On Sunday, Dubai eliminated its 30% tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom and made the needed liquor licenses freely available, removing a long-standing source of income for the ruling family and supposedly helping to increase tourism.
The abrupt notification on New Year’s Day from Dubai’s two state-linked alcohol merchants appears to have been a result of a directive from the Al Maktoum family, the country’s governing dynasty. However, the decision was not immediately acknowledged by government representatives, and they did not react to inquiries from The Associated Press.
However, it comes after years of easing liquor laws in the sheikhdom, which now allows sales of alcoholic beverages during Ramadan’s daytime hours and started offering home delivery during lockdowns during the beginning of the coxsackie virus pa*demic.
