Distillers Export guides / Middle East
Exporting spirits to Middle East
Import rules, duty and licences for whisky, rum, gin, vodka, brandy and bulk spirit in 15 countries. Researched 2025–2026; each page shows its date.
Research guide, not legal advice. Each country links to its full regulations page with sources; check duty with a customs broker before you ship.
Overview
The Middle East presents a starkly divided regulatory landscape for spirit exporters, ranging from total commercial bans to accessible duty-free regimes. While certain Gulf nations enforce steep protective tariffs or state monopolies, other regional markets permit trade through specialized licensed distributors or trade agreements.
- Commercial spirits imports are strictly banned in Kuwait and Yemen, while Saudi Arabia limits imports exclusively to accredited non-Muslim diplomatic missions under diplomatic quotas.
- In Qatar, imports are restricted to a single state monopoly, Qatar Distribution Company (QDC), while Oman and Bahrain restrict commercial entry to specialized, government-authorized distributors.
- Bahrain levies the region's highest duty at 225% ad valorem CIF, closely followed by Jordan at 180% to 200% and federal Iraq's 200% import duty.
- Turkey offers 0% standard MFN duty, while Israel provides 0% tariff access under FTAs; Lebanon applies a comparatively low 5% base customs tariff.
- Under the GCC tariff framework, duties vary dramatically from 50% in the United Arab Emirates to 100% in Oman and Qatar, contrasting with Saudi Arabia's complete prohibition.
- Standard registered commercial businesses can import in Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, whereas Federal Iraq bans commercial imports entirely, leaving the Kurdistan Region to license autonomous importers.
Country by country
| Country | Status | Import duty on spirits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | partial prohibition / dry areas exist | 225% customs duty ad valorem on CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value for distilled spirits and alcoholic beverages (HS 2208) | Duty-free |
| Iran | partial prohibition | not applicable | |
| Iraq | partial prohibition / dry areas exist | Spirits (HS 2208) entering via autonomous KRG customs posts face tariff duties and surcharges historically set between 20% and 80%, alongside a 200% federal import… | Duty-free |
| Israel | legal | 0% for originating spirits under free trade agreements (including the US-Israel FTA and EU-Israel Association Agreement) with a valid Certificate of Origin; standard MFN… | Duty-free |
| Jordan | legal / dry areas exist | Standard MFN customs duties on spirits (HS heading 2208) are protective and high, generally assessed at 180% to 200% ad valorem CIF. Spirits originating from the United… | Duty-free |
| Kuwait | full prohibition | Not applicable (prohibited goods; no commercial tariff line applied) | |
| Lebanon | legal / dry areas exist | Spirits (HS heading 2208) are subject to a base customs tariff of 5% ad valorem, plus an additional 3% customs fee on VAT-liable goods, with luxury or… | Duty-free |
| Oman | partial prohibition | 100% ad valorem customs duty on CIF value under the GCC Unified Customs Tariff for HS 2208 (qualifying U.S.-origin spirits enter duty-free under the U.S.–Oman Free Trade… | Duty-free |
| Palestine | dry areas exist | Determined by the joint customs union tariff schedule (HS Chapter 2208); basic customs duty rates range from 0% (under bilateral trade agreements) to varying ad valorem… | |
| Qatar | partial prohibition | 100% ad valorem on CIF value for all alcoholic beverages and distilled spirits (HS Chapter 2208). | Duty-free |
| Saudi Arabia | partial prohibition | Prohibited import under standard GCC/ZATCA customs tariff (HS 2208); official diplomatic consignments enter duty-exempt under diplomatic privileges. | |
| Syria | partial prohibition / dry areas exist | Import prohibited (categorised under the customs negative list for HS 2208); commercial tariffs are not applicable due to the import ban. | |
| Turkey | legal / dry areas exist | 0% for goods originating from the European Union with an A.TR certificate under the EU-Turkey Customs Union; 0% standard MFN customs duty on most spirits under HS 2208,… | Duty-free |
| United Arab Emirates | dry areas exist | 50% ad valorem CIF under the GCC Common Customs Tariff (HS 2208). | Duty-free |
| Yemen | full prohibition | Not applicable (commercial import of HS 2208 is prohibited) |
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