Tl;dr – As part of its tourism push heading into a few marquee events over the next decade, Saudi Arabia will allow alcohol sales at 600 locations across the county.
Saudi Arabia recently announced a significant shift to long-standing law. The Sharia nation will, for the first time in 73 years, allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. As reported by the Economic Times, this news comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome the World Expo in 2030 and host the World Cup just a few years later, in 2034.
Saudi Arabia, home to two of Islam’s most famous sites, Mecca and Medina, is a nation that follows Sharia-Islamic law, forbidding the consumption of alcohol.
While this has long served as the fundamental reasoning for the country’s alcohol ban, the prohibition of alcohol was formalized in the 1950s after a Saudi prince shot and killed a British diplomat in Jeddah for refusing to pour him another drink at a function.
In early 2024, the BBC reported that Saudi Arabia was set to open its first alcohol store in 70 years, focused on serving expats. The opening of that store served as a litmus test for a more comprehensive policy, one aimed at supporting its upcoming tourist demands while still allowing for close regulation.
I can remember reading the comments on a review of a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia a few years back, where a reader mentioned they’d love to ‘make the trip’ but didn’t think they’d be able to ‘go a handful of days on vacation without a drink.’ Well, now that fellow can rest easy and start working on finding some lay-flat seats.
