The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are notorious for their stringent alcohol laws. But while you can't legally sip a gin and tonic in Saudi Arabia, you can in Dubai -- if you have a license, and you're not Muslim. In Qatar, it's trickier still: You can only order that glass of Pinot Grigio in one of Doha's glossy four or five-star hotels.

Confused? The Gulf Blog, written by David Roberts (a Qatar specialist and foreign policy Ph.D. candidate at Durham University in the UK), offers this informative map and guide to the region's alcohol policies:

(As Roberts notes in his blog, the color coding for Qatar's color is not entirely correct: You can buy alcohol there if you have a liquor license.)