eylesda

Vote to ban duty free booze sales, goes to cabinet for approval.

Vote to move booze shops to hotels only, implemented immediately.

Vote to ban booze completely, goes to cabinet.

Vote to close 1 and 2 star restaurants and bars, implemented immediately.

The latest vote to stop booze in all restaurants and clubs, goes to cabinet.


Anyone know how this works? There seems to be some inconsistency. (And I'm not bashing Bahrain).

Blue Cat

you could say that

still.unsure

a bit of posturing, perhaps? am guessing there will be some changes, as they'd like to clean up their reputation of being the beer & bacon zone in the gulf, but i can't believe they're in such a position as to completely shut it down. besides, how effective are the local police to enforce it? (perhaps they're behind it! squeeze the bar owners for a bit more cash! )

Blue Cat

I would have said Dubai is the Beer and Bacon Capital of the Middle East, but I foresee changes here too.

Bonny Boy

I've lived in both.

It's Bahrain

still.unsure

i can imagine that there are some senior clerics that are using the financial crisis as a bit of an excuse to return to the (for want of a better expression) 'family values' of islam. hence, the way to do that is to start picking away at the symbolic items and increase public conservatism (is that a word?) such as public displays of affection, dress code, booze, and pork.

nothing like wall street nose dive coupled with swine flu to allow a sensationalist view on all that is bad with 'the west'...

eylesda

I agree, though it should be renamed "Beer, Bacon and Broads" capital.
Since the hookers bars were closed down they are now canvasing door to door!

Great, home delivery pizza and p*ssy! Nothing wrong with that.

still.unsure

that'd make for an interesting conv with the missus.

w: "who's at the door, honey?"
h: "oh, just a prostitute with the pizza. shall i give her a tip?"

Bonny Boy

I think it's partly to do with the size of Dubai compared with Manama. When I was in (Bur) Dubai I never felt the week-end buzz of Saudis and US servicemen out on the town that you get in Manama - Exhibition Ave; Government Ave; Juffair;Adliya.

Manama was/is very much a party town .....or maybe I was younger then.

eylesda

Still is a party town. The place is heaving Wednesday through Saturday, a real party atmosphere.

Driving down Exhibition avenue at night is like Ibeza, Benidorm and Blackpool all rolled into one, drunks, fights, hookers, posers, kebabs

Even better when a couple of warships are in berth.

Let's hope it stays that way.