Saudi Arabia has opened its first booze store in more than 70 years, marking a liberalizing move for the fiercely religious nation.
The liquor store’s inauguration on Wednesday is the most recent action taken by Saudi authorities to update the nation’s image in an effort to boost commerce and tourism, according to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The store, which is situated in the diplomatic areas of the capital Riyadh, will only be open to non-Muslim diplomats, thus for the great majority of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million citizens, nothing will change for the time being.
The store does not serve non-diplomats, nor does it lift prohibitions on alcohol consumption that have been in place for civilians since the 1950s.
There will also be quotas for purchases. The store will only be accessible to individuals who have registered using an application. Additionally, patrons perusing beer, wine, and spirits will be requested to place their phones in a designated mobile pouch while they shop, according to The Guardian.
Saudi Arabia is among the few nations in the world where residents are not allowed to consume alcohol.
After his son fatally shot and killed British consul Cyril Ousman while attending a party in 1951, King Abdulaziz, the country’s first ruler, imposed an alcohol ban on the nation.
Since 1965, Kuwait has also forbade the sale or purchase of any alcohol within its boundaries; at the time, this decision resulted in the deaths or hospitalization of hundreds of individuals who substituted hand sanitizers and perfume for alcohol.
