Saudi Arabia Reportedly Moves To Grant Conditional Approval For Alcohol

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to permit the sale of alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time.

Naija News understands that before the latest development, diplomats had to import alcohol into the Islamic country through a diplomatic pouch.

Saudi Arabia has had a prohibition on alcohol since 1952, which was implemented after a British diplomat was reportedly shot by one of King Abdulaziz’s sons in a drunken rage.

Over the years, there have been rumours about the availability of alcohol in Saudi Arabia, especially with the introduction of social reforms under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda, which includes the establishment of cinemas and mixed-gender music festivals.

Though Sources, according to AFP, affirmed Alcohol will now be sold to some percentage of people, all claims, however, remain mere speculations until an official announcement is made by the Arab country.

A Saudi government statement on Wednesday said authorities were introducing “a new regulatory framework… to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions.”

The statement added: “The new process will focus on allocating specific quantities of alcohol goods when entering the Kingdom to put an end to the previous unregulated process that caused an uncontrolled exchange of such goods in the Kingdom.”

The existing regulations have limited the options for the majority of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million inhabitants to consume alcohol.

Apart from attending official events, individuals can resort to producing their own wine or resort to the underground market, where the price of whiskey bottles can reach hundreds of dollars, especially during occasions like New Year’s Eve.

According to Saudi legislation, individuals who consume or possess alcohol can face various penalties, including fines, imprisonment, public flogging, and deportation for non-nationals.