I sharing my liquor license with any one, it is just plain rude and should be punishable by death to consume someone else's allotted alcohol.
SD: any liquor that is legally acquired (by license or duty free) is to be consumed in your residence (or hotel) and must not be shared/gifted/blahblah. This is clearly stated on your license rules.
Tourists are only allowed to drink their duty free in their rooms, or in a hotel they are residing in. If you wish to drink with them, do so at your own risk (unless you have a license to do).
I am having as much difficulty in understanding why nobody 'gets' these laws as the others are having in understanding the laws...
Confused? go and have a drink.
Talking of which, does anyone know what will be happening on New Years Eve this year? Is alcohol banned?
Dubai has become fairly strict since the days that my friends and I would sneak into bars and clubs for a little underage (we were around 15) drinking. I think the closest we got to getting caught was when the manager at Henry J Beans became suspicious and let us have one drink before he cut us off. We had fake ID and everything. I'd probably not risk it now with the apparent increase in secret police these days.
WHy stop there Smithers427...at non-hotel New Year gigs (like the one at Autodrome last year) did everyone in attendance have a liqour license...?
This is just another one of those gray matters this country is full of...
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