Saudi Arabia will sell you alcohol now, if you’re rich enough
- Vivian Nereim
- New York TimesUpdated: Dec 08, 2025, 13:58 IST IST
The conservative Islamic kingdom’s approach to social policy change is often silence and ambiguity. Legalising alcohol has been no different
Saudi Arabia has banned alcohol for more than 70 years, so when whispers spread that an unmarked store in Riyadh, the capital, was quietly selling whiskey and champagne to wealthy foreign residents, it did not take long for a queue of cars to form outside.
