Alcohol-Free Saudi Arabia Plans Champagne and Wine Bars at Neom
The kingdom’s futuristic new megadevelopment is planning to serve alcohol at a tony beach resort, according to planning documents
Saudi Arabia’s futuristic megaproject Neom is planning to serve wine, cocktails and champagne at a beach resort that is scheduled to open next year, according to planning documents and people close to the development, in what would be a first for a conservative kingdom where alcohol is banned.
The sale of alcohol, if allowed, would mark a risky milestone for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic and cultural makeover of his country, which is aimed in part at attracting foreign tourists and encouraging expatriate businesspeople to live and work there.
As home to Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia portrays itself as an example of Muslim morality, and allowing alcohol—which many Muslims believe is forbidden by the Quran—could lead to a backlash among more pious Saudis and the wider Muslim world. However, expats say in polls that access to alcohol would be important to their quality of life in Neom, a sprawling set of developments on land the size of Massachusetts that is billed as the kingdom’s future.
Set on a Red Sea island called Sindalah, the Neom resort expects to offer a premium wine bar, a separate cocktail bar and a bar for “champagne and desserts,” according to planning documents dated January that were viewed by The Wall Street Journal, as well as people close to the development of Neom.
