“Saudi Arabia has been very transparent about its position on everything, we have been very clear and we have even heard it from our head of state where we stand when we serve alcohol.” Saudi Arabia has been very transparent about its position with everything. We have been very clear. The possession and consumption of alcohol is currently prohibited in the kingdom. Princess Haifa Mohammed Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia`s deputy minister of tourism, clarified the kingdom`s stance on alcohol consumption. Earlier this month, Andrew McEvoy, Head of Tourism at Neom, told the National that “alcohol is definitely not off the table” for the city. “I knew guys who had sophisticated equipment, still images and the like. You distilled pure alcohol, which you bought and then diluted. You could buy it quite easily if you knew the right people. It was a very big deal. The clarification came after the media earlier this month suggested that the issue of alcohol consumption was not completely off the table in one of the kingdom`s most important giga projects. Saudi Arabia climbed 10 places to 33rd place globally in the World Economic Forum`s 2021 Travel and Tourism Development Index, released this week in Davos.

Joseph Bradley, CEO of NEOM`s Tech and Digital Holding Company, could not confirm that alcohol would be allowed under the new law, but he told AFP that “everyone understands” the need to attract foreign talent and tourists. Unlike other Gulf states, where foreigners can have at least limited legal access to alcohol, a blanket ban remains in the kingdom that is home to Islam`s holiest sites. He brewed his own alcohol, had access to “good brands” of black market whiskey, and said there were “very few” expats he knew who didn`t drink or brew their own beer and spirits. As with most illegal things, where there is a will, there is a way. Although it`s illegal, alcohol is quite readily available in Saudi Arabia – you just need to know where to look. Alcohol is particularly available in Western compounds, although the varieties of spirits available are often not branded, but homemade liquor. Getting alcohol around is fraught with pitfalls, Tony says, because of the many hurdles that are often in place. Expats caught carrying alcohol face the same penalty as mentioned above.

However, they are not so Saudi nationals. If a resident is caught with alcohol in his possession, he is often confiscated only by the police, after which the national can be released. Therefore, it is not surprising that alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia, much to the chagrin of non-Muslims who visit Saudi Arabia and live in Saudi Arabia. The possession, consumption or production of alcohol is illegal in the kingdom. Locals and expats often go to neighboring Saudi Bahrain when they want to drink or go to clubs. However, it is illegal to bring alcohol across the border or cross the border while intoxicated. “I haven`t seen the details of the law in terms of [alcohol],” Bradley said. “But I can tell you very, very clearly that everyone understands that we are going to build a founding law that will attract the tourism market, that will attract the technology market, that will attract the manufacturing market.” “What we`re often asked is this whole idea of whether there will be alcohol, what are you going to do?” he said in an interview with the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

He adds that when you visit the supermarket, you can often see an expat “loading his cart with a few boxes of fruit juice and a large bag of sugar” — the ingredients for brewing alcohol. Alcohol is completely banned in Saudi Arabia. This includes the consumption, importation, brewing and sale of alcohol. Officially, there is no way you can get alcohol in Saudi Arabia. It has already been reported that people have even been arrested for smelling only alcohol. The issue of alcohol consumption in Saudi Arabia has come back to the forefront after a Briton was caught with homemade wine. The penalty for selling alcohol is higher than simply having in your possession, but if you are caught selling alcohol to Saudi nationals, you can sentence 500 lashes, if not more. Even the alcoholic substances in your suitcase could get you into trouble. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) – The futuristic city of NEOM in Saudi Arabia has not ruled out allowing alcohol, a senior official told AFP on Wednesday, which would be a historic change for the deeply conservative Muslim country. Asked in a recent interview about relaxing rules on alcohol, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declined to comment.

They insisted that while there will be a slightly different legal framework for Neom as a special economic zone, the city will continue to be subject to the kingdom`s rules and regulations. This month, a Saudi official told AFP that allowing alcohol in a limited form – for example, in designated areas or only for foreigners – had been considered, calling it a “sensitive issue” and saying authorities feared a “social reaction”. But while the Saudi government had not yet made a specific comment on the sale of alcohol, state media cited official sources who denied McEvoy`s claim. People who had already been caught with alcohol in their possession were sentenced to lashes and imprisonment. Expulsion is sometimes part of the package, but not necessarily always the case. Various ways expats find alcohol in Saudi Arabia brew it themselves, at some embassy parties and on the black market. We`ve also heard rumors about the informal bars available in some of the Western resorts, but we don`t have any confirmed information about them. Saudi Arabia has no plans to legalize alcohol — neither in the futuristic megacity of Neom nor to attract more visitors, Deputy Tourism Minister Princess Haifa bint Mohammed said Wednesday. Unfortunately, tourists do not have special rules that exempt them from the ban on alcohol in Saudi Arabia. Just like residents, tourists are also not allowed to consume alcohol during their stay in the country. Saudi Arabia has even gone so far as to say that you are not even allowed to consume on the way to the kingdom.

You can be arrested if you cross the Saudi border while you are still drunk or even if you just smell alcohol. “But I never bought alcohol there myself, because the risk was just too great. I always asked a Saudi friend to carry it – if they were arrested, they would just give a bottle to the police and they would be on the road again without any problems. Legalizing alcohol would break a great taboo in a country known for its Wahhabism, a rigid interpretation of Islam. Here`s everything you need to know about alcohol in Saudi Arabia and why alcohol is banned in the kingdom: She insisted that the alcohol ban has not affected tourism. He says those who live on land populated by Westerners have access primarily to homemade wine and beer, as well as “a spirit known as sidique, which is essentially refined distilled alcohol.” He added: “Understand that our intention is to attract the most diverse and talented workforce, and we are doing everything we can. to attract these workers. The independent index assessed 117 countries based on 17 fundamental pillars for the development and resilience of their travel and tourism industries. In 2019, Saudi Arabia launched the National Tourism Strategy, a clear plan to advance the goals of Vision 2030. Neom City is powered by clean energy, officials say. Photo: Neom “There is a whole culture of drinking among the Saudis themselves. Most of the guys I`m in contact with have provisions of Jack Daniels and other liquor and buy stuff that some expats brew.

“To be clear, NEOM is supposed to be competitive. We want the best and brightest in the world to come to NEOM. “Sometimes if you upset someone in a position of authority or know someone in a position of authority, then you can be targeted. Princess Haifa Mohammed Al-Saud, the kingdom`s deputy minister of tourism, spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the issue of Banning Alcohol in Saudi Arabia and the Foreign Ministry is warning Britons against disregarding these rules – but is it easy to get your hands on alcohol despite this strict ban? Saudi citizens also follow very strict interpretations of the Qur`an, which states that Muslims should not walk and pray drunk. John says that if he were at an arrogant party where things got “rowdy,” then he would leave in case it attracted attention and was ambushed. “There is a lot to do without introducing anything new,” Princess Haifa said.