2024-01-25T16:22:51+00:00
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/ Observers and residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are wondering about the Kingdom’s government’s move to lift the ban on alcoholic beverages “for diplomats only”, whether it is a formal amendment to the ban policy or a first step towards greater openness? This is amidst the welcome of non-Muslims in the Kingdom to this decision, especially since the store for the house of those beverages will be within their residential neighborhood.
Informed sources on the file revealed, yesterday, Wednesday, the plan to open the store, which will be dedicated to diplomats, while a document was circulated indicating the extent of caution of the leaders of the conservative Gulf Kingdom in managing the operations of this store.
The store is located in the Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions and their staff in Riyadh. It will be open only to non-Muslim diplomats, meaning that virtually nothing has changed for the vast majority of the kingdom’s 32 million people.
There will be limited monthly quotas on alcohol purchases. Access to the store will be limited to those who register through an app called “Diplomacy.” Customers will also be required to keep their phones in a “special bag” while shopping for beer, wine and spirits.
However, some Riyadh residents told AFP they see the development as a first step towards making alcohol more widely available and ending the kingdom’s national ban, which has been in place since 1952.
“This country keeps surprising us,” said a Lebanese businessman dining Wednesday night at LPM, a French restaurant in Riyadh known for its long menu of mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks sold behind an 18-meter marble bar.
“It’s a country that is developing and growing and attracting a lot of talent and investment. So yes, of course, there will be more,” he added.
“Not who we are”
But, like other LBM customers, the businessman declined to be identified, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding anything to do with alcohol in the conservative kingdom.
At another table, two Saudi men in their 30s, over a plate of dessert, said they were worried about what selling alcohol would mean for the kingdom’s identity.
“That’s not who we are,” one said. “It’s not that I judge people who drink. No, not at all. But having this somewhere affects the culture and society.”
“Let’s say I have a younger brother, he’s likely to become an addict if alcohol is available to him,” he added.
His friend intervened to say that he would prefer people to continue to travel abroad to drink, as many are doing now.
“It’s scary that they’re allowing things like this to come in. Anyone who wants to try alcohol is an hour away by plane. Everyone travels here. It’s easy. What I want to say is that I’m not happy with this decision,” he added.
As part of his reform plan, “Vision 2030,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to implement social reforms and diversify the sources of income for his country, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil, and transform the Kingdom into a center for business, sports and tourism.
The plan requires attracting more foreigners, and allowing alcohol “in phases” could play a role in that, said Kristin Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
“This is a further step towards government normalisation of alcohol acceptance within specific contexts,” she added.
“tight control”
The Saudi government’s Center for International Communications announced Wednesday that the new policy aims to “combat the illicit trade in alcoholic goods and products received by diplomatic missions.”
This was an apparent reference to the thriving local black market where bottles of whiskey often sell for hundreds of dollars.
Framing the announcement in this way “is likely intended to send a subtle message that change may be on the way, but the process will be gradual and tightly controlled,” said Middle East scholar Kristian Ulrichsen of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Restaurant workers do not yet know whether their businesses will be affected in the near term.
“For the food and beverage industry, it doesn’t have a direct impact,” said a restaurant manager, but if the decision changes the world’s view of Saudi Arabia, “it could translate into a huge turnout for the kingdom,” meaning more customers.
While waiting to see how much alcohol will be available in the Kingdom, restaurants and cafes that make mocktails or non-alcoholic drinks are flourishing in the country.
“This is not good for me,” Evans Kahindi, director of Blended By Layers, a non-alcoholic drinks brand, said with a laugh. “I will lose my job.”
“There has always been speculation about the availability of alcohol here… but honestly, it’s up to the government, we don’t know yet and I can’t speculate on anything,” he added.