Saudi Arabia is all set to open its first liquor store in the capital Riyadh, exclusively for non-Muslim diplomats, a Reuters report said quoting a source familiar with the matter.
According to a document accessed by Reuters, customers will have to register via a mobile app, obtain a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases. The store is expected to open in the coming weeks, a source said.
The new store, situated in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, will be “strictly restricted” to non-Muslims, the document stated. It was not clear if other non-Muslim expatriates would have access to the store.
Saudi Arabia exercises strict laws against drinking alcohol and punishment includes hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines, or imprisonment. Liquor is only accessible through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
The Saudi government did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week, state-controlled media reported that the government was bringing new restrictions on alcohol imports within the diplomatic consignments, which would boost demand for the upcoming store.
The new regulation will curb imports to counter “improper exchange of special goods and alcoholic beverages received by the embassies of non-Muslim countries inside Saudi Arabia”, Arab News Daily reported on Sunday.
The move is considered a part of social reforms led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Kingdom to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business
It is also part of wider plans known as Vision 2030 to build a post-oil economy.
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