Saudi Arabia set to open first alcohol vending store

Saudi Arabia set to open first alcohol vending store

Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh, and it will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the Saudi foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases, the document said.

The new store is located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, a neighbourhood where embassies and diplomats reside and will be “strictly restricted” to non-Muslims, according to the document.

It was unclear if other non-Muslim expatriates will have access to the store. Millions of expatriates live in Saudi Arabia but most of them are Muslim workers from Asia and Egypt.

The move comes as a new development in the kingdom’s reform efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the majority Islamic country to tourism, foreign influences and businesses.