Saudi Arabia Plans Alcohol Outlets In Jeddah And Dammam By 2026 To Attract International Tourists And Boost Economic Growth – What Travelers Need To Know

Published on November 29, 2025

Saudi Arabia is opening caller intoxicant outlets successful Jeddah and Dammam arsenic portion of its broader strategy to diversify nan system and pull much world businesses and travelers. Set to unfastened successful 2026, these intoxicant stores are aimed astatine catering to non-Muslim overseas workers, diplomats, and tourists. Saudi Arabia’s move follows a gradual easing of definite restrictions, including nan relaxation of rules astir women driving, nationalist abstraction segregation, and intermezo options. The outlets will beryllium housed wrong state-owned entities specified arsenic Aramco, signaling a displacement toward attracting much world companies and overseas visitors to nan country. The intoxicant stores correspond a bold measurement for a federation that has historically banned intoxicant for complete 7 decades. This strategical improvement aligns pinch nan country’s eager Vision 2030 plans to trim its dependence connected lipid and bolster its tourism industry.

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism and Business Expansion Plan

Saudi Arabia is gradually shifting its taste and economical scenery to pull much world business and tourism. As portion of this strategy, nan authorities has authorized nan opening of caller intoxicant outlets successful cardinal cities for illustration Jeddah and Dammam. These outlets will service non-Muslim overseas nationals, including nan increasing expatriate workforce and world diplomats. It’s seen arsenic an effort to make nan Kingdom much appealing to world investors and tourists, particularly those from Western countries wherever intoxicant depletion is an mundane norm.

Opening these outlets successful salient cities for illustration Jeddah and Dammam is simply a important move. These cities are important for Saudi Arabia’s economy, pinch Dammam serving arsenic a hub for business activities and lipid industries, and Jeddah being a awesome larboard city, which sees a changeless travel of world travelers. The caller intoxicant outlets will cater specifically to non-Muslim foreigners, providing a much cosmopolitan consciousness to these traditionally blimpish cities.

Saudi Arabia’s Alcohol Policy Shift

For decades, Saudi Arabia maintained a strict prohibition connected alcohol, adhering to its profoundly rooted Islamic laws. However, pinch its Vision 2030 initiative, nan state is embracing reforms that align pinch its extremity to unfastened up to nan world. The first important alteration came successful 2024, erstwhile nan Kingdom opened a mini intoxicant shop successful Riyadh, wrong a negotiated area. Known colloquially arsenic nan “booze bunker,” nan shop was a discreet measurement toward reform, allowing non-Muslim expatriates a chance to entree alcohol.

The upcoming outlets successful Jeddah and Dammam are expected to travel this model, but pinch broader entree and larger scale. These outlets are being positioned arsenic portion of nan Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to make nan state much appealing to overseas talent, world businesses, and visitors who activity a much wide acquisition while visiting aliases surviving successful nan country.

Tourism Implications of Saudi Arabia’s Alcohol Outlets

These caller intoxicant outlets are not conscionable astir catering to nan expatriate community. They are besides tied to Saudi Arabia’s tourism description strategy. The Kingdom has been moving difficult to reshape its image arsenic a tourism destination, moving distant from a solely belief attraction to offering a broader array of experiences for world visitors.

With Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has group eager goals, including expanding nan number of visitors visiting nan Kingdom and expanding its intermezo offerings. The relaxation of intoxicant regulations aligns pinch these efforts, arsenic galore imaginable tourists, particularly from Western countries, whitethorn expect to beryllium capable to acquisition intoxicant during their travels. These changes are portion of a wider inclination of Saudi Arabia loosening different restrictions, specified arsenic allowing cinemas, euphony festivals, and nationalist creation parties to flourish, providing much options for world visitors seeking entertainment.

Travel Tips for Tourists Visiting Saudi Arabia successful nan Near Future

If you’re readying a travel to Saudi Arabia, present are immoderate cardinal things to support successful mind:

1. Stay Informed connected Local Laws and Regulations: While Saudi Arabia is opening up to much world tourists, it’s still important to respect nan section civilization and regulations. Alcohol consumption, while becoming much accessible, is still highly regulated and disposable only successful designated areas.
2. Check Visa Requirements: Saudi Arabia is easing visa restrictions and offering much tourer visas, but it’s advisable to cheque nan circumstantial visa requirements for your state earlier readying your trip.
3. Respect nan Culture: Saudi Arabia remains a profoundly blimpish country, and visitors should beryllium mindful of dress codes and behaviour successful nationalist spaces.
4. Explore Emerging Tourist Destinations: Cities for illustration Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam are undergoing monolithic changes, pinch caller hotels, intermezo options, and taste events being introduced. Make judge to research nan rich | history of nan region alongside its modern developments.

Additional Developments successful Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Sector

Aside from nan intoxicant outlet plans, Saudi Arabia is besides moving connected different aspects of its tourism infrastructure. There are plans for important edifice openings successful nan coming years, pinch astir 17 hotels expected to unfastened by May 2026. The Kingdom is besides promoting its earthy landscapes and taste sites, which were antecedently underutilized, making nan state an moreover much charismatic action for travelers seeking unsocial experiences.