First alcohol store to open in Saudi Arabia after a 70-year gap

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to open a shop in Riyadh that will sell alcohol exclusively to non-Muslim expats. This will be the first alcohol store to open in the country in over 70 years. The clientele of the store will be limited to diplomatic staff who have been able to import alcohol in sealed official packages called diplomatic pouches. The Saudi officials behind this initiative claim that the shop will help combat the illegal trade of alcohol. The store will be situated in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter and is expected to open within a few weeks. There will be some limitations, although they are not expected to be particularly strict. Customers will be restricted to purchasing 240 "points" worth of alcohol per month, with different alcoholic beverages carrying varying point values. It is important to note that there are no indications of the shop being accessible to non-diplomatic foreigners in Saudi Arabia. While the opening of this store indicates a slight relaxation of alcohol restrictions, it is still advised for consumers to be cautious of where and how they consume alcohol due to the consequences outlined by Saudi law. Additionally, Saudi authorities are reportedly planning to establish a new regulatory framework to control the importation of alcohol by diplomats and prevent the unregulated exchange of such goods. This move reflects the government's broader "Vision 2030" initiative to liberalize Saudi society. Other Gulf states, such as the UAE and Qatar, already allow the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims in certain establishments, but there is no indication that Saudi Arabia is considering a similar move. Prior to 1952, Saudi Arabia had a more lenient approach to alcohol, but a tragic incident involving the murder of a British diplomat led to a total ban on alcohol in the country.