Newsroom
Saudi Arabia, a country that has banned alcohol for more than 70 years, is quietly letting a new group buy booze, not just diplomats, but wealthy foreigners who can afford an elite “premium residency.”
An unmarked liquor shop in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, long known as a place only diplomats could access, has recently opened its doors to non-Muslim foreign residents who hold these pricey permits. The shift wasn’t announced publicly, but it became clear when high-end SUVs began queuing outside and foreigners with premium residency cards started walking out with black bags full of wine and whiskey.
Premium residency is essentially a VIP pass: it’s offered to wealthy or highly skilled foreigners who work in key sectors. It’s expensive, exclusive, and now, apparently, the key to buying alcohol legally in Saudi Arabia.
The change marks a major, though quiet, departure from decades of strict prohibition. The kingdom formally outlawed alcohol in the 1950s, after an infamous incident involving a Saudi prince and a British diplomat. The ban is rooted in Islamic law, and until now, only diplomats had legal access through controlled stores and embassy shipments.
Now, customers say the Riyadh shop is operating under a new two-tier system:
– Diplomats pay high prices.
– Premium residents pay even higher ones.
One receipt showed a basic bottle of white wine going for about $85, more than five times its price in the United States.
The expansion fits Saudi Arabia’s broader, low-key modernization under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Social reforms, from ending the religious police’s powers to allowing women to drive, have often been rolled out quietly to avoid backlash, and alcohol access seems to be following the same playbook. No official announcement, no public debate, and no comment from religious authorities.
Still, the motivation is hard to miss. Saudi Arabia is racing to attract more foreign professionals, expand tourism, and prepare for global events like the 2034 World Cup. And despite its massive oil wealth, the kingdom is experiencing budget pressures. Alcohol sales, as neighboring Dubai has shown, can be a lucrative source of revenue.
But the new availability comes with strings. The store isn’t on maps, customers trade its GPS location privately, and access is tied to government-issued ID numbers that limit how much you can buy each month. And it’s still illegal for Saudis themselves, or for Muslims generally, to purchase it.
So while Saudi Arabia hasn’t officially lifted its alcohol ban, it has quietly made room for a new reality: If you’re a wealthy foreigner with the right permit, the kingdom’s once “dry” status suddenly looks a lot wetter.
