Saudi Arabia, known as the Center of Islam in the world, has surprised everyone by deciding to sell liquor to non-Muslim immigrants. However, only foreign diplomatic staff will be able to shop in this liquor shop being opened in the capital Riyadh. This liquor shop can start in a few days. To buy liquor, diplomats will have to register first. They will be given clearance by the government.
At the same time, people below 21 years of age will not be able to go to liquor stores. Liquor will be purchased only by those in whose name it is registered. Along with this, there will also be a monthly limit for purchasing liquor, beyond which liquor cannot be purchased. Till now, diplomatic staff in Saudi Arabia have been importing sealed liquor packages, which were also called diplomatic pouches.
Regarding the sale of liquor, government officials say that this shop will be successful in stopping the illegal trade of liquor. This will be the first time in 72 years that the sale of liquor will start in Saudi. Alcohol has been banned in Saudi Arabia since 1952. At that time, the son of the then King Abdul Aziz had shot and killed a British diplomat while under the influence of alcohol. After which the government had banned liquor.
After this the culture of liquor will increase
Some people living in Riyadh have also reacted to the first liquor shop in Saudi Arabia. Many people are seeing this decision of Mohammed bin Salman as the first step towards legalizing liquor in the country after 1952. Even before this, Mohammed bin Salman has taken many such decisions, ranging from cinema halls, which seem contrary to the Islamic identity of the country.
A Lebanese businessman, who had come to have dinner at a French restaurant in Riyadh regarding the first liquor shop in Riyadh, told news agency AFP that Saudi Arabia is constantly surprising him with its decisions. The businessman further said that this is just the beginning, there is a lot more to come. This is a country which is progressive, moving forward and is also attracting a lot of investment.
A businessman, on condition of anonymity, said that alcohol is prohibited in Islam and this is a very sensitive matter.
Two young Saudi citizens sitting at another table in the restaurant were asked about this. He expressed concern that allowing the sale of alcohol would have a negative impact on the identity of Saudi Arabia, which is considered the center of Islam. The person said that this cannot be the identity of Saudi Muslims. This is not us. The Saudi citizen said, “This does not mean that I am presenting some opinion for people who drink alcohol. But this kind of thing will have an impact on our culture and society.”
The man further said, “Suppose I have a younger brother, if alcohol is sold in Saudi, then there is a possibility that he too will start drinking alcohol in the future.”
'If you want to drink alcohol, people should go to another country'
Another person present there said, “It is quite scary that the government is allowing such a thing.” If someone wants to drink alcohol, he can travel one hour by flight to any other country and drink it. I am not at all happy that such things are happening in Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed bin's vision 2030 is changing picture
Christian Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington said that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 could be the reason for all these changes. Actually, Mohammed bin Salman is trying to make Saudi Arabia economically dependent not only on crude oil but also on other things like sports and tourism. Now if this has to be done then it is also necessary to attract foreign tourists. Therefore, gradually allowing the sale of liquor in several phases can prove to be very helpful in attracting foreign tourists.
At the same time, Christian Ulrichson from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy said that such news coming in Saudi Arabia could mean a message of gradual change in the country.
However, whether the permission to sell liquor to foreign diplomats in Saudi has an impact on the restaurant business or not, the views of people associated with this business have been known.
A restaurant manager said that it has no direct impact on the food industry. However, it can also make a difference to how the outside world views Saudi Arabia. Because of this decision, Saudi Arabia can attract more foreigners.
