In a striking policy turn that illustrates Saudi Arabia’s evolving approach to social and economic reform, the kingdom has quietly begun allowing wealthy foreign residents to legally purchase alcohol, a practice previously prohibited for more than 70 years. The shift reflects a cautious but significant opening in the ultra-conservative nation’s traditional stance on liquor.
While the Saudi government has not made a formal public announcement, reports by BBC affirm that a discreet alcohol outlet in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter now sells alcoholic beverages to non-Muslim foreign residents meeting certain wealth and residency criteria. According to Arab Times Online, the exclusive shop in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter has been selling alcohol first to diplomats and now, by extension, to wealthy foreign professionals and long-term expats, despite the absence of a formal public announcement from Saudi authorities.
