Can you drink alcohol on your flight to Dubai?

A few days ago a story about a woman who was jailed in Dubai for “having a glass of wine on her flight” went viral. So many people are wondering if they can drink alcohol on their flight to the middle east.

First of all there is more to the story than the sensational headline. After living in Dubai for 4 years I can tell you that it is completely fine to drink on your flight to Dubai. It’s even perfectly fine to drink alcohol in loads of licensed bars, rooftops, restaurants & clubs in Dubai & Abu Dhabi. Something was wrong with the woman’s visa and she did not really behave in a respectful way towards the immigration officer, she even started filming him which is illegal in most countries around the world.

Again yes you can enjoy a glass of wine on your flight to Dubai or Abu Dhabi and it does not matter which airline you fly. Even the 2 UAE based airlines, Emirates and Etihad, serve alcohol.

The crew would not serve you alcohol if it was not allowed.  There are however some dry airlines in the Middle East like Kuwait Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines, they simply don’t serve alcohol onboard.

Again it’s completely fine to sip some wine when flying to Dubai. If you fly Emirates on the a380 there is even an onboard bar! Champagne anyone?

There are however a few things that can be learned from the woman who had visa issues, started arguing and filmed the immigration officer.

Don’t pick a fight with an immigration officer anywhere

I think that’s just common sense. The officer decides whether you can enter the country or not so what do you think is going to happen when you start arguing? Being disrespectful to an immigration officer is going to get you in trouble in every country.

Don’t act like a drunk fool in any airport

Again common sense, there is no country in the world that will happily let you in if you are annoyingly drunk, arrogant and disrespectful. Enjoy your drinks at 30.000 feet but know your limits.

Do not film the immigration area in any airport

It’s illegal to take pictures or film the immigration area in airports allover the world. And also be aware that filming anyone without consent in Dubai is not a joke! Even though Dubai Police has a special app for residents to film crimes “We Are All Police”. But its strictly forbidden to make videos of other people and post them online without consent. Again use common sense … Instagram and Facebook are full of videos uploaded in Dubai and it’s fine but don’t look for troubles.

Check your visa before traveling anywhere

Make sure your visa and passport are valid before you travel. And if there seems to be an issue then collaborate with the immigration officers. As I travel quite a bit I had my part of interesting visa experiences. One time someone even told me my passport was not valid for 6 months anymore, turned out she only looked at the month and not the year. Well I smiled and gently pointed that out, she smiled back and everything was fine. One time I was interrogated in Bahrain because I left the address where I was staying empty on the visa arrival form. I stayed with a friend and didn’t know the address. Even after telling that my friend was going to text me the address I was guided to an interrogation room and in the end charged with the most expensive visa. Well I should have asked the address before I arrived and fill it in, it was my mistake so I just payed for the more expensive visa and everything was fine.

Another time I positioned from Dubai to Sri Lanka to start a dirt cheap business class fare to Kuala Lumpur. I packed light and only took a small carry on suitcase. But at the checkin counter at Dubai they told me that the bag was just a little bit too heavy. So my carry on bag now had to be checked in. Which meant that after arriving in Sri Lanka I had to enter the country to pickup my suitcase to then enter the airport again for the next part of my flight. My original plan was just to travel  with carry on so I could stay air side in the airport in Sri Lanka and just walk to the next gate. The problem was that I did not apply for the visa online which I need to enter Sri Lanka. Once I arrived I explained the whole situation, calm and friendly. The officers understood the problem and gave me a free entry visa on the spot. Maybe I was lucky but in any case being nice and friendly is going to be more helpful than making drama and filming the officials.

Be respectful

A lot of people are just so used that they get away with everything in their own country and take that arrogance with them when they visit other countries. Traveling means adjusting to a new culture and different rules. Yes the rules are strict in Dubai but that’s also why it’s one of the safest places to live on earth. And remember that Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates but as a non Muslim you are allowed to drink alcohol and eat pork in specific places.

Traveling to a country does not mean you have to agree with everything. But at least be respectful.

Consume alcohol in bars or airport lounges but not on the street

In Dubai you can only drink inside one of the many many bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and rooftops. Taking your  drinks on the street is not allowed. But no worries, the security will make sure that does not happen.

And even in the airport lounges there is alcohol, lots of it.

Welcome to Dubai, enjoy your stay!

As you have seen in this post, it’s completely fine to drink on your flight to Dubai and in the city itself. Cheers, welcome to Dubai!

Drink responsibly and keep hydrated on board, water does not hurt 😉