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Alcohol in muslim countries: Pakistan An interesting change has been seen. Murree Brewery, the country’s only locally owned brewery, has now started exporting liquor, despite the ban on liquor in the country for the majority Muslim population for the last five decades.

The company has started exporting its beer and other alcoholic products to countries which are not part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. According to the company’s export manager Rameez Shah, in the month of April, liquor consignments were sent to countries like United Kingdom, Japan, Portugal and Thailand.

Was alcohol already banned in Pakistan?

The history of Murree Brewery is also quite old. It was founded in the 1860s by British industrialists Edward Dyer and Edward Whymper in the hill station of Murree (now in Pakistan) to ensure the supply of beer to British troops. Later, before the partition of India in 1947, it was purchased by a Parsi family. Presently the head of the company is ‘Isfanyar Bhandara’, who is also a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

When was liquor banned in Pakistan?

Alcohol was available to all citizens in Pakistan until 1977, but that year the then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto banned it under pressure from Islamic parties. This decision had a big impact on Murree Brewery. After this the company became limited to only non-Muslim citizens and foreign tourists, who are allowed to buy liquor from shops registered by the government and consume it at designated places.

It is not that Pakistan is the only Muslim country which has lifted the ban on alcohol. There are many countries that have made it completely legal, or it is limited to foreign citizens and guests.

Is alcohol legal in Saudi Arabia?

In November 2025, Saudi Arabia attracted international attention by taking an important decision. The country quietly allowed limited consumption of alcohol for non-Muslim foreign nationals with a monthly income of at least 50,000 riyals (about $13,300). This step is believed to be part of the broader agenda of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, under which he is trying to modernize the country and bring changes in traditional Wahhabi policies.

After this decision, liquor shops were also opened at many places in Saudi Arabia. This decision was criticized a lot in the Muslim world, because alcohol is considered prohibited in Islam.

How are Sharib’s policies in Muslim countries?

There is a lot of diversity in the policies regarding alcohol in Muslim majority countries. While Saudi Arabia is now relaxing rules, Iraq has gradually tightened its alcohol ban over the past few years. Now this ban has been implemented in almost the entire country except the Autonomous Kurdish Region.

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In which countries is there relaxation?

In many Muslim-majority countries of the world, there is strict control on alcohol, but in some places the rules are quite lax. For example, in Burkina Faso, Western Sahara and other regions of the Sahel and West Africa there is no minimum legal age for purchasing alcohol. In such a situation, it is common for teenagers to obtain alcohol there too.

In how many Muslim countries is alcohol legal?

If seen at the global level, the legal status of alcohol is different in 46 Muslim majority countries. Alcohol is fully legal in 22 of these countries, although minimum age and other regulations generally apply, as do most of the world.

Complete ban in which countries?

The purchase of liquor is completely banned in 6 countries, but here too there is diversity in the rules. It is illegal to purchase alcohol in Brunei, although non-Muslims may import it in limited quantities. This is possible because the country is bordered by Malaysia, where the sale of alcohol is banned for Muslims, but non-Muslims over the age of 21 can buy it.

A different system is seen in Kuwait, where drinking alcohol indoors is legal, but buying, making, or possessing it in public places is prohibited. This means that consumption is allowed at home, but any method of delivering alcohol there is considered illegal.

In the remaining 18 countries, laws strike a balance between complete restrictions and complete legality. In many countries it is illegal for Muslims to buy alcohol, while non-Muslims are allowed to do so with certain conditions. In Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims can buy liquor with a license, while in Malaysia and Egypt, non-Muslims are allowed to buy it even without a license.

Ban on special occasions in these countries

In some countries, restrictions are imposed on special occasions. In Turkmenistan and Tunisia, the sale of alcohol is stopped during Ramadan and other important Islamic occasions. Apart from this, in some countries the consumption of alcohol has been limited to specific places or areas. In Algeria and Yemen it is limited to designated places, while in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates alcohol is allowed in tourist areas.

At the same time, in Iran, which is considered strictly Islamic, there is a complete ban on alcohol for Muslims. But, relaxation has been given for non-Muslims. But even non-Muslims cannot drink alcohol in public places.