Dubai Police tells all licenced venues to stop serving alcohol until further notice

In a circular issued to hotels on March 25, and seen by Gulf Business, the Dubai Police have told licensed venues in the emirate to stop serving alcohol until further notice.

While all restaurants must stop serving alcohol with immediate effect, an exception was made for licensed hotels which could continue serving alcoholic beverages, but only as part of its room service.

The circular, signed by Major General Khalil Ibrahim Mohamed Al-Mansouri – the Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation – added that the order was “in line with the precautionary measures of the Dubai government to ensure the health and safety of all.”

On Wednesday, March 25, the emirate’s economic department clarified that all restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, coffee shops, and food services establishments in Dubai must remain closed from March 25 until April 8, with an exception made for restaurants and cafes operating in hotels and hotel apartments, as well as food delivery and transport services.

Read: Dubai clarifies directive on closure of commercial establishments

Customers could, however, order takeaways and delivery from restaurants.

For restaurants located within shopping malls, they could offer takeaway and delivery services too, subject to approval of the mall management.

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority also said that all food retail outlets, including cooperative societies, grocery stores, supermarkets and pharmacies in the UAE could now remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are exempt from the closure of most other commercial establishments in the UAE.

Read: UAE supermarkets and pharmacies can remain open 24 hours a day

On Thursday, the government said that all residents across the UAE must remain at home from 8pm on Thursday March 26 until 6am on Sunday, March 29, during which an extensive disinfection and sanitization drive will be carried out across, private and public facilities, streets, and public transportation systems.

Read: Residents must stay home during the disinfection programme this weekend

The work permits of individuals found outside their house over the weekend will be inspected to check if they are working in a vital sector such as telecommunications, health or security, and thereby exempt from the stay-at-home directive.