For the first time since 1952, Saudi Arabia is preparing to partially lift its 73-year-old ban on alcohol, marking a major cultural shift in the conservative Islamic kingdom as it gets ready to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. This decision, if implemented as reported, would allow the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in strictly regulated, upscale locations such as luxury hotels, resorts, and designated tourist areas, including the futuristic city of Neom, Sindalah Island, and the Red Sea Project.
Strict Regulations
Saudi authorities are planning to grant licenses to around 600 venues across the country, including five-star hotels and expat-friendly compounds, to serve wine, beer, and cider. However, stronger spirits and liquors containing more than 20 percent alcohol will remain prohibited.
Alcohol will not be available in homes, regular shops, or public spaces, and home brewing will continue to be illegal. Sale and service will be tightly controlled, with only trained staff at licensed venues allowed to handle alcohol, and strict penalties will remain for violations.
The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy away from oil, boost tourism, and attract foreign investment. Officials believe that allowing alcohol in select tourist locations will help Saudi Arabia compete with neighbouring Gulf countries like the UAE and Bahrain, where alcohol is already available in many tourist hotspots.
Saudi Arabia’s image has been gradually changing over the past few years. The kingdom has already implemented several social reforms, such as allowing women to drive, reopening cinemas, and relaxing rules on gender segregation. The opening of the first alcohol store in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter in 2024, catering exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats, was seen as a small but significant step towards this new policy.
Despite these reports, there has been some confusion and official pushback. On 26 May 2025, a Saudi official denied media claims that the kingdom would lift its alcohol ban, calling such reports unfounded and highlighting that alcohol remains forbidden for observant Muslims. The official statement came after international media picked up the story from a wine blog, which did not cite any official sources. The debate has sparked heated discussions online and within the country, where the king is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina, the holiest sites in Islam.
Period of Change
Historically, Saudi Arabia has enforced very strict laws against alcohol consumption, with punishments including deportation, fines, or imprisonment. The legal ban was first enforced in 1952, although alcohol had always been forbidden under the kingdom’s interpretation of Islamic law.
As the world’s attention turns to Saudi Arabia for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the country’s leadership appears determined to balance its traditional values with the demands of global tourism and economic modernisation. Whether the partial lifting of the alcohol ban will go ahead as planned or face further resistance remains to be seen, but the discussion itself signals a remarkable period of change in the kingdom’s history.
