Saudi Arabia is planning to open its first alcohol store in the capital, Riyadh, according to report.
Sources familiar with the development disclosed this to Reuters on Wednesday.
Accordingly, prospective customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases, the document said.
Meanwhile, alcohol will be restricted to non-Muslim diplomats.
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, the document said.
It was unclear if other non-Muslim expatriates would have access to the store.
Millions of expatriates live in Saudi Arabia, but most of them are Muslim workers from Asia, Egypt and other parts of the world.
The move is a milestone in the kingdom’s efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business, as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.
It is also part of a wider plan known as Vision 2030 to build a post-oil economy and post-modernization plan for Saudi Arabia.
