Latest news with #alcoholban
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Saudi official denies reports alcohol ban will be lifted
Saudi Arabia has denied reports that it will lift its decades-long ban on alcohol. A Saudi official refuted claims circulating in international media, originating from a wine blog, that suggested the kingdom would permit alcohol sales in tourist areas in preparation for the 2034 World Cup. The original report, which lacked sourcing, stated the change would come as the country prepares to host the global football tournament. Alcohol has been prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, for 73 years. The once ultra-conservative 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. While alcoholic drinks are still off limits, both Saudis and foreigners can take part in activities that were once unthinkable in the Gulf country - from dancing at desert raves to watching models at fashion shows or going to the cinema. The report about alcohol rules sparked a vigorous online debate in the kingdom, whose king also holds the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - Islam's most revered places in Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 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 religious police. 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-Muslim diplomats. Prior to that, alcohol was available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Saudi official denies reports alcohol ban will be lifted
Saudi Arabia has denied reports that it will lift its decades-long ban on alcohol. A Saudi official refuted claims circulating in international media, originating from a wine blog, that suggested the kingdom would permit alcohol sales in tourist areas in preparation for the 2034 World Cup. The original report, which lacked sourcing, stated the change would come as the country prepares to host the global football tournament. Alcohol has been prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, for 73 years. The once ultra-conservative 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. While alcoholic drinks are still off limits, both Saudis and foreigners can take part in activities that were once unthinkable in the Gulf country - from dancing at desert raves to watching models at fashion shows or going to the cinema. The report about alcohol rules sparked a vigorous online debate in the kingdom, whose king also holds the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - Islam's most revered places in Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 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 religious police. 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-Muslim diplomats. Prior to that, alcohol was available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Saudi Arabia denies plans to relax alcohol laws for World Cup
Saudi Arabia has denied reports that it would lift its long-standing alcohol ban when it hosts the World Cup in 2034. A Saudi official said on Monday that no alcohol would be sold at the tournament in line with existing law. Several media outlets cited unnamed government sources as saying that beer and wine could be available at licensed venues, including luxury hotels, five-star resorts, and major tourist developments. The reports said the move was part of an effort to compete with other Gulf destinations, like Dubai and Bahrain, for tourists and help diversify its economy away from oil. However, while Saudi Arabia has relaxed some of its religious laws in recent years under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's reform agenda – such as allowing women to drive – alcohol remains taboo. The country adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law called Shariah and makes alcohol illegal for Muslims and non-Muslims living in the kingdom. The speculation that an exemption would have been made for the football appears to have stemmed from a little-known wine blog and sparked widespread debate online inside the conservative kingdom. The issue is highly sensitive inside the desert monarchy, where the king holds the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina – Islam's most sacred sites. However, other Gulf monarchies have been easing some restrictions as they attempt to attract western tourists. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the only Gulf countries that still prohibit its sale, though in early 2024, Riyadh opened its first alcohol shop exclusively for non-Muslim diplomats. Previously, alcohol was accessible only via diplomatic mail or on the black market. Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Saudi ambassador to the UK, had already dashed hopes in February that football fans would be able to see the games with a drink in hand. 'Rather like our weather, it's a dry country,' he said. 'Everyone has their own culture, and we're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of ours, but we don't want to change our culture for someone else,' he said. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the hosts initially agreed to permit beer sales in stadiums but caused consternation among fans by reversing the decision shortly before the tournament began.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Saudi Arabia DENIES it will allow alcohol sale at 600 sites across the nation in preparation for 2034 world cup
Saudi Arabia has pushed back on a report claiming the Muslim majority country would partially lift its ban on alcohol in preparation for the 2034 World Cup. An official today was pressed to deny that Riyadh was planning to relax its 73-year ban on alcohol after a report to the contrary passed through foreign media. The initial report appeared on a wine blog last week and said that Saudi authorities were planning to allow the controlled sale of alcohol ahead of the World Cup. There were whispers that authorities were open to selling wine, beer and cider at licensed venues, while maintaining a ban on drinks with greater than 20% ABV. Booze would remain banned in public, homes, shops, and fan zones, per the report. International media cited a purportedly official statement that said the aim was 'to welcome the world without losing cultural identity'. It did not give a source for the information. But it was enough to spark vigorous debate inside Saudi Arabia about the kingdom's direction. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pushing a series of reforms to open up the country for tourism and business, and opened an alcohol store in Riyadh last year. The shop, the first of its kind, served non-Muslim diplomats exclusively. Prior to that, alcohol was available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market. Reports of a pivot appeared came abruptly. The Saudi government had said previously that it had no intentions of lifting the ban. While officials were quick to shoot down the claims that alcohol rules would be relaxed for the tournament, the impact has already been felt. Several global hotel chains are already tweaking their blueprints to accommodate alcohol zones. Initial reports had said the kingdom could expect to see such venues introduced by 2026 - eight years before the World Cup kicks off. Offering alcohol to foreign attendees would be particularly controversial in the spiritual 'home of Islam'. In its bid to attract Western guests, the government has already relaxed rules on hosting female performers - but this too had proven controversial inside the country. The Saudi ambassador to the UK had previously said alcohol would be banned when they host the World Cup in 2034, sparking fury among England fans. Initial reports had said the kingdom could expect to see such venues introduced by 2026 - eight years before the World Cup kicks off (Dubai pictured) Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud told LBC radio in February: 'There is no alcohol at all. Rather like our weather, it's a dry country. 'Everyone has their own culture. We're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don't want to change our culture for someone else. 'It is not a Saudi event, it is a world event and, to a large extent, we will welcome everyone who wants to come.' This struck down suggestions that Saudi Arabia would follow in the footsteps of Qatar, another Muslim country, when they hosted the football tournament in 2022. Supporters there were able to buy alcohol from selected hotels, but not at the stadiums.
Reuters
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Saudi Arabia official denies reports of lifting ban on alcohol
DUBAI, May 26 (Reuters) - A Saudi official denied on Monday media reports saying the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, would lift its 73-year-old ban on alcohol, which is prohibited for observant Muslims. 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 the controlled sale of alcohol as the country prepares to host the 2034 soccer World Cup. It did not give a source for the information. The report sparked a vigorous online debate in the conservative kingdom, whose king also holds the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - Islam's most revered places in Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, is pushing a series of reforms to open up the country for tourism and business, as part of an effort to strengthen non-oil sectors of the economy. The government ended its prohibition on allowing women to drive in 2017, and has eased some rules on sex segregation in public spaces and reduced the power of the religious police. A minor step towards allowing 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-Muslim diplomats. Prior to that, alcohol was available only through diplomatic mail or on the black market. Saudi Arabia has strict laws against drinking alcohol, which can be punished by deportation, fines or imprisonment. Jail terms have largely replaced possible sentencing with hundreds of lashes.
