Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
Saudi Arabia
It is known that it is investing large funds to develop its non-religious tourism sector and the most frequently asked question is about the Middle Eastern country’s alcohol ban policy.
Although there has been no official announcement regarding a complete relaxation of the alcohol ban for general visitors, Saudi Arabia has recently expanded alcohol sales in quite a significant way.
Report
Bloomberg
said that Saudi Arabia had materially expanded domestic alcohol sales.Keep in mind, the country has banned alcohol for over 70 years, with very limited exceptions.
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As reported
One Mile At a Time
, in 2024, alcohol shops were introduced in the city of Riyadh.Initially, the shop was opened exclusively to foreign diplomats, with strict limits on the quantities they could purchase.
Access to this shop has now been extended to non-Muslim foreign nationals who have the status of ”
premium residency
” or premium residency.This status is generally given to educated foreigners who work for large companies in the country.
To have the visa, a person must have spent at least 30 months over the last five years in Saudi Arabia, or at least half of that time.
In addition, this shop is only open to those with an income of at least 50,000 riyals per month, equivalent to around IDR 209 million.In fact, prospective buyers are required to show a salary certificate when registering to visit the store, as proof of meeting income requirements.
Access to the store requires a reservation and uses a points-based system that limits the total amount of alcohol that can be purchased.
Interestingly, there has been no official announcement from the Saudi Arabian government regarding this policy change.Reports indicate that more such stores are expected to open in the near future, including in other major cities in Saudi Arabia.
Although Saudi Arabia is moving slowly, the direction of the country’s policy regarding alcohol sales is quite clear.The step of selling alcohol to diplomats alone was considered a big step.Now, selling them to wealthy foreigners is a more significant development.
Ever since Saudi Arabia announced its lofty tourism ambitions, the question of lifting the alcohol ban has always been curious.For many observers, this is a question of “when”, not “if”, and is one of the main tests of Saudi Arabia’s seriousness about its tourism goals.
Saudi Arabia has very ambitious tourism targets, and one of the main reasons why some people are reluctant to visit is because of the alcohol ban.
If Saudi Arabia seeks to gain market share in the Middle East’s tourism industry, it must emulate what successful competitors are doing.
The best example of this is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which today is no longer a place that is considered conservative.It should be noted, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the only two countries in the region that still have a complete ban on alcohol consumption for visitors.
(wow)
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