Bahrain bans sale of alcohol to Muslims

Muslims in Bahrain were banned from buying alcohol, starting last Monday, official sources said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the government said only non-Muslims would be allowed to buy alcoholic drinks in Bahrain, following a decision by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

But the statement didn't, however, elaborate on how the order will be carried out. Ministry's officials who were contacted by Gulf News on Tuesday said the procedures will be announced later.

The timings for shops selling alcohol have also been changed. The shops will open from 9am to 3pm.

A spokesman from the Tourism Directorate at the Ministry of Information told Gulf News, meanwhile, that all shops selling alcohol are usually closed during Ramadan.

With the start of Ramadan, free standing restaurants (outside hotels) that sell alcohol will also be prohibited to serve alcohol during Ramadan. "This action is being taken for the first time," he said.

Hotel bars and restaurants, however, will be allowed to serve alcohol after the breaking of the fast. The outlets will be closed by midnight.

Meanwhile, the 35 licensed entertainment outlets, including nightclubs and discos, will also be closed during Ramadan.

"We are a Muslim country and (they) should consider the fact that this is the holy month, especially when we are heading towards a family oriented tourism," the spokesman said.

The kingdom has a large number of non-Muslims among its 290,000-strong expatriate community, of the total population of 716,000.