Saudi Arabia has relaxed the sale of liquor.
Although there is a ban on selling and buying liquor in Saudi Arabia, now non-Muslim foreigners living there can buy liquor. Now the restrictions on selling liquor have been relaxed a bit in the country. Now foreigners living in the country will be able to buy liquor, but for this they will have to declare their salary at the shop.
Several foreigners living in Saudi Arabia told AFP that the country has quietly loosened old restrictions on selling alcohol, allowing non-Muslim foreigners to buy alcohol. Now non-Muslim foreigners who earn at least 50,000 riyals (about $13,300) a month can buy alcohol at the country’s only government-sanctioned liquor store in Riyadh. Earlier, only people with premium visas or diplomats could buy liquor in the country.
Relaxation was given 2 years ago
Alcohol has been banned in Saudi Arabia since 1952. Two years ago, in January 2024, the first official liquor shop for foreign diplomats was opened in the diplomatic area of the capital. This is the country’s first and only legal liquor sales centre. Now after 2 years, foreign citizens can also buy liquor from here. Although the government has not made any official statement on these new rules, these changes show that the country is stepping up its economic and social reforms to attract foreign workers, investors and tourists. Meanwhile, there are reports that preparations are underway to open liquor shops in other big cities of Saudi Arabia. It is being told that by 2026, shops can also be opened in Jeddah and Dhahran.
Also read- Yuvraj Singh will now sell liquor in India, it will take his entire month’s salary to buy one bottle!
surprised people
A foreigner who bought liquor from the shop said, “We were initially surprised and could not believe it,” he said. We went inside, got checked and were able to buy liquor. A female resident also said she was able to purchase liquor recently. He said, the people around us went crazy after hearing this news as if they had never tasted alcohol before! The demand has increased since the rules were relaxed. It is being told that more than 12,500 foreigners holding premium visas have so far purchased liquor from the shop in Riyadh.