Saudi Arabia Confirms Alcohol Sales Prohibited in Duty-Free Shops

Saudi Arabia — Ekhbary News Agency

The Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority announced on Friday that the sale of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited in duty-free shops located at the Kingdom's customs ports. This statement came in response to public inquiries about the possibility of allowing such sales, with the authority reiterating that alcohol is among the items not permitted for sale under the established rules and conditions for duty-free zones.

Expansion of Duty-Free Operations

The inquiries arose following the Authority's recent announcement detailing the new rules and conditions for establishing duty-free shops across air, sea, and land customs ports in Saudi Arabia. This development follows a Cabinet decision approving the establishment of duty-free shops in arrival halls, a significant expansion from their previous limitation to only departure halls.

Current Status and Future Plans

The Authority noted that duty-free shops are currently operational in the departure halls of several key airports, including King Abdulaziz, King Khalid, King Fahd, and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airports. The agency aims to expand these operations as needed to other air, sea, and land ports, in coordination with relevant legislative bodies. Previously, duty-free activities were confined to international airport departure lounges, but the new directive will allow their presence in selected arrival and departure halls across various types of ports.