Saudi Arabia opens its very first liquor store ever: only for diplomats
A first in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia will soon open the first liquor store ever in the capital, Riyadh. The opening of this liquor store, which will take place within a few weeks, is the latest easing of restrictions introduced by Saudi Arabia. For some time now, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman has been implementing changes in the country. Women are now allowed to drive, cinemas, festivals and concerts are permitted, and the religious police have been abolished.
But the opening of a liquor store does not mean that the local population may consume alcohol — that is still prohibited. These days, consuming alcohol carries a prison sentence; in the past, it was punished with lashes. The liquor store will therefore only be accessible to diplomats.
Liquor store for diplomats
The opening of a liquor store does not come as a complete surprise, because last year an anonymous Saudi government official already told Tablet Magazine that the country actually has little choice. There are several reasons for this; for example, the World Cup that will be held there in 2034. But the country also wants to compete with destinations such as Dubai and is investing heavily in tourism. In Dubai, alcohol is only permitted in hotels and hotel restaurants, provided they have a special license.
The policy that only diplomats may purchase alcohol is almost identical to the policy currently applied by Qatar; there, non-Muslims are not allowed to buy alcohol. What you do see there, however, is that wealthy families send their (mostly) Asian staff to the store to stock up on drinks for them. Such loopholes had existed in Saudi Arabia for some time as well, because people would often load their cars with alcohol in nearby Bahrain.
How will this be enforced?
It remains to be seen, of course, how they will check whether customers are diplomats, because there will undoubtedly be loopholes here too. It is notable that a monthly quota will also be applied; each person may therefore buy only a limited number of bottles — so stocking up in large quantities is not an option. Plans for multiple liquor stores have not yet been announced, but that will probably not be ruled out; all these relaxations are part of the larger plan to build a major economy that is not based solely on oil revenues.
The liquor store will open its doors in the Diplomatic Quarter, a neighborhood in Riyadh where diplomats and expats primarily live.
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Source: De Volkskrant, Reuters
