“After the news, the foot traffic has really increased in our shop,” stated a call center employee at African + Eastern, Dubai. In addition, obtaining an alcohol license is now completely free, which is true. People no longer need to travel that far because the prices are now nearly identical to those of the Barracuda. The majority of it is identical. Since morning, we have seen a lot of customers come in, especially considering that it is Sunday, January 1, and many people are off.
In the United Arab Emirates, it is illegal to drink alcohol unless you are at least 21 years old. Alcohol can only be consumed privately or in licensed public places.
“Following the announcement by the Government of Dubai to remove the 30% municipality tax on sales of alcoholic beverages, we are pleased to announce that this will be reflected across all alcoholic beverage products in all our 21 MMI stores in Dubai, effective January 1,” said Tyrone Reid, Group CEO of Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI) & Emirates Leisure Retail.
The Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT) previously established the technical and ingredient requirements for alcoholic beverages in October 2022. It stated that the purpose of these guidelines was to guarantee the safety of suppliers and customers alike.
The minimum alcohol strength required by the DCT policy is 0.5%. Beer, with the exception of caramel, should not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colorants. Wine, on the other hand, should not have any taste or smell of vinegar.
It went on to say, “The product must be prepared and handled in accordance with appropriate sanitary conditions.”
Clean containers that can “protect it from pollution and damage” should also be used to package the drinks.
The labels must specify all information regarding the ingredients, origin, manufacturer, shelf life, and alcohol percentage.
