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Alcohol

If you’re over the age of 21 you can buy alcohol in Abu Dhabi’s restaurants and licensed bars, and some clubs, for consumption on the premises. If you wish to drink at home you will need a liquor licence; how much you are permitted to buy is dependent on your monthly salary and Muslims are not allowed to apply.

Liquor Stores in Abu DHabi
Five companies operate liquor stores in Abu Dhabi. All have several branches in the city, the most handy being the ones near supermarkets. Generally speaking, the selection is decent and no tax is added – the price you see on the shelf is exactly what you end up forking out at the till. There is also a good selection of alcohol available at the airport duty free.

Further Afield
There are also a number of ‘hole in the wall’ stores close to Dubai (in the northern emirates of Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain) that sell duty-free alcohol to members of the public, even if you don’t have a licence, such as Barracuda Beach Resort and Al Hamra Cellar. Prices are reasonable and there is no tax. You won’t need to worry about being busted buying booze illegally, but you should be careful when driving home; it is the transporting of alcohol that could get you into trouble, especially if you are stopped within the borders of Sharjah, which is a ‘dry’ emirate. There have been reports of random police checks on vehicles driving from Ajman into Sharjah. Also, if you have an accident and you’re found to have a boot full of liquor, your day could take a sudden turn for the worse.

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