You can now drink alcohol in Saudi Arabia as country begins selling liquor to non-Muslim residents but only if they are…

Saudi Arabia has eased its alcohol rules further by allowing non-Muslim foreign residents who earn at least 50,000 riyals (USD 13,300) a month to buy alcohol, according to people familiar with the change. These residents can enter the country’s only liquor store which is located in Riyadh if they show a salary certificate as proof of income, the sources said. The store first opened last year for foreign diplomats and later allowed access to non-Muslims with premium residency status.

There has been no official announcement so far, and the government has not responded to requests for comment. According to the reports, customers can buy alcohol using a monthly point-based limit. Bloomberg has also reported that new liquor stores are being built in two other cities.

The liquor store opened last year and originally sold alcohol only to foreign diplomats. It later started allowing non-Muslims with premium residency status to shop there as well.

The Premium Residency program often called the Saudi Green Card  is meant for foreign “skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, talents, and investors” who have lived in Saudi Arabia for at least 30 months within the last five years, according to the Saudi Visa website.

Earlier, customers had to book a time slot through a mobile app. They would receive a clearance code from the foreign ministry and were given monthly limits on how much they could buy.

A similar process seems to still be in use. Sources said that customers now purchase alcohol through a point-based system that decides their monthly allowance.

For Saudi authorities, the reasons for widening alcohol access are straightforward. The country wants to attract more skilled foreign workers, prepare for hosting the men’s football World Cup in 2034, and increase tourism and non-oil income as part of its plan to diversify the economy.

According to the Quran, Muslims are expected to avoid drinking alcohol or using other intoxicating substances. Since Saudi Arabia is a Muslim-majority country, many of its laws were originally based on these religious rules. However, some strict laws, such as the nationwide ban on women driving have been changed in recent years.