Saudi Arabia quietly expanding access to its only alcohol store for non-Muslim residents

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is quietly expanding access to its only store that sells alcohol, allowing wealthy foreign residents to buy booze in the latest step in the once-ultraconservative kingdom’s experiment in liberalization.

There’s been no official announcement of the decision, but word has gotten out, and long lines of cars and people are seen at the discreet, unmarked store in the Diplomatic Quarter of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The store opened in January 2024 for non-Muslim diplomats. The new rules allow non-Muslim foreigners who hold Premium Residency to buy. The residency permit goes to foreigners with specialized skills, investors and entrepreneurs.

Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, has banned alcohol since the early 1950s. The store is widely seen as a way to cautiously test the controlled sale of alcohol.

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his father, King Salman, have pursued a dramatic liberalization policy in the kingdom, aiming to attract tourism, boost international business and reduce economic dependence on crude oil.

The kingdom, which adheres to Islamic sharia law, has opened movie theaters, allowed women to drive and hosted major music festivals. But political speech and dissent remain strictly criminalized, potentially at the penalty of death.

Alcohol remains banned for the general public.