The social changes that Saudi Arabia is experiencing, including the holding of concerts and artistic performances and the spread of news about the possibility of opening the first store in the country to sell alcohol to diplomats, are sparking widespread controversy on social media between supporters and critics.
In this context, a video spread that its publishers claimed was of a fire in a casino and alcohol sales hall in the Kingdom. However, the claim is incorrect, as the video is in fact a representative scene recalling the fire that broke out in an old market.
The video shows what appears to be a fire breaking out in a building, and men wearing traditional Gulf clothing.
The accompanying comments stated that the video depicts the burning of a casino hall and an alcohol store in Saudi Arabia.
The video received more than 35,000 shares from just one page on Facebook, at a time when the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, seeks, within the framework of his “Vision 2030” reform plan, to implement social reforms and diversify the sources of income of his country, the largest exporter of crude oil in the world. Transforming the Kingdom into a business, sports and tourism centre.
Saudi Arabia will allow the sale of alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats
On January 24, 2024, two informed sources reported to Agence France-Presse that Saudi Arabia intends to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time in its history.
One of the sources said that alcoholic beverages “will be sold to non-Muslim diplomats” who usually place alcohol inside diplomatic bags.
According to a document seen by Agence France-Presse, alcoholic beverages will be sold in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, which includes the headquarters of foreign missions and the residences of their workers.
The late Saudi King, Abdulaziz Al Saud, issued a ban on alcoholic beverages in the Kingdom in the early 1950s, shortly after an incident in which one of his sons got drunk and angrily shot and killed a British diplomat.
The rapid pace of recent social reforms, including the reopening of cinemas and allowing mixed-gender music festivals, has sparked widespread speculation that the alcohol ban might be lifted, or at least relaxed, as new tourist facilities such as the futuristic NEOM city emerge at a cost. Up to 500 billion dollars.
Video truth
However, the video has nothing to do with all of this, and a search on search engines for the words “fire – Saudi Arabia – liquor” led to a report issued by the Saudi “Anti-Rumor Authority,” which is concerned with responding to misleading news.
According to the authority, the video shows a representative scene within the activities of the Layali Winter Festival, telling the story of a fire that struck an old market (Al-Qaysiriyah Market) in the Kingdom.
After that, an in-depth search using the keywords “Al-Qaysariyya Fire – Layali Festival” led to a video in which the elements of the place, people, and costumes were similar.
According to local Saudi media, the festival included the “Al-Qaysariyya Fire” station, which recalled the incident that occurred in 2001, during which fires destroyed more than 200 shops with their belongings.
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