Rich expats in Saudi Arabia now allowed to buy alcohol in Riyadh
The step-by-step revolution continues in Saudi Arabia where authorities have the desire to give a more liberal twist to the rules of the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has effectively taken further steps recently to relax rules around the sale of alcohol. The Kingdom is allowing non-Muslim foreign residents with monthly earnings of 50,000 riyals (US$13,325) or more to make purchases, according to people familiar with the matter.
The information has been widely circulated in the world by news agency Bloomberg.
Residents must however prove their income by showing a salary certificate to gain entry to the country’s only liquor outlet, located in Riyadh, said the people, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. The store opened in 2024 for sales to foreign diplomats and recently extended access to non-Muslims with premium residency status.
There have been no official communications about the changes and the government did not immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for comment on December 8, 2025.
Customers at the Riyadh outlet can make purchases under a monthly point-based allowance system, the people said. New liquor stores are also being built in two cities elsewhere in the country, Bloomberg has previously reported.
The slow loosening of rules around access to alcohol is in line with wider efforts to ease social restrictions and make Riyadh a more competitive hub for business and investment. Saudi Arabia sees drawing foreign talent and capital as critical to its economic transformation.
In the past several years, the country reversed a ban on women driving, allowed public entertainment, music and the mixing of genders, and encouraged tourism. The pace of change highlights how delicate a task it is to modernize the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam and home to the religion’s two holiest sites.
(Source: Bloomberg)
newadmin
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season