Saudi Arabia is set to open the country’s first liquor store, catering exclusively to diplomats, news reports and diplomats claimed.
The store will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to reports by Reuters and CNBC. The alcohol restrictions remain the same for the vast majority of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million people.
The kingdom plans to open the licensed store in the coming weeks in the neighborhood of Riyadh where embassies and diplomats reside, according to foreign officials in the Saudi capital, who are familiar with the matter.
Rules and limitations
According to a list of store rules seen by CNBC and Reuters, the venue will only accessible to non-Muslim diplomats, and authorization must be validated through an app called Diplo.
There will be limitations, including:
- Diplomats would need to register beforehand and receive clearance by the government.
- No one under 21 will be allowed to accompany authorized visitors in the store.
- Drinkers will not be able to send a proxy, such as a driver
- Purchases are also subject to a monthly quota system per registered individual.
- Photography will be strictly prohibited and mobile phones need to be kept in secure mobile pouches.
Previously, alcohol has been available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
Saudi Arabia has strict laws against drinking alcohol which can be punishable by hundreds of lashes now replaced by jail sentences, deportation, fines, or imprisonment and expatriates also face deportation.
New rules aimed at regulating alcohol sales
There has been no official confirmation or comment from Saudi authorities regarding the opening of the store. However, the state-affiliated Arab News published a report outlining new regulations governing alcohol sales to diplomats, saying that these rules aim to control the import of said beverages within diplomatic consignments.
Without mentioning the planned alcohol store, the Saudi government confirmed that it was imposing new restrictions on alcohol imports within diplomatic consignments to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions.
Liberalizing reforms in the Kingdom
The news marks a major breakthrough for the highly conservative Muslim society where alcohol has been banned since 1952. It is seen as part of its broader campaign to liberalize Saudi society under country’s Saudi Vision 2030 initiative and transition the oil-rich state towards a more business-friendly destination for foreign investors and tourists.
In recent years, the kingdom has seen a series of liberalizing reforms implemented since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power.
Saudi Arabia has recently relaxed strict social codes, such as segregating men and women in public places and requiring women to wear all-covering black robes (abayas). This also includes the lifting the ban on women drivers, as well as the return of cinemas and music festivals.
When and why Saudi Arabia banned alcohol?
The consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Islam, and Saudi Arabia remains one of the few countries worldwide with a strict ban on alcohol, along with Pakistan, Libya, and Iran.
Saudi Arabia had until 1950s held a conciliatory attitude to alcohol presence inside the kingdom. But this changed in 1952.
The ban came in response to an incident involving Prince Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and a British diplomat, Cyril Ousman.
At a party hosted by the diplomat in Jeddah, the 19-year-old prince shot Cyril Ousman dead after he refused to serve him more alcohol. Following the killing, which saw Prince Mishari sentenced to life imprisonment, Saudi King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, founder of the modern Saudi state, imposed a total ban on alcohol in the country.
Other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have allowed non-Muslims to drink in hotels and licensed restaurants for several years. However, UAE’s emirate of Sharjah maintains a total ban on alcohol consumption.