Saudi Arabia to Open Nation’s First Liquor Store. It’s for Diplomats Only
by Rehan Qamar
Saudi Arabia is set to open its first alcohol store in the country, catering exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats, Reuters reported.
According to documents given to Reuters, by a source familiar with the store plans, the store is expected to open in the country’s capital of Riyadh in the coming weeks.
It will be located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, a neighborhood where embassies and diplomats reside, and will be “strictly restricted” to non-Muslims, the document said.
Whether the store will also cater to non-Muslim expatriates is unclear at this time.
To access the store, customers will be required to register via a mobile app which will grant them clearance and permission from the foreign ministry for purchases. Customers will also be required to abide by a monthly quota, the documents said.
In recent years, Prince Mohammed has made several changes to boost Saudi Arabia’s economy and relationships with other nations, including opening the country for non-religious tourism, and concerts and allowing women to drive.
However, strict laws against drinking alcohol are still in place.
Under Saudi law, drinking alcohol can be punishable by hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines, or imprisonment. Expatriates also face deportation.
Whipping as a punishment has been replaced by jail sentences, in large part due to criminal justice reform. Alcohol and drug offenses have been considered a crime against God and both have been banned since 1952.
According to The Wall Street Journal, while no bars exist in the country that serve alcohol, dry bars or those that serve non-alcoholic cocktails have opened in Riyadh. Additionally, while alcohol is illegal to sell and consume, there is a black market that authorities often turn a blind eye to.
New regulations are also expected to curb imports and counter “improper exchange of special goods and alcoholic beverages received by the embassies of non-Muslim countries inside Saudi Arabia,” Arab News Daily reported on Sunday. These new regulations on alcohol imports within the diplomatic consignments may boost demand for the new store.
At this time, the Saudi government has not made any comments about the reported store plans and how they will affect the nation’s 72-year-old alcohol ban.
2024
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