Saudi Arabia opens first liquor store in Riyadh as alcohol laws change

Booze black market: The Saudi government says it would "put an end to the previous unregulated process" of alcohol sales and imports. Photo / 123rf

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the opening of its first state-approved liquor store in Riyadh as the country reviews strict alcohol laws.

New laws regulating the once strictly controlled substance have been relaxed, allowing the first sale in Saudi Arabia for 72 years — but only for certain non-Muslim customers.

Apparently, the kingdom was concerned some foreign visitors were helping a booze black market thrive — foreign diplomats in particular.

The country is now allowing alcohol quotas for embassies and missions from non-Muslim countries to “counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods”, the Saudi government’s Centre for International Communication said.

Saudi Arabia was easing the laws in Riyadh to serve these foreign diplomats, reported Reuters.

It is understood the off licence will not be open to Saudi residents or tourists, but the decision marks a departure from more than seven decades of strict prohibition.

The change was designed to “put an end [to the] previous unregulated process that caused an uncontrolled exchange of such goods in the kingdom,” the CIC said in a statement to CNN.

The new “regulatory framework has been introduced to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions,” the CIC said.

Alcohol sale and possession are strictly forbidden in the kingdom. It is punishable by lashes, fines, imprisonment or deportation for foreigners.

“Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe and can include the death penalty. The importation and consumption of alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia,” advises MFAT’s safe travel advice for Saudi Arabia.

However, the changes to regulation and the economy under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and an emphasis on courting the tourism industry have led some to speculate a broader easing of alcohol rules could soon happen.

With the first legal sale of alcohol in over 70 years, they argue the genie is now out of the bottle.