United Arab Emirates

Blood Alcohol Calculator – Drink Drive Limit Dubai 🇦🇪

Driving in the UAE? The legal alcohol limit is 0.0 ‰ (zero tolerance — any detected amount is a criminal offence). Our BAC calculator estimates your blood alcohol content and when you'll be at zero again.

0.00 ‰ Drink-drive limit

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ℹ️ Information

CONTEXT
🌎 Country
Show results in
ABOUT YOU
Sex
⚖️ Weight

lbs

⏱️ Start time of drinking (optional) Time of your first drink (not required)

🕒

⏳ Or: hours ago —
0h6h12h18h24h

🍹🍸🍺 Drinks

Drink {{index+1}} 🍷

%

Maximum number of drinks reached.

The results will show up here...
📈 Results
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Drink-drive limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Safe Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above 0.0 ‰ – driving in the UAE is a criminal offence. Approaching the 0.0 ‰ UAE limit – do not drive. Below 0.0 ‰ — but the only safe option in the UAE is no detected alcohol at all.
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Sober in: {{ sobrietyTime }}

Alcohol Limit UAE: 0.0 ‰ Zero Tolerance — Any Detected Amount

All drivers (universal) 0.0 ‰

UAE Drink Driving Penalties & Zero-Tolerance Limit

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit – driving is permitted.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Drink driving (any amount) Any detected (0.0+ ‰) Criminal traffic offence — any detected alcohol is prosecuted; fine from AED 20,000 plus black points and a possible jail term.
Typical penalties
  • Fine from AED 20,000
  • 23 black points + 60-day licence suspension
  • 30-day vehicle impoundment
Offence type Aggravated / test refusal Aggravated / refusal Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Jail up to 6 months
  • Higher fines + longer ban
  • Possible deportation for expats
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →

Drink-drive limit

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Based on UAE law (0.0 ‰ — zero tolerance) ·

Elimination rate

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Typical average

Standard Drinks

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Approx. consumed

Pure Alcohol

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Pure alcohol consumed

Pure Alcohol (g)

{{ alcoholGrams }} g
Total ethanol consumed

Calories

{{ calories }} kcal
From alcohol only — mixers add more

Time over limit

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Estimated duration above the 0.0 ‰ UAE limit
For your own safety, we recommend using a rate no higher than the average.
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Drink-drive limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Safe Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above 0.0 ‰ – driving in the UAE is a criminal offence. Approaching the 0.0 ‰ UAE limit – do not drive. Below 0.0 ‰ — but the only safe option in the UAE is no detected alcohol at all.
{{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}
Sober in: {{ sobrietyTime }}

Alcohol Limit UAE: 0.0 ‰ Zero Tolerance — Any Detected Amount

All drivers (universal) 0.0 ‰

UAE Drink Driving Penalties & Zero-Tolerance Limit

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit – driving is permitted.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Drink driving (any amount) Any detected (0.0+ ‰) Criminal traffic offence — any detected alcohol is prosecuted; fine from AED 20,000 plus black points and a possible jail term.
Typical penalties
  • Fine from AED 20,000
  • 23 black points + 60-day licence suspension
  • 30-day vehicle impoundment
Offence type Aggravated / test refusal Aggravated / refusal Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Jail up to 6 months
  • Higher fines + longer ban
  • Possible deportation for expats
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →
{{ afterLabel }} {{ $t('unit.' + units) }} Status
{{ result.time }} {{ result.drunkenness }}
  • Below 0.0 ‰ — but the only safe option in the UAE is no detected alcohol at all.
  • Approaching the 0.0 ‰ UAE limit – do not drive.
  • Above 0.0 ‰ – driving in the UAE is a criminal offence.
Create a pop-up notification
📉 Sobriety Over Time
👮 Health impact and legal consequences
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Peak BAC: {{ peakBAC }}

💡 Advice: drink water, eat, and do not drive at all — the UAE limit is zero. If you are anywhere above 0.0 ‰, find another way home.

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Attention‼️ The results are only approximate, so make sure you are sober before driving.

About results
Current BAC

Your Current BAC shows your estimated blood alcohol concentration right now, displayed in promille (‰) or as a percentage. This reflects how much alcohol is in your bloodstream and is used to assess impairment.

Legal limit

In the UAE, the alcohol limit is 0.0 ‰ — full zero tolerance for every driver, with no novice/professional/general tier. Any detected amount triggers a minimum AED 20,000 fine, 23 black points, 60-day licence suspension, and — in aggravated cases — jail up to 6 months and possible deportation for expats.

Elimination rate

Your body metabolises alcohol at a steady rate — typically ~0.15 ‰ per hour. Nothing — not coffee, not a cold shower, not exercise — speeds this up.

Standard Drinks

One UAE-equivalent standard drink ≈ 10g of pure alcohol — equivalent to a 100ml glass of wine at 12%, a 330ml beer at 5%, or a 30ml shot at 40%.

Pure Alcohol

This is the total amount of pure alcohol (ethanol) your body has absorbed, in grams. Useful for comparing against weekly limits — WHO recommends no more than 10 standard drinks per week.

Time vs. Sobriety Table

The table lists how your BAC is expected to change with each hour passed — and when a Start time of drinking is provided, it aligns these estimates with the exact time of day you began drinking. Particularly useful for the morning-after check: in the UAE, residual alcohol from the night before still counts.

Sobriety Over Time Graph

A visual line chart plotting your estimated BAC decline over hours. It helps you see when your BAC reaches 0.0 ‰ — the only safe value for driving in the UAE.

How Alcohol Affects You

This reference table shows ranges of BAC and typical effects on your body and behaviour — from mild alertness changes to severe impairment.

Legal limit reached in / Sober in / Peak BAC

These summaries give quick key estimates:

  • Legal limit reached in: in the UAE this is the same as "Sober in" since the limit is 0.0 ‰.

  • Sober in: total time until BAC reaches ~0.00 ‰.

  • Peak BAC: the highest BAC value recorded in the session.

UAE Drink Drive Limit & Alcohol Calculator Data

Five factors that determine your result

Weight
Body weight determines how alcohol distributes in the body — more weight means a lower blood alcohol concentration.
Sex
Men and women metabolise alcohol at different rates because of differences in body water content.
Amount
The amount of pure alcohol consumed is the main factor that determines your BAC result.
Strength
A higher strength (%) means more ethanol in the same drink serving.
Time
The time of your first drink shows how BAC changes hour by hour and when you'll be sober again.

How much does United Arab Emirates drink?

Alcohol consumption per adult, per year

0.8L

litres of pure alcohol per adult (15+), per year

Per adult, that is roughly:

48 beers ≈ 1/week
44 glasses of wine ≈ 1/week
50 shots ≈ 1/week
0.8 L
0.0 L Ø 0.5 1.8 L

55% above the regional average

Ranks #5 of 20 in Eastern Mediterranean Ranks #155 of 188 in the World Average in Eastern Mediterranean: 0.5 L

How neighbours compare

#1 United Kingdom 10.9L #18 Europe
#2 India 4.5L #3 South-East Asia
#3 Bahrain 1.7L #2 Eastern Mediterranean
#4 Qatar 1.3L #4 Eastern Mediterranean
#5 United Arab Emirates 0.8L #5 Eastern Mediterranean

How safe are the roads in United Arab Emirates?

Road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, per year

5.9 /100k

road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, 2021

~8% of road deaths linked to alcohol WHO estimate, 2019 · 4–15%
11 road deaths per week WHO estimate, 2021
1 alcohol-linked deaths per week WHO-derived estimate
5.9
4.7 Ø 16.7 34.0

65% fewer road deaths than the regional average

#2 safest of 22 in Eastern Mediterranean #38 safest of 195 worldwide Average in Eastern Mediterranean: 16.7 per 100k

How neighbours compare

#1 United Kingdom 2.4 #6 Europe
#2 United Arab Emirates 5.9 #2 Eastern Mediterranean
#3 Qatar 7.3 #3 Eastern Mediterranean
#4 Bahrain 8.1 #4 Eastern Mediterranean
#5 India 14.6 #5 South-East Asia
#6 Saudi Arabia 18.5 #12 Eastern Mediterranean

Latest available year shown per country.

LIMITS NEARBY

BAC limits in neighboring countries

Explore the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for drivers in nearby countries.

SA

Saudi Arabia

0.00‰
Zero tolerance
QA

Qatar

0.00‰
Zero tolerance
BH

Bahrain

0.00‰
Zero tolerance
IN

India

0.3‰
Strict
UK

United Kingdom

0.8‰
Relaxed

Alcohol Limit UAE: 0.0 ‰ Zero Tolerance — Any Detected Amount

UAE legal drink driving limit (blood alcohol)

All drivers (universal)
0.0‰
Zero tolerance
The UAE applies a single zero-tolerance limit to all drivers regardless of age, experience, or vehicle type. Any detected alcohol triggers a minimum AED 20,000 fine, 23 black points, 60-day licence suspension, and — in aggravated cases — jail up to 6 months and possible deportation for expats. Refusing the test carries the maximum penalty.

UAE Drink Driving Penalties & Zero-Tolerance Limit

Consequences of any detected alcohol while driving in the UAE

Any detected (0.0+ ‰)
Drink driving (any amount)
  • Fine from AED 20,000
  • 23 black points + 60-day licence suspension
  • 30-day vehicle impoundment
Aggravated / refusal
Aggravated / test refusal
  • Jail up to 6 months
  • Higher fines + longer ban
  • Possible deportation for expats

Source: UAE Federal Traffic Law (No. 21/1995); Federal Decree-Law 31/2021 (Penal Code); Dubai Police; Abu Dhabi Police.

Responsible Drinking & the 0.0 ‰ Limit in the UAE

Practical tips for safer drinking

Pace yourself
Stick to the "one drink per hour" rule – your liver needs time to process alcohol.
Eat before and while drinking
A solid meal slows alcohol absorption – an empty stomach raises BAC faster.
Drink water
After each alcoholic drink, have a glass of water – it reduces dehydration and health risks.
Don't drive
The UAE applies zero tolerance — any detected alcohol is a criminal offence. Call a taxi, use Careem / Uber, or stay overnight.

Source: WHO; UAE Federal Traffic Law; Dubai Police.

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