Tag: Saudi Government

  • Saudi Arabia to open first liquor store in Riyadh

    Saudi Arabia to open first liquor store in Riyadh

    Saudi Arabia is gearing up to inaugurate its maiden alcohol store in the capital city of Riyadh, exclusively catering to non-Muslim diplomats, according to a reliable source and an official document disclosed on Wednesday.

    Prospective customers will be required to register through a designated mobile app, obtain a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and adhere to monthly purchase quotas, as outlined in the document.

    This development marks a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s initiatives, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to transform the ultra-conservative Muslim nation into a hub for tourism and business. Notably, the consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden in Islam.

    Situated in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, a locale housing embassies and diplomats, the new store will be “strictly restricted” to non-Muslims, according to the document. 

    It remains unclear whether other non-Muslim expatriates will be granted access to the establishment, given that the majority of expatriates in Saudi Arabia are Muslim workers from Asia and Egypt.

    Insiders familiar with the plans have indicated that the store is anticipated to open its doors in the coming weeks.

    Saudi Arabia has long maintained stringent laws against alcohol consumption, with penalties ranging from lashes, fines, and imprisonment to deportation. 

    As part of ongoing reforms, the practice of whipping has largely been replaced by jail sentences. Until now, alcohol has only been available through diplomatic mail or on the black market.

    According to Reuters, the Saudi government has not responded to requests for comments on the matter.

    Recent reports from state-controlled media suggest that the government is imposing new restrictions on alcohol imports within diplomatic consignments. This move is expected to bolster demand for the forthcoming alcohol store. 

    The new regulations aim to control imports and prevent the improper exchange of special goods and alcoholic beverages received by non-Muslim embassies in Saudi Arabia, as reported by the Arab News daily on Sunday.

    In recent years, Saudi Arabia, traditionally closed off to the world, has relaxed strict social codes. These changes include ending the segregation of men and women in public places, lifting the requirement for women to wear all-covering black robes (abayas), and allowing women to drive. 

    These transformations, part of Vision 2030, align with the broader goal of developing local industries, logistics hubs, and generating hundreds of thousands of jobs for Saudi nationals.

  • Social media giant X faces lawsuit for allegedly assisting Saudi Arabia in human rights abuses

    Social media giant X faces lawsuit for allegedly assisting Saudi Arabia in human rights abuses

    The social media giant formerly known as Twitter, now referred to as X, faces a revised civil lawsuit in the US that accuses it of aiding Saudi Arabia in committing severe human rights violations against its users. This includes allegations of disclosing confidential user data to Saudi authorities at a significantly higher rate than for other countries such as the US, UK, or Canada. 

    According to The Guardian, the lawsuit was originally filed in May by Areej al-Sadhan, the sister of a Saudi aid worker who was forcibly disappeared and later sentenced to 20 years in prison. The case revolves around the infiltration of Twitter by three Saudi agents, two of whom posed as Twitter employees in 2014 and 2015. This infiltration led to the arrest of al-Sadhan’s brother, Abdulrahman, and the exposure of the identities of thousands of anonymous Twitter users, some of whom were reportedly detained and tortured as part of the Saudi government’s crackdown on dissent. 

    The updated lawsuit alleges that Twitter, under the leadership of then-CEO Jack Dorsey, knowingly ignored or had knowledge of the Saudi government’s campaign to identify critics but provided assistance due to financial considerations and its close ties to the Saudi government, a major investor in the company. 

    The lawsuit highlights how Twitter was initially seen as a tool for democratic movements during the Arab Spring, which raised concerns for the Saudi government as early as 2013. 

    These allegations come shortly after Human Rights Watch criticised a Saudi court for sentencing a man to death solely based on his Twitter and YouTube activity. The convicted individual, Muhammad al-Ghamdi, had minimal online presence and was accused of having two accounts with a few followers and tweets, both containing retweets of government critics. 

    The lawsuit claims that Twitter was aware of security risks related to insider access to personal data and ignored red flags. It also alleges that Saudi authorities filed emergency disclosure requests with Twitter to obtain user identity information, often approved promptly. 

    Between July and December 2015, Twitter allegedly granted information requests to Saudi Arabia more frequently than to other countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, and Spain. 

    Despite becoming aware of FBI concerns about Saudi infiltration, Twitter continued to engage with Saudi Arabia as a crucial regional partner. CEO Jack Dorsey even met with Mohammed bin Salman about six months after the FBI raised the issue. 

    The lawsuit ultimately seeks justice for Areej al-Sadhan’s brother, Abdulrahman, and aims to hold Twitter accountable for its alleged complicity in human rights abuses.