Non-Muslim diplomats will soon begin to enjoy alcohol in Saudi Arabia as the country reveals plans to allow its sale for the first time.
A source revealed that alcohol “will be sold to non-Muslim diplomats” who previously had to import alcohol via a diplomatic pouch.
Recall that since 1952, alcohol had been banned in Saudi Arabia because of its abuse by one of the sons of King Abdulaziz who got drunk and, in a rage, shot dead a British diplomat.
Under Saudi law, penalties for consumption or possession of alcohol can include fines, jail time, public flogging and deportation for foreigners.
Rumours have swirled for years that alcohol would become available in the Gulf kingdom amid a wave of social reforms introduced as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, among them the introduction of cinemas and mixed-gender music festivals, according to Channels TV.
Meanwhile, in a statement by the Saudi government on Wednesday, it stated that the authorities were introducing “a new regulatory framework… to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions.
“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.”
