Archive · 22 Dec 2025
1951 Incident Led to Saudi Alcohol Ban
A long time ago, in 1951, a young Saudi prince got very angry and drunk at a British official's house.
He shot and killed the official.
This made the king very upset, and he decided to ban alcohol in Saudi Arabia.
For over 70 years, alcohol was not allowed.
Now, the rules are slowly changing, but only for certain people like diplomats and tourists.
Saudis and Muslims still can't drink alcohol.
A 1951 incident involving a drunk Saudi prince killing a British official led to a total alcohol ban in 1952.
The ban was enforced strictly for over 70 years with severe penalties.
Alcohol was not entirely absent before the ban, with limited consumption in diplomatic and expatriate circles.
Recent changes allow limited alcohol access for non-Muslim diplomats and high-income residents.
Future plans include controlled alcohol sales in tourist zones for global events like Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034.
- Who
- Prince Mishari bin Abdulaziz, British Vice-Consul Cyril Ousman
- What
- A diplomatic incident involving alcohol led to a ban
- When
- 1951 incident, 1952 ban
- Where
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Why
- To prevent diplomatic scandals and maintain governance
- Year of Incident
- 1951
- Location of Incident
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Victim
- British Vice-Consul Cyril Ousman
- Perpetrator
- Prince Mishari bin Abdulaziz
- Year of Ban
- 1952
- Current Alcohol Policy
- Limited access for non-Muslim diplomats and high-income residents
- Future Plans
- Controlled sales in tourist zones for global events