Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh that will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to sources familiar with the plans and documents.
Customers have to register through a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect the monthly quota with their purchases, said the document, seen by Reuters.
The move is a milestone in efforts by the government, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country to tourism and business because drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.
It is also part of a wider plan known as Vision 2030 to build a post-oil economy.
The new store is located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarters, a neighborhood where embassies and diplomats live, and will be “restricted” to non-Muslims, the document said.
Saudi Arabia will open its first liquor store to serve non-Muslim diplomats. Reuters
It is unclear whether other non-Muslim expatriates will have access to the store. Millions of expatriates live in Saudi Arabia but most of them are Muslim workers from Asia and Egypt.
Sources 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, expulsion, fines, or imprisonment and expatriates also face deportation. As part of the reforms, flogging was largely replaced by imprisonment.
Alcohol can only be obtained through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
