Despite the development in the field of technology and tourist services, the United Arab Emirates remains a Muslim country. This is partly expressed in relation to local laws on alcoholic beverages. The strictest emirate is Sharjah, alcohol is prohibited to sell and consume here. But how is the situation in reality?
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Attitude towards alcohol in the UAE
The main thing is that each emirate of the UAE has its own laws regarding the use, storage and transportation of alcoholic beverages. You can buy it in many regions, and restaurants and bars will continue to offer cocktails or stronger options. However, there are general restrictions that tourists should be aware of before traveling to the UAE. Otherwise, violation of laws may lead to the issuance of fines or the inability to continue to visit the country.
What guests of the United Arab Emirates need to know regarding alcohol:
- Purchase only from licensed stores. Purchasing from illegal sellers is a cause of punishment for both parties to the transaction.
- Use only in special places – hotel rooms, hotels, restaurants and bars. Not all establishments offer alcohol.
- Drinking in public places is prohibited. Even walking from a restaurant to a hotel room while intoxicated is against the law.
- For each emirate there are rules for the transport and export. So, in Sharjah, alcohol can be transported and stored, but not consumed.
Therefore, if you want a quiet, family vacation, you can safely book a tour to one of the hotels in Sharjah. For an active and fun adult holiday, it is recommended to consider other emirates – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah. You can taste spirits in one region and go to spend the night in your hotel in another.
Sharjah and spirits
The Emirate of Sharjah and alcohol are incompatible concepts; dry law applies here. According to the laws of this emirate, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in any place – restaurants, shops, cafes, bars. It is also not allowed to drink alcohol in hotel rooms. This is a completely alcohol-free region of the United Arab Emirates. Violation threatens with a large fine, up to 5,000 dirhams. The repeated punishment will be stricter – for foreign workers deportation, for tourists a ban on entering the country for a certain period.
What you need to know about the actual situation with alcohol in the emirate of Sharjah:
- Drinking and being drunk is prohibited. The answer to this question lies in the legislative field.
- Through the emirate you can carry alcoholic beverages, including through the airport terminals.
- It is not forbidden to import drinks. But the volume of imports is determined by laws.
- There are no shops with strong drinks anywhere – in shopping centers, hotels.
- If you appear drunk, it is likely that local residents will complain to the police. The exception is the staff of hotels, hotels. They are more loyal.
The alcohol allowance in Sharjah is 2 liters of any drink, including low-alcohol ones. The check is carried out only at the customs post at the airport of the emirate. While traveling by bus, car, the luggage of tourists and guests of the UAE is not checked.
How to get out of the situation
If there is an “active” holiday in the United Arab Emirates, but stayed in hotels in Sharjah, you can prepare an alternative program. Alcohol is usually bought at home, before a flight or in duty free. In Duty-free it can be cheaper, but not all varieties and brands. Classic vodka will be more expensive, drinks from Europe and other countries may be cheaper. Low alcohol can be bought in other emirates – Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai.
How you can relax with alcohol in the emirate of the UAE Sharjah:
- Plan a trip to other emirates. The closest one is Dubai. Travel time to it will be 15-20 minutes.
- You can have a drink in the hotel room, pre-ordering food. But this is a direct violation of the law. Service personnel may leave it.
- Visit the nearest restaurant or bar that serves spirits. This can be combined with a tour of the UAE, sightseeing.
But it is best to refrain from drinking alcohol in Sharjah. The reasons are the weather and other entertainment. Even in winter the air temperature can reach +35°С. The abuse of alcoholic beverages will affect the state of health, and then the rest will turn into a treatment that can last several days.
The second alternative to alcohol is to order excursions in Sharjah or other regions of the country. You can visit historical sights, modern memorial places – Burj Khalifa, “Singing Fountains”. You can also go shopping, in January and February there are seasonal discounts in the UAE.
Where to buy alcohol
It is impossible to officially buy alcoholic beverages in Sharjah; it is not even recommended to consider unlicensed points of sale. The way out is to go to the nearest city. It is recommended to plan a trip to Dubai, where there are relatively many specialty shops. One of them is Mercantile Maritime International (MMI) and African & Eastern. However, only non-Muslims who have reached the age of 21 and have a residence permit in the UAE can shop here.
The alternative is to find a hotel that has an on-site shop or a restaurant that serves liquor. You can buy low-alcohol options – beer, cocktails. It is important that the purchase is official.