Liquor License - To Drink or Not to Drink

The UAE is a Muslim country and Muslim's aren't allowed to drink. The UAE has pitty on us non-Muslims and realizes they should give us a way to obtain alcohol in this country. Thank you! You can consume alcohol at hotels or for personal home consumption. For personal home consumption, there is the liquor license.

I went in a window-less backdoor entry only small alcohol store yesterday trying to see if I could buy something without a license using my smile and charm. It didn't work. I asked, how do I apply for a license then? Hoping for pitty.

I could scan and post the application for your viewing pleasure but let me give you the gist of the application process:

- We must complete the form which requests our biographical details: names, address, religion, passport info, telephone, name of spouse (if spouse is authorized to buy liquor), details of employment (name of employer, job title, income per month, required permit limit) and more.

- Copy of passport and residence visa

- Copy of employment contract

- Copy of tenancy contract

- Passport size photo of applicant and spouse (if spouse is authorized by the applicant to buy liquor)

- 160DHS or about $43 USD

- Stamp from applicant's employer

I asked how long it will take after we get all of this...3 weeks he said.

So, our plan is for Burak to buy duty-free alcohol at the airport on his return flight back from Saudi Arabia this week. It will hold us over while we figure this out.

Since it appears most of the expats with jobs are men and can therefore have liquor licenses, I was the only woman in the store. We should send Burak in next time to see if it will work without a license. It sort of felt like I was under 21 in the States and being caught and refused. I am 30 and we live in a capitalist world..Oh well. I appreciate their openness to have this license. Later at the pool on the same day, I spoke with an expat who had lived in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and she said they couldn't drink there at all so....this is a lot better than there.