Riyadh (HRNW)– Restrictions on the sale of alcohol to foreign residents in Saudi Arabia have been further eased.
The change comes just days after non-diplomatic foreigners were allowed—for the first time—to purchase alcohol in Riyadh.
According to the French news agency AFP, non-Muslim foreign residents earning at least 50,000 Saudi riyals per month can now buy drinks from the country’s only liquor store in Riyadh.
Previously, only premium visa holders could purchase from the store, giving non-diplomatic foreigners legal access to alcohol for the first time.
Local sources report that under the new procedure, buyers provide their residency details to store staff, who verify their salary through the Saudi system before approving the purchase.
Saudi Arabia’s premium residency program, launched in 2019, requires several conditions, including a one-time payment of about 800,000 riyals.
Despite earlier restrictions, some residents had long relied on illegal home-brewed alcohol or expensive black-market purchases.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia continues to implement sweeping socio-economic reforms—this latest step being part of broader efforts to diversify the economy, boost tourism, and attract global investment.
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