Getting a Liquor License

After getting a work visa, driver's license and Omani resident card, the one last piece of documentation I needed was a liquor license.  Since Oman is a Muslim country and Muslims are not permitted to drink alcohol, obtaining liquor in the Middle East can be a bit of a challenge. Though based on some stories I've heard, it's much easier in Oman than in some of the neighboring countries.

Here, non-Muslims can get a liquor license from the police stations, which limit the amount of money you can spend on liquor in a given month (if you're a Muslim you're shit out of luck, though you can still drink at bars that serve liquor).  Liquor licenses are only required to buy alcohol for your homes -- if you want to drink at a bar or restaurant you don't need to find a license, you just have to find one of the few places that sell alcohol (and be aware that many places tend to lose their liquor licenses every once in a while, so your favorite watering hole may be occasionally dry). 

When you apply for the liquor license you have to state your annual income, since the amount of liquor you're permitted to buy is based on your annual salary (which is smart -- you don't want people spending their entire paychecks on booze).  You also then request a monthly allowance; one of my coworkers apparently requested 1000 Omani Rials per month (equal to about $2700) but found out that the limit is 400 OR per month.  I was also told that Western expats can have larger liquor allowances than expats from the Indian subcontinent, which I found very interesting. 

I'm not a big drinker, so I wanted to request 50 OR (about $130) per month, but the PRO helping me get my license was appalled that I wanted so little and tried to encourage me to get 150 OR.  I compromised with 100 OR, which is still way more than I expect I'll ever need, though at least this way I'll always have extra allotted to me each month, so I can volunteer to help other people buy booze for parties or celebrations.

My PRO also pointed out some of the liquor stores, which have covered windows and interesting names like the "East Africa Trading Co."  I haven't been inside one yet, though one of these days I'll need to go on my first booze buying adventure!