Alcohol ban

Tuesday was a bad day for boozers.

The Kingdom's MPs have voted unanimously in favour of a proposed blanket ban on alcohol. Under the proposal, bars and restaurants will be banned from serving alcohol. Hotel guests may only be served alcohol in their rooms.

We will still be allowed to drink at home, but will only be able to buy booze from specially licensed home delivery companies.

Hotel and restaurant owners are in uproar. The Adliya area, where we live, houses many of the Kingdom's top restaurants and has recently undergone a massive facelift. It'll all be a complete waste of money if no-one uses the restaurants any more.

Nearly a quarter of the country's working population is apparently employed in the hospitality industry, so the ban, if imposed, will have massive repurcussions. Foreign investment will also be affected with what many now see as as the increasing "Islamicism" of the country.

One leading Bahraini businessman was quoted as saying that although Bahrain was an Islamic country, it was also part of the global village and should not impose Islamic views on all. "It's all about mutual respect", he said.

The MPs have other ideas. According to them , alcohol is fuelling the vice trade and turning the whole country into a brothel. A quote from one of them: "We will accept failure in the economy if alcohol is banned..."

They may have to.

The proposal must now go to the Cabinet, which has the power to reject it. It remains to be seen whether or not they will.

In the meantime, I'm off for a glass of vino ...........CHEERS!