Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has been relaxing some of its tougher social rules, and on Wednesday, Reuters reported that the country is getting ready to open its first alcohol store in Riyadh, the capital. The business will cater only to diplomats who are not Muslims. Customers will need to register using a mobile app, obtain a clearance number from the foreign ministry, and adhere to monthly purchase limitations in order to acquire booze.
In Islam, alcohol use is prohibited. Alcohol use is illegal in Saudi Arabia and is punished by jail, fines, expulsion, or hundreds of lashing.
Since taking office in June 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been working to liberalize the Kingdom’s strict laws to allow more travel and commerce.
As part of its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia promised to create “a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation” in 2016. This booze shop is reportedly a component of Vision 2030, which aims to create a post-oil economy, according to Reuters.
The new store would be “strictly restricted” to non-Muslims and is situated in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, a neighborhood home to embassies and diplomats, according to the document cited by the news agency. It was unclear, meanwhile, if the business will be open to other expats who are not Muslims.
Saudi Arabia is home to millions of foreigners, the most of them being Muslim laborers from Egypt and Asia.
After being mostly locked off for many years, Saudi Arabia has recently loosened its rigid social norms, which included forcing women to wear abayas, or black robes that cover the entire body, and separating men and women in public areas.
Saudi Arabia ended a 35-year ban on commercial cinemas in December 2017. The Kingdom lifted its prohibition on women driving in the same year that they were permitted to attend athletic events and increased their involvement in the workforce.
