Alcohol Sales to Non-Muslim Foreigners with Premium Residency at Diplomatic Quarter Store
Ordinary Citizens Still Strictly Prohibited from Purchasing Alcohol
Seen as Part of Liberalization Experiment Led by Mohammed bin Salman
There have been reports that Saudi Arabia, where alcohol is strictly prohibited, has recently begun quietly allowing the sale of alcohol to wealthy foreign residents.
According to Yonhap News Agency on the 20th (local time), citing the Associated Press, a liquor store exclusively for non-Muslim diplomats, which opened in the diplomatic quarter of Riyadh last January, has recently started selling alcohol to non-Muslim foreigners who hold the "Premium Residency" (Iqama).
The Premium Residency is a visa issued by the Saudi government to high-income professionals such as doctors, engineers, and investors.
Although there has been no official announcement about the store expanding its alcohol sales, it has been frequently observed that customers who heard about it by word of mouth form long lines at the entrance.
There are no signs indicating alcohol sales on the store’s exterior, mobile phones and cameras are not allowed inside, and identity checks to confirm eligibility for entry are conducted very thoroughly.
Except for diplomats and foreigners with Premium Residency, Saudi citizens and ordinary foreigners are still not allowed to purchase alcohol in Saudi Arabia.
As the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia completely banned alcohol after Prince Mishari, the son of the kingdom’s founding monarch King Abdulaziz, shot and killed a British diplomat while intoxicated in 1951. Saudis who wish to drink often travel to neighboring countries such as Bahrain, or resort to smuggling alcohol or illegal home brewing.
Among young Saudis, it has become popular to enjoy non-alcoholic beers and similar beverages, often for the purpose of sharing photos on social media or celebrating at festivals.
The Associated Press assessed that this expansion of alcohol sales is the latest example of Saudi Arabia’s experiment with liberalization, a country once known for its extreme conservatism.
Under "Vision 2030," an economic and social reform plan led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has been gradually dismantling religious and traditional taboos.
In recent years, previously restrictive regulations have been relaxed, including the legalization of women driving in 2018, the hosting of pop concerts, the easing of strict gender segregation in public places, the opening of movie theaters, and the issuance of tourist visas.
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