Muslims in the Middle East banned by Islamic laws from drinking alcohol will soon be allowed to savour legally the taste of a cool beer courtesy of brewer Guinness. The company has entered a joint venture with an Egyptian drinks company to brew and sell its Kaliber alcohol-free lager.

Under the deal, Guinness will supply the Egyptian group with the secret recipe for the drink, made famous in Britain by its advertising campaign featuring comedian, Billy Connolly.

Kaliber will then be brewed and distributed throughout the Middle East, even to traditional states like Iran and Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for Guinness said: "Our presence is very, very limited at the moment and this is the beginning of a concerted push."

The Egyptian brewery, Al Ahram Beverages, known as ABC, will also brew Guinness Irish Stout and Kilkenny Irish Beer for local bitter drinkers who allow themselves alcohol. Other countries where ABC will sell Kaliber include Yemen, Sudan, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Lebanon.