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Foreign residents in Saudi Arabia say restrictions on alcohol sales have been further eased, only days after non-diplomatic expatriates were first permitted to buy alcohol in the conservative kingdom, AFP reported.
According to six foreign residents, non-Muslim expatriates earning a minimum monthly salary of 50,000 riyals ($13,300) are now eligible to purchase alcoholic beverages at the country’s sole licensed store in Riyadh. Until recently, access had been limited to non-Muslim diplomats and, as of late last month, to holders of premium residency visas.
Late last month, holders of premium residency visas were permitted to buy alcohol in Riyadh for the first time. Non-diplomats had been granted access to the shop located in the capital’s diplomatic quarter.
Soon after, however, the rules were eased further. In recent days, residents said they presented their residency documents at the store, where staff checked their salary details through a Saudi government platform before approving the sale.
“We were surprised and didn’t believe it at the beginning,” one expatriate told AFP after receiving WhatsApp messages about the change.
“We entered the store after checking and succeeded in buying alcohol,” he said.
Another expatriate woman in Riyadh said she, too, was able to make a purchase recently. “People around us went crazy when they heard the news, as if they hadn’t tried alcohol before!” she said.
Sales at the Riyadh alcohol shop have reportedly surged. A source familiar with the situation told AFP that more than 12,500 premium-visa holders have made purchases since the first phase of relaxed rules.
Premium residency, introduced in 2019, is available only to selected foreigners who meet certain conditions, including a one-time payment of 800,000 riyals.
Reports have circulated about new alcohol shops opening in other major Saudi cities. A source with knowledge of the process told AFP that stores are planned for Jeddah and for Dhahran, an oil hub with a large expatriate population in 2026, though no further details were provided.
The latest developments come nearly two years after the kingdom opened its first and only alcohol shop in January 2024, limited exclusively to non-Muslim foreign diplomats. There was no official announcement at the time, though two sources confirmed the opening to AFP.
Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rose to power, Saudi Arabia has undergone gradual changes as part of efforts to diversify the economy and attract tourists and international businesses.
Alcohol, however, remains a highly sensitive issue in the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam and home to its two holiest cities. The nationwide ban on alcohol has been in effect since 1952, a restriction shared by several Muslim-majority countries.
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