Saudi Arabia has said it will open a shop in Riyadh selling alcohol to a select band of non-Muslim expats, the first to open in more than 70 years.

The clientele will be limited to diplomatic staff, who have for years imported booze in sealed official packages known as diplomatic pouches.

Saudi officials said the shop would counter "the illicit trade of alcohol".

Prohibition has been law since 1952, after one of King Abdulaziz's sons drunkenly shot dead a British diplomat.

The new store will be located in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter west of the city centre, according to a document seen by the AFP and Reuters news agencies.

A source familiar with the plans told Reuters the shop was expected to open within weeks. There will be limitations, however:

Thirsty envoys would need to register beforehand and receive clearance by the government
No one under 21 will be allowed in the store and "proper attire is required" at all times inside
Drinkers will not be able to send a proxy, such as a driver
Monthly limitations would be enforced, the statement said.
However - according to the document seen by AFP - these will not be particularly stringent.

Patrons will be limited to 240 "points" of alcohol per month. One litre of spirits will be worth six points, one litre of wine three points and one litre of beer one point.

There are also no suggestions that the clientele will be widened to "ordinary" foreigners in the kingdom without diplomatic privileges, who officially have no access to alcohol.

While alcohol will become part of Riyadh life, drinkers would be wise to be mindful of where they drink and how they behave afterwards.

Under current Saudi law, penalties for consumption or possession of alcohol can include fines, jail time, public flogging and deportation for unauthorised foreigners.

The document also said authorities are planning a "new regulatory framework" that would also allow "specific quantities" of alcohol to be brought in by diplomats to "put an end to... an uncontrolled exchange of such goods", it added.

For years diplomatic staff have had to use their "pouches", which cannot be tampered with by authorities in their host country, to bring in limited amounts of alcohol.

The moves are the latest in a series of initiatives known as "Vision 2030" to liberalise Saudi society under the crown prince and de facto ruler of the country, Mohammed bin Salman.

Other Gulf states operate similar alcohol regimes.

However, the UAE and Qatar also allow the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims over 21 in hotels, clubs and bars.

There is no suggestion from the Saudi document that the government there is considering doing the same.

While alcohol is forbidden under Islam, Saudi Arabia had until 1952 held a conciliatory attitude to its presence inside the kingdom.

That changed after Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, a prince, shot dead Cyril Ousman, the British vice-consul in Jeddah, in 1951 for refusing to pour him another drink at a function.

A year later, King Abdulaziz imposed a total ban on alcohol. Mishari was convicted of murder.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68085190.amp

Saudi Arabia's first alcohol store has opened in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh.

Globe Eye News

The are gradually getting tired of ancient doctrines.

They're even regulating the measurement for alcohols intake per month by individuals

But our so called northern brethren who now practice the religion more than the aborigines from the Middle East will always use their hisbah to destroy something that they indirectly benefits from through tax ?


CORNfused 🌽 entity.


Bigotism has really dealt a massive blow to Africa, we no longer care about our tradition most especially the Northern Muslims, they've excised their tradition and put on mostly the tradition of the Arabians. You will never see the Iranian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, Indian Muslims, the Turkish Muslims, even the Senegalese or Gambian Muslims forget about their tradition or culture even as they are staunch Muslims amongst them, unlike our northern brethren.

I will cut the North Central Muslims, South Western Muslims some slacks though.

Islamic fanatics all over the world will not be happy with this move by the Saudi authority

Hehehe! I just dey laugh the HISBAH fanatics confiscating alcohol in Northern Nigeria while denying people of their livelihood but fool sharing from the consolidated revenue accruing from tariffs and taxation on same.

Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

Praxis758:
Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

What about alcohol in your cough syrup . I once worked in pharma industry where we would use ethanol, the raw alcohol, in medicines like cough syrups.

Praxis758:
Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

Will you keep quiet 🤫

The Saudi are civilizing, and our brothers up north are still in stone age, that they are not ready to leave.

They are tired of drinking it behind doors.

Hisbah in North, how far now

I have notice something on nairaland, many people don't read the topic before commenting. They only read the heading.

I pity Saudi Arabia, if MURIC and HISBAH catch them ehn

Please someone should help me tag Hisbah.
They claim to be more holy than those from the holy land.

You can see that prior to 1952 they were consuming Alcohol. It was only banned because of king Abdulaziz son killed someone after he became drunk from alcohol consumption.

Here in Nigeria, the northerners makes it look as if it is a forbidden thing to drink Alcohol meanwhile it was just a directive.

I thank my Yoruba and other southern muslims who have not allowed themselves to be blindfolded by this blatant lies.

Praxis758:
Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

There is alcohol in your cough syrup, in paracetamol and panadol.

They are tired of the hypocrisy. Alcohol and prostitution are as old as man. Anyone claiming to regulate them is deceiving themselves.

Face of Islam is changing very fast, mumuric mumus in the mud!

Praxis758:
Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

The bible never condemn drinking of alcohol. It only condemn drunkenness. St paul advised Timothy to take a little wine.
Secondly Jesus turned water into wine. Though it was not recorded if the wine was alcoholic or non alcoholic but common sense will tell you that what are usually served at ceremonies at that time were fermented grape juice which translates to alcohol.

You can choose not to drink because of personal reason but don't be enslave by what your pastor says about alcohol.

Praxis758:
Even the Bible and God forbid drinking beer and alcohol.

Totally condemnable

Where did you see that in the Bible?

Our Northern Muslim brothers left the group chat 😂😂😂😂😂

Anyway I laugh in Swahili 😂😂😂😂😂

Nairaland online head bangers will cry on this thread

Such a shame on the headquarters of islam,but sha,we muslims follow the quran and hadiths and not saudi arabia

Meanwhile

Lol....

That werey for yoruba land na Moris abi Music or whatever will soon organize his northern extremists to protest.

And the most annoying thing is that they can't go to Saudi and protest. As for the northerners, na churches them go begin dey burn down ontop news wey happen for Saudi by the Saudis.

This people don d backslide small small oh!!!

Ya Allah have mercy

Postinor:
Such a shame on the headquarters of islam,but sha,we muslims follow the quran and hadiths and not saudi arabia

One spotted

Resident Terrorists leaves thread


I know call names oOoOO

Meanwhile: The west supplies them with weapons and military protection. The politics of the middle east is far beyond what you see.
It's forbidden to criticize the ruling family in Saudi Arabia. Na flogging and detention b dat

Imagining Kano Hisbah now.

Na small small, e go full everywhere..

lol
Religious prejudice how far ?

Northern Nigeria still breaking beer bottles