NEWS
REPORT: SAUDI ARABIA TO OPEN FIRST EVER ALCOHOL SHOP FOR NON-MUSLIM DIPLOMATS
By Siulan Law Mathews DipWSET
25-1-2024
Credit: Ekrem Osmanoglu/Unsplash
Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first ever alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, reported the Reuters news agency.
Quoting a source familiar with the plans, Reuters said the store is expected to open in the coming weeks in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, a neighbourhood where embassies and diplomats reside.
The shop will be strictly restricted to non-Muslims, customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases.
It is unclear if other non-Muslim expatriates will have access to the store. Currently, alcohol is available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
Saudi Arabia has strict laws against drinking alcohol which can be punishable by hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines or imprisonment.
The latest move is a milestone in the kingdom's efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.
The kingdom has also relaxed strict social codes, such as segregating men and women in public places and requiring women to wear all-covering black robes.
The Saudi government yesterday confirmed reports in state-controlled media that it was imposing new restrictions on alcohol imports within diplomatic consignments.
Its Center of International Communication (CIC) said the new regulations had been introduced to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions.
"This new process will continue to grant and ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified quotas," the CIC said in a statement to Reuters.
The statement did not address the planned alcohol store but said the new framework respected international diplomatic conventions.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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