First commercial brewery to open in United Arab Emirates

A commercial beer brewery will open in Abu Dhabi later this month, in what will make it the first company allowed to legally sell alcohol in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the Gulf country loosens socially conservative laws to diversify its economy away from oil. 

US-based Craft by Side Hustle will open the brewery and restaurant later this month, Bloomberg reported Monday, being the first company to take advantage of a rule change Abu Dhabi published in 2021 that allows license holders to ferment alcoholic drinks for consumption on-site. 

Previously, the only way a vendor or business could sell beer in the UAE would be if it was manufactured overseas.

Craft by Side Hustle will serve its own beer on tap, brewed on its premises, for around 45 dirhams ($12.25) each, Bloomberg reported. The brewery, which will seat up to 250 people, will also serve Cajun-inspired food. There will be a soft opening of the venue later this month and a grand opening will follow in February.