Egypt may present a more liberal face to the world, but the veneer of liberality is achieved by appeasing quite disparate factions within its own political fabric, and within the wider Arab world. I understand the dryness of MS is very much the result of these pressures, including those coming from ETUF and from within the company itself. For example, while Gulf, Emirates et al employ mainly expatriate cabin crew happy to handle and serve alcohol, MS, for many excellent reasons, would probably prefer not to impose such conditions of employment on its cabin crew.