1st Alcohol store to open in Riyadh Saudi Arabia

First Alcohol store is set to open in Riyadh Saudi Arabia

 

Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to launch its first liquor store in Riyadh, the capital city, as reported by Reuters, citing an individual familiar with the matter. Trending : No plans to impose Income Tax on individuals in Saudi Arabia

Situated in the Capital city’s Diplomatic Quarter, the establishment will serve only non-Muslim officials. Customers will need to sign up for the store’s mobile app and get a clearance number from the foreign ministry before they can make purchases there.

– Furthermore, they are expected to stick to monthly alcohol purchasing quotas. This is all a part of Saudi Arabia’s continuous campaign to boost the kingdom’s economy through tourism and business.

– The Riyadh liquor store to be located in a neighborhood that houses embassies and diplomats, the incoming store to sell it to non-Muslims with the approval of an app called Diplo.

– No diplomat may bring in guests who are under 21 years old, and no one may take pictures inside the business, even approved diplomats. As an added security step, customers will be required to place their mobile devices in designated pouches while they shop. See Also : Saudi Skill Verification Program now enters into one more country

– Considering that the majority of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are Muslims hailing from nations such as Egypt and Asia, it is important to mention that other non-Muslim expats may not have access to the business.

– According to those in the know, the business is set to open its doors in the near future.

– In addition, in an effort to combat the illegal trade of alcoholic goods and products received by diplomatic missions, the Saudi government imposed new limitations on the import of alcohol inside such consignments.

– The regulations would guarantee that diplomats from non-Muslim embassies had access to alcohol products within set quotas, in accordance with international diplomatic treaties, according to the Center for International Communication (CIC). Most Viewed : Advanced Air Transport to bring Flying Taxis, aircrafts in KSA

– The consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia and carries severe penalties, including deportation, fines, incarceration, or even hundreds of flogging for expatriates and citizens. Modern penal policies have mostly replaced jail time with whipping (flogging).

– Until recently, the only ways to get alcohol were through the underground market or diplomatic communications.

– On Wednesday, official sources confirmed in state-run media that the government was tightening regulations on alcoholic beverages sent in diplomatic packages.

– In an effort to curb the illegal trade in liquor goods and products received by diplomatic missions, new laws were put in place, according to the Center for International Communication (CIC). Recommend : Special Talent Premium Residency in KSA

– This new process will continue to grant and ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified quotas,” the CIC stated in a statement to Reuters.

– Although the new structure was supposed to satisfy international diplomatic agreements, the announcement failed to include the proposed alcohol store.

– The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islam, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been fighting alcohol prohibition since 1952 with a punishment, this ruling represents an important turning point.

– The United Arab Emirates is one of several Gulf governments that permits non-Muslims to purchase alcohol from licensed outlets. Read : Discovery of Longest Cave in Madina

– After decades of relative isolation, Saudi Arabia has begun to open up, loosing some of its traditional social mores, such as allowing women to drive, the prohibition of women wearing headscarves (abayas) and the segregation of men and women in public spaces.