Saudi Arabia has quietly loosened its long-standing ban on alcohol by allowing non-Muslim foreign residents with high incomes to purchase alcohol legally, officials and expatriates say.
Under the new practice, non-Muslims earning at least 50,000 Saudi riyals per month (around US $13,300) can buy drinks from the kingdom’s sole licensed liquor shop in Riyadh — a privilege previously reserved for diplomats only.
“I went there two days ago and it actually worked,” one premium-resident expatriate told AFP. “It saved me a lot of money rather than buying from the black market.”
The shift appears to be part of a broader reform effort under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at boosting foreign investment and tourism ahead of global events planned for the coming decade.
Observers note that while the availability remains tightly regulated — limited to one store, with identity checks and income verification — the change marks a significant departure from decades-old prohibition in the deeply conservative kingdom.
For residents originally from religious cultures that prohibit alcohol, the reform is controversial — but for many expatriates used to the black market, the change offers a legal alternative and signals a gradual cultural shift in the Gulf state.
