DUBAI: Dubai has dropped a 30 percent tax on alcohol sales in an apparent bid to lure tourists as competition rises between major cities in the Gulf.

The cut, announced by distributors but not confirmed by authorities, looks set to slash prices that are among the world’s highest, with beer routinely costing more than $15 a pint, or half-litre.

The personal liquor licence, available to non-Muslims aged over 21 and required to buy alcohol at Dubai’s small number of licensed shops, is now free, according to distributors MMI.

“Buying your favourite drinks just got easier and cheaper!” MMI said in a Facebook post detailing the cuts. Dubai is the financial, trade and tourism hub of the United Arab Emirates, a major oil exporter which has gradually loosened the shackles on drinking.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, most of the UAE is far from being a dry country, with alcohol sold in licensed venues including hotels, restaurants, bars and designated shops. It cannot be consumed in public, however.

Of the UAE’s seven Emirates, only Sharjah, neighbouring Dubai, forbids alcohol completely.

Published in Dawn, january 3th, 2023