Wednesday, January 24, 2024 – The Saudi Arabian Government has reportedly agreed to allow the sale of alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time.
Two sources familiar with the plan told AFP that Alcohol
“will be sold to non-Muslim diplomats” who previously had to import alcohol via
a diplomatic pouch.
Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a
clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their
purchases, said the document, which was seen by Reuters.
Prohibition has been the law of the land in Saudi Arabia
since 1952, shortly after one of King Abdulaziz's sons got drunk and, in a
rage, shot dead a British diplomat.
But a Saudi government statement on Wednesday said
authorities were introducing "a new regulatory framework... to counter the
illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic
missions".
The statement added: "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."
The policy "will continue to grant and ensure that all
diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified
quotas."
The statement indicated that not much would change
immediately for the vast majority of Saudi Arabia's 32 million people, who have
few ways to imbibe unless they are willing to travel abroad.
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