Saudi Arabia has opened its first alcohol store in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh, two sources told CNBC.
The news, which has not been officially confirmed by the Saudi government, marks a major breakthrough for the highly conservative Muslim theocracy where alcohol has been banned since 1952.
According to a list of store rules seen by CNBC, the venue is only accessible to non-Muslim diplomats, and authorization must be validated through an app called Diplo.
No guests or people under the age of 21 are allowed to accompany authorized visitors to the store, photography is strictly prohibited and mobile phones need to be kept in secure “mobile pouches” so as not to be used while in the store. Purchases are also subject to a monthly quota system per registered individual.
Building a database of non-muslim diplomats does not seem like a breakthrough. I can’t help myself but smell nazi everywhere I look lately.
You do know that diplomats are not people from the land of Diplomia right?
Like these are foreign government employees residing in your country, who have special government permission to work there in the first place.
It’s not an ethnic group to terrorise, you don’t want them there you say “hey you’re revoked gtfo”.
Also, diplomats are already registered on a list. So this is all moot.
I’m guessing, lack of alcohol access really narrows the list of diplomats who actually want to work there. Concessions like this goes a long way to improving the talent pool of diplomats working there. It’s just good foreign relations, and what country doesn’t want that?
Pretty sure any nation knows how many diplomats are in their country, take off the tinfoil hat.
I’d love to, but it’s comfy in the world where religious violence is the theme of the party.
While I probably overreacted I still wouldn’t use this to get drunk if I were in their shoes.
hey with SA it doesn’t have to be religious - afaik nothing about Khashoggi’s murder was related to religion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khashoggi