The Arab emirate thought it best to ease the rules on the possession and sale of alcohol because of the economic crisis it faces. Residents no longer need the boss’s order and tourists just present their passport
The economy of Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, was seriously affected by the new coronavirus pandemic. A few months ago, in the phase of the most severe confinement, the main alcohol distributors in Dubai launched home delivery, with the help of legislative changes that eased the restrictions to purchase beer, wine and spirits in this city-state, reports today the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
The red cards that the police have so far issued to non-Muslim residents – and which were a kind of license for buying, transporting and drinking alcohol and the only way to get around the ban, fines and even imprisonment – have been replaced by a card black and a new application. With these new “licenses”, the employer’s authorization is no longer required for the applicant to be able to buy alcohol and there are no restrictions based on salary.
Until now, the company for which the applicant for authorization worked could block this license on grounds of religious reasons. Now, that’s not possible anymore.
Before the crisis caused by Covid-19, alcohol consumption was already suffering in Dubai, simultaneously with the drop in oil prices. In 2019 it fell 3.5% compared to the previous year, below 130 million liters. To liven up the numbers, Dubai also removed the obstacles that prevented tourists from purchasing alcohol at specialized stores. Now you just need to present a passport.
