Saudi Arabia allows first alcohol sales — but only to foreign diplomats

Saudi Arabia allows first alcohol sales — but only to foreign diplomats

Saudi Arabia will allow the public sale of alcohol for the first time in decades at a new shop in the capital Riyadh catering exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats.

The move follows years of speculation about whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would allow exceptions to the conservative kingdom’s prohibition on alcohol, as he drives an ambitious agenda to develop the nation as a regional trade, finance and tourism hub.

Other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, have allowed non-Muslims to drink in hotels and licensed restaurants for several years.  

But the shop’s inauguration comes as Riyadh reportedly seeks to tighten oversight of the import of alcohol by diplomatic missions, and it was not clear if the move represented a step towards any further changes to laws governing alcohol sales.

Arab News, which is owned by the state-backed Saudi Research and Media Group, reported this month that Riyadh was introducing regulation to “curb the uncontrolled importing of . . . special goods and liquors within the diplomatic consignments” in an effort to end the “improper exchange” of the goods inside the kingdom.

Embassies in Saudi Arabia, such as the US, have shops that sell alcohol to their diplomats, while diplomatic pouches can be moved across borders without facing