Saudi Arabia has quietly relaxed its long-standing alcohol restrictions by allowing certain non-Muslim foreign residents to legally purchase liquor — provided they meet strict financial criteria. Until recently, the country’s only authorised liquor outlet, located in Riyadh, catered exclusively to foreign diplomats.
Under the new policy, non-Muslim expatriates who earn at least 50,000 Saudi riyals a month — roughly ₹11 lakh — and can produce a valid salary certificate, are now eligible to buy alcohol. Potential buyers must present their residency documentation along with proof of income. According to reports from customers at the Riyadh store, their salary information is verified through official Saudi platforms before any sale is permitted.
The liquor outlet, which opened in early 2024 within the diplomatic quarter, had originally been established to serve diplomats following decades of total prohibition. The decision to extend privileges to high-earning expats is being seen as part of the broader reform push under the kingdom’s Vision 2030, aimed at attracting international business, skilled professionals and foreign talent.
Nevertheless, the change has triggered a wave of criticism online, with many on social media deriding the move as elitist and hypocritical. A common refrain: “Proof of income for a bottle of wine is CRAZY behavior.” Another sarcastically remarked, “No alcohol for the poor is hilarious.” Others accused the government of abandoning long-held principles to accommodate wealth and status, calling the policy “privileged hypocrisy.”
Commentators pointed out that the new criteria essentially bar the majority of foreign workers — who earn far below the threshold — from accessing alcohol, thus making it a perk reserved for affluent expatriates, investors, and senior professionals.
Reports also indicate that the authorities are considering expansion plans: additional controlled-access liquor stores may open in other key cities such as Jeddah and Dhahran in coming months, although no official confirmation has been issued yet.
As the kingdom balances its conservative cultural identity with economic liberalization efforts, the new alcohol-sales policy underscores the delicate — and divisive — path of reform. The backlash online suggests that, for many, the change betrays deeper unease about whose freedoms are being expanded, and at what social cost.
