Saudi Arabia has quietly taken another step toward loosening its long standing restrictions on alcohol. According to reporting by the US outlet Semafor, the kingdom has begun allowing a small group of non Muslim residents with special premium residency status to buy alcoholic beverages from a shop in Riyadh that until recently served only foreign diplomats. Several visitors told Semafor that in the past few days they were able to walk into the store in the diplomatic quarter and make purchases. There has been no public announcement from the government and people who used the shop said they learned about the change informally.

The shift reflects a broader effort to formalize and carefully control alcohol access as the kingdom works to expand tourism and diversify its economy. Officials want tourism to become a major pillar of national growth and hope to attract one hundred fifty million visitors a year by 2030. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in hotels, beaches, cultural districts, and entertainment zones. Even with these projects in motion, the country still faces stiff competition from Gulf neighbors that already offer a more relaxed environment for international travelers.

The Riyadh liquor store itself opened last year and centralized the alcohol supply for foreign diplomats, who had previously relied on personal shipments. Allowing a second, limited group to purchase alcohol marks a subtle but meaningful expansion. It also highlights the reach of the premium residency program, launched in 2019 to attract high income professionals and investors. The program has broadened over time and now includes expatriates earning more than eighty thousand riyals per month or working in specialized fields. Unlike regular expatriate workers, these residents can own property, run businesses without a sponsor, and now, in this specific instance, legally buy alcohol.

For decades the reality on the ground has been far more complex than the formal ban. Home brewing among expatriates has been common, and as long as alcohol remained in private spaces and was not sold, enforcement tended to be lenient. It is also widely understood that alcohol has been served in the private homes of influential Saudi families, senior officials, and prominent financiers. Publicly, however, the kingdom has upheld strict prohibitions as part of its Islamic identity and its role as the custodian of Mecca and Medina.

Semafor noted that authorities appear to be widening access slowly and in tightly managed stages. Many hotels already have bar spaces built into their designs, serving non alcoholic cocktails and alcohol free beer, anticipating a gradual softening of rules. Rumors of broader easing have circulated for years, reinforced by sweeping social changes under the Vision 2030 reform program, which reopened cinemas, allowed women to drive, and brought large concerts and entertainment festivals into mainstream public life.

By extending purchase rights to a select group of non Muslim residents, the kingdom is signaling an interest in attracting global talent while maintaining firm control over alcohol sales. At the same time, the move has drawn criticism from parts of the Muslim world, where religious scholars and commentators have voiced concern that easing alcohol access risks undermining long standing Islamic norms. Saudi authorities have not responded publicly to those concerns, and for now the change remains limited, but it adds a new layer to the debate over how the kingdom balances rapid modernization with its religious and cultural commitments.