Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first liquor store in the capital, Riyadh, which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats.
According to Reuters, customers will have to register through a mobile application, receive an access code from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and adhere to monthly purchase quotas, the document said. The new store will be located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter – an area where embassies and diplomats are based – and will have “strictly restricted access”. Previously, alcohol was only available through diplomatic mail or the black market.
The move is a major milestone in efforts by the kingdom, led by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country to tourism and business, as alcohol is forbidden by Islam. It is also part of a broader plan known as Vision 2030 to create a post-oil economy.
Saudi Arabia, which has been relatively reclusive for decades, has relaxed strict social codes in recent years, such as segregating men and women in public and requiring women to wear fully veiled black robes. Prince Mohammed’s rise to power has been accompanied by changes such as opening the country to non-religious tourism, concerts, and allowing women to drive, as well as cracking down on dissent and political rivals.
Concept 2030 also includes the development of local industry and logistics centers and aims to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for Saudi citizens.