alexalexa

Hi,

I just read the thread posted here and something confused me. Additionally, I talked to a few expats here and they told me with a residence visa it is not legal to drink here.

I thought:

a) as an expat with a residence visa I am allowed to drink here in hotel bars and clubs that sell alcohol.

b) the alcohol license is only needed if I want to buy alcohol for at home

c) but if my family/friends who come visit bring me alcohol I could also drink it in my home

now I was told

d) that i am legally only allowed to drink alcohol in dubai as a non moslem tourist, and that i need an alcohol license to drink alcohol in bars as soon as i have a resident visa, all though in reality they never check it.

Could you tell me what is true/false?

Thank you.

al dente

You need one as soon as you're a resident.

Some people don't get one but then become unstuck when caught in RTA's etc. Although, the range of the fine seems to be quite drastic. It was insinuated by some that it's deportation to be caught but i glean from some posts that it could just be a fine.

Cry haddock

My take on this is that according the actual letter of the law, everyone (res., non-res etc) needs to have a license to consume. This is obviously unworkable and is enforced in the same glorious Dubai fudge as many other rules. In practice, steer clear of the law and no harm will come to you. I had always planned (luckily without ever actually having to do it) to say that I was a tourist and melt away where possible - eg passenger in a taxi RTA.
Now, my new understanding this week is that is actually now a compulsion to get a license once you have a visa. As for the real answer...who knows?

alexalexa

Thanks for the answers. What is a RTA?

scarletfan

Road Traffic Accident

busybee2

as a resident you must have a liquour license to consume, as a tourist you can consume in hotels etc, but if you buy liquour without a licence and are involved in a rta on the way back you could be in big trouble, if you have an incident say at home with a maid stealing from you and call the police they will check your house to see what you have, ie jewellery and booze etc and you could be in trouble there if they find booze and ask you for your licence.

MacScot

You also supposed to carry your alcohol license when you go to hotels to consume alcohol.

Cry haddock

"...Snaith was convicted by three judges of using offensive language, for which he received a six month suspended sentence, and fined $330 for being a non-Muslim drinking without a permit. "No-one is denying he had a drink but it was warm champagne served by the airline," Mr Hill said."
Remember the aussies charged with consuming alcohol without a permit (and other things) when they landed in AUH after causing problems on the flight? As i said above, rules applied somewhat haphazardly. This story went away very quickly once the Aussie media got onto it, but i'd bet (a drink?) that they were charged with consuming alcohol at the beginning of the saga. Defo not residents, obviously twunts, but still charged for consuming alcohol the airline had served them.
....................
I do believe Mr Vince of the sandy shenanigans was a tourist charged with consumptionm of alcohol.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles.../10252306.html

Cry haddock

Sorry - watched too much of "The Bill" in my youth!
CH

alexalexa

thanks for the answers. another question, who here has an alcohol license, who doesn't?

if you are husband and wife, do you both need one or is one per family enough?

The Dean

I'm in Riyadh, and have never bothered applying for an alcohol licence.........

busybee2

on a licence you can have both husband and wife on it, but be careful as some companies will not give you a nol to get a licence and if your husband is muslim you as the wife cannot get a licence so you cannot drink legally.

al dente

doom- mongerer Do you have any examples? DH works for an AD company and had no probs and mate's husband works for the government and they had no probs. They must be a specific type of company to refuse it? Not just done on whim?

Also, if a non-muslim husband has a license, can that cover his wife, if she is not named specifically?

Blue Cat

I have christian friends here who are married to Muslim men and they have their own alcohol licenses, they needed a NOL letter from their husbands.

If your husband has a license with just his name on it, he has to give you a NOL to be able to use it, I think there is a set letter available from MMI that has to be signed.

TGFKASE

I picked my one up at the weekend, made the mistake of applying for it just as Ramadan started. Pic of both me and the OH on the application. My pic on the card, but when they swipe the card, they can confirm that OH is covered by the licence too...