Beers at Ramadan: Dubai Relaxes Rules as Gulf Countries Adapt to Draw Business

As Saudi Arabia opens its economy, neighboring countries compete to remain attractive to foreign investment

DUBAI—An intensifying competition for foreign cash and talent in the Middle East has remodeled the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Dubai, where a once-quiet period of abstinence now passes almost like any other for expats.

The changes are among the most visible ways that Saudi Arabia’s neighbors have loosened financial and cultural boundaries for fear of losing business as the kingdom attempts to remold itself as a financial and tourism hub.

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