Saudi Arabia has lifted a seven-decade-old blanket prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, it has also established a drinks shop in the diplomatic district of the capital Riyadh.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the shop is exclusively open to non-Muslim envoys, but this change is another step toward crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan. By drawing in foreign companies and travelers, he hopes to liberalize the country and diversify its economy away from the oil industry.
Only Diplomats Are Allowed to Take Alcohol
Customers must provide diplomatic passports and register at the recently opened off-licence in Riyadh in order to purchase set quantities of wine, beer, and spirits. Additionally, certain amounts of alcoholic beverages will be permitted to be imported by diplomats.
This aims to stop the unchecked practice of smuggling alcohol in diplomatic pouches that are impossible for officials in the host country to check.
The Alcohol ban still stands for Saudi nationals as well as Muslim and non-Muslim foreign nationals who are not diplomats and who can drive over the causeway that connects Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to purchase alcohol from bars, restaurants, and authorized stores.
Foreign contractors operating in Saudi Arabia have long manufactured and drunk illegal gin and beer inside the compound walls, despite the fact that it is illegal to possess or consume alcohol in the country and that violators may face fines, floggings, jail time, or deportation.