Saudi may ease liquor rules, to allow non-Muslim residents: Details

Non-Muslim foreign residents who have a monthly earning of 50,000 riyals ($13,300) will reportedly be allowed to make purchases

Saudi Arabia is now planning to allow non-Muslim foreign residents to purchase alcohol, a move that was previously limited only to foreign diplomats, Bloomberg reported.

Which non-Muslims foreign residents will be eligible?

 

According to the report, non-Muslim foreign residents, who have a monthly earning of 50,000 riyals ($13,300), will be allowed to make purchases. These residents must hold a special type of permit under the Premium Residency programme.

 

The residents will be required to prove their income by showing a salary certificate to gain entry to the country’s only liquor outlet, located in Riyadh.

 

Customers at the Riyadh outlet will be able to make purchases under a monthly point-based allowance system, the report added.

 

The Saudi government has not made any official statement regarding the changes yet.

 

The Riyadh store, which opened up in 2024, sold liquor only to foreign diplomats earlier.

How did foreign diplomats make liquor purchases?

 

Foreign diplomats were required to obtain approval via a Saudi government-run mobile app and faced caps on the quantities they could buy. The outlet was opened in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter in the city’s southwest, where many diplomats live and work.

 

The kingdom is also reportedly planning to bring up two new liquor stores, one in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, and the other in Dammam in the east.

Wave of reforms in Saudi Arabia

 

If confirmed, the gradual easing of rules on access to alcohol would fit into Saudi Arabia’s broader push to relax some social restrictions and make Riyadh a more competitive hub for business and investment. It could also be seen as a move to strengthen the kingdom's appeal to expatriate professionals and attract capital, key to its Vision 2030 economic transformation.

 

At the same time, the shift underscores the sensitivities around modernisation in a predominantly Muslim country that is Islam’s birthplace and home to its two holiest sites.

 

Saudi Arabia, which is Islam’s birthplace and a country where religious authorities have traditionally played an influential role in public life, alcohol has largely been available only through the black market or via diplomatic consignments, since its consumption is prohibited in Islam.

 

The kingdom imposed a nationwide ban after a Saudi prince, reportedly intoxicated, shot a British diplomat in the 1950s following a gathering at the embassy.

Saudi Crown Prince's role in easing rules

 

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen the relaxation of several social curbs, including lifting the ban on women driving and allowing public entertainment, music, and mixed-gender events. He pushes to open the kingdom to more foreign visitors and diversify the oil-reliant economy under Vision 2030. 

In that context, speculation has long persisted that the government could eventually allow some alcohol sales. Some reports have suggested limited offerings, such as wine, cocktails, and champagne, at select, high-profile Red Sea developments, including Neom.

 

Saudi officials, however, have repeatedly said there is no plan to introduce public alcohol sales to lure foreign tourists.