Alcohol Sales in Saudi Arabia (Posted Feb 5, 2026)

BBC reports that as of the end of December 2025, Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban on alcohol for wealthy foreigners. To be eligible, an expat must either hold a Premium Residency permit (SR 100,000/US$26,667) per year or show that s/he earns at least SR 50,000/US$13,333 per month. Alcohol is sold only in one shop in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh.

Read the article: Saudi Arabia is lifting the alcohol ban for wealthy foreigners.

American Visitors (Posted February 2, 2026)

It is hard to keep track of the many, rapid changes which are happening in Saudi Arabia, and harder still to write about them. So I will quote from a New York Times article about a visit to Riyadh by Hilary Clinton and Tucker Carlson, in which Carlson said, "'One of the things I love so much about coming here is you go to dinner in Riyadh or other cities in the area and you run into people you know from other places,' he said. 'It's like: Yeah, of course, everyone is in Saudi.'"

Read the full article, Hillary Clinton and Tucker Carlson Walk Into a Saudi Real Estate Forum.

Entertainment (Posted Jan 15, 2026)

Saudi Arabia is developing entertainment and other attractions at a dizzying pace, and for all tastes:

• On December 31, 2025, Riyadh opened the world’s longest (4,250 m/13,943.6 feet), tallest (195 m/639.8 feet), and fastest (249 kph/155 mph) rollercoaster: Falcon’s Flight.

• November 7-14, 2026: the Finals of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will be held in Riyadh. The 2025 WTA champion took home US$5.235 million, which was higher than the winnings of the 2025 US Open champ (US$5 million), Wimbledon champ (US$4 million), and French Open champ (US$2.9 million).

• Most unexpectedly, in October 2025, Riyadh held the first Riyadh Comedy Festival. Many well known Western comedians participated. And despite press warnings about the risks of poking fun at specific Saudi customs, nothing happened.

• At Riyadh Fashion Week in October 2025, Western designers like Stella McCartney joined dozens of Saudi designers to present their unique styles.

• On April 19, 2026, the F1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will run on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a street track. It is the longest and fastest street circuit on the current F1 calendar: length, 6.176 km (3.84 miles); drivers average speed of 252 km/h (156.6 mph); top expected speed is 322 km/h (200 mph).

Changes (posted Dec 2025)

Changes in Saudi Arabia are happening at a dizzying pace: introducing a Western lifestyle, opening ancient historic sites to the public, changing social rules, economic development/diversification, etc.

1) In 1980, the population of Saudi Arabia was 6.0 million; approximately 30-35% were expatriates. In 2025, the population is 37.9 million; approximately 44% are expatriates.

2) Until recently, non-Muslims were not allowed to visit Madinah, the second most holy site in Islam. But now, with the exception of the Prophet's Mosque and area, all the city is open to non-Muslims.

3) Since 2018, a high-speed train travels between Jeddah, Mecca, and Madinah.

4) Not so long ago, women of all nationalities had to sit at the back of public buses, i.e., they could not sit with men at the front of the bus. Now women drive cars!

5) Only a few years ago, Saudi women rarely worked outside the home. Today, approximately 35% of Saudi women hold positions outside the home.

For our current posting, see our Saudi Arabia page.