The report, which was picked up by some international media after it appeared on a wine blog last week, said Saudi authorities planned to allow alcohol sales in tourist settings as the country prepares to host the 2034 soccer World Cup. It did not give a source for the information.
The kingdom has eased some restrictions to lure tourists and international businesses as part of an ambitious plan to diversify its economy and make itself less dependent on oil.
The report about alcohol rules sparked a vigorous online debate in the kingdom, whose king also holds the title of King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques — Islam's most revered sites in Mecca and Medina.
Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...n Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
, known as MBS, has pushed a series of reforms, which included ending a prohibition on allowing women to drive in 2017, easing some rules on sex segregation in public spaces and reducing the power of the
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the only Gulf countries that prohibit the sale of alcohol.
A minor move to allow alcoholic drinks to be consumed in the kingdom was the opening of the first alcohol store in the capital, Riyadh, last year, serving exclusively non-Moslem diplomats.
Prior to that, alcohol was available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market.