Dubai, UAE – Any corporate or private event in the UAE serving alcohol must have a mandatory CID alcohol permit from February 15.
“The hotel’s obligation to secure CID Alcohol Permit to serve alcohol for the event is conditional upon the UAE CID and DET regulatory requirements and laws then prevailing, submission of required documentation and payment of CID Permit,” a circular sent to the venues read.
The permit can be applied for by the hotel on behalf of the event organizer or client for a fee of AED1,250 ($340) per event and per day.
All events, commercial and non-commercial, must apply for the permit at least 14 days in advance and submit the required documentation.
Some five-star hotels that TRENDS spoke to confirmed receiving the circular from CID and DET (Department of Economy and Tourism). All hotels declined to be quoted officially by the media.
The event organizers TRENDS approached said this will make holding events with alcohol more expensive. The cost will be further compounded with the introduction of a corporate tax of nine percent on all business transactions from June this year.
Sahar Rafique, managing director of a Dubai-based event management firm operating under Akama Holding, said the new rule might add complexity to the process of applying for permission for event organizers.
“Earlier, an event organizer had to seek permission from DET and just mention whether alcohol would be served at the event. This new approval from CID would add another layer of paperwork, which will cost AED1,250 per event per day,” Rafique said adding that alcohol permits need to be applied for two weeks in advance, ruling out last-minute events.
“However, the UAE government is very business friendly so I am sure there are added benefits to this new alcohol rule. It’s too early to criticize this as the industry is still weighing on this decision,” she concluded.