Saudi Arabia is preparing to open the first liquor store for diplomats

RIYADH:

Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol outlet in the capital Riyadh, which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to a source familiar with the plans and a document.

Customers will have to register through a mobile app, get a clearance code from the State Department and meet monthly quotas with their purchases, said the document, which was seen by Reuters.

The move marks a milestone in efforts by the kingdom, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country to tourism and business, as alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

It is also part of broader plans known as Vision 2030 to build a post-oil economy.

The new store is located in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, a neighborhood where embassies and diplomats reside, and will be “strictly limited” to non-Muslims, the document said.

It was unclear whether other non-Muslim expatriates would have access to the store. Millions of expatriates live in Saudi Arabia, but most of them are Muslim workers from Asia and Egypt.

A source familiar with the plans said the store is expected to open in the coming weeks.

Saudi Arabia has strict laws against drinking alcohol punishable by hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines or imprisonment, and expatriates also face deportation. As part of the reforms, flogging has largely been replaced by prison terms.

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Alcohol was only available through diplomatic mail or on the black market.

The government on Wednesday confirmed reports in state-controlled media that it had imposed new restrictions on alcohol imports inside diplomatic missions.

Its International Communication Center (CIC) said the new regulations were introduced to tackle the illegal trade in alcoholic products and products received by diplomatic missions.

“This new process will continue to provide and ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified quotas,” CIC said in a statement to Reuters.

The statement did not refer to the planned liquor store, but said the new framework respected international diplomatic conventions.

Saudi Arabia, which was relatively reclusive for decades, has in recent years relaxed strict social codes, such as segregating men and women in public places and requiring women to wear black robes or abayas.

Prince Mohammed’s tight grip on power has been accompanied by changes that have included opening the country to non-religious tourism, concerts and allowing women to drive, as well as a crackdown on dissent and political opponents.

Vision 2030 also includes the development of local industries and logistics hubs and aims to add hundreds of thousands of jobs for Saudi nationals.