In a move viewed as modifying its uncompromising stance on liquor, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time.
The move is part of the wave of social reforms embedded in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda.
In a move viewed as modifying its uncompromising stance on liquor, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time.
Alcohol sales and consumption have been prohibited in the Muslim-majority nation since 1952, shortly after an incident where one of King Abdulaziz’s sons got drunk and, in a rage, shot dead a British diplomat.
Consequently, citizens and foreigners caught drinking are liable to punishment varying from public flogging, fines, imprisonment and deportation.
However, after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman introduced his Vision 2030 agenda, which has seen the Gulf kingdom loosen its grip on some stern restrictions, rumours started swirling around that alcohol would become available in the country.
Also, there were talks, albeit not from official quarters, that Saudi would allow football fans to drink alcohol when the world converges for the 2034 FIFA World Cup in the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the plan told AFP on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, that alcohol “will be sold to non-Muslim diplomats” who previously had to import booze via a diplomatic pouch or sealed official package.
Also, a statement from the Saudi government on Wednesday said authorities were introducing “a new regulatory framework… to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions”.
“The new process will focus on allocating specific quantities of alcohol goods when entering the Kingdom to put an end to the previous unregulated process that caused an uncontrolled exchange of such goods in the Kingdom.”
The policy “will continue to grant and ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified quotas,” the statement added.
As indicated in the statement, not much would change immediately for the vast majority of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million people, who have few or no ways to imbibe unless they are willing to travel abroad.
Beyond attending diplomatic receptions in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, they can make homemade wine or turn to the black market, where bottles of whiskey can go for hundreds of dollars ahead of holidays like New Year’s Eve.
Since the Crown Prince’s reforms began, Saudi Arabia has introduced cinemas and mixed-gender music festivals. The country has also hosted a series of global events, including sports and music.
