Non-Muslim foreigners who are resident in the country – and earn the equivalent of at least 125,000 kronor a month – are now allowed to buy alcohol at the country's only liquor store, according to six people the news agency spoke to.
In November, it was reported that holders of so-called “premium visas” could buy alcohol in Riyadh – a first ever for foreign non-diplomats in the ultra-conservative kingdom. And now, the rules appear to have been further relaxed.
"We were surprised and didn't believe it at first," a man, who had just managed to buy alcohol, told AFP.
A woman living in Riyadh confirms the matter.
People around us went crazy when they heard the news, as if they had never tried alcohol before.
Saudi authorities have not yet officially confirmed the law change.
Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power, the kingdom has implemented several reforms aimed at expanding the economy and attracting tourists. However, alcohol, which has been banned in Saudi Arabia since the early 1950s, has been a bottleneck in the reform efforts.
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