Non-Alcoholic Beer Rules in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, the import of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, according to the US alcohol trade regulator's country page, which was last reviewed in 2011. We did not find a Saudi text that sets an alcohol level for non-alcoholic beer. Saudi Arabia is still one of the ten largest markets for no-alcohol beer, according to the drinks research firm IWSR.
Checked on 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on a rule.
The rules in Saudi Arabia at a glance
- At what alcohol level does a drink count as alcoholic in Saudi Arabia?
- No numeric line found. The import of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
- What may a label call a non-alcoholic beer in Saudi Arabia?
- GSO 1027:2021, "Malt Beverage", was prepared under Saudi Arabia's lead. Its alcohol limit is not verified.
- Who may sell or buy non-alcoholic beer in Saudi Arabia?
- Not verified.
The detail, with sources
The Gulf regulation for malt beverages, GSO 1027:2021, was prepared under Saudi Arabia's lead in the Gulf standards body. Its alcohol limit is in the part of the text that is not published, and we have not verified it.
In 2013, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce stopped restaurants and hotels from using the names of wines on food. It cited a fatwa from the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta that also covered the phrase "wine without alcohol", because the name resembles something forbidden. The notice names wine and does not mention beer. Food labels in Saudi Arabia must be in Arabic or carry an Arabic translation, according to the US Department of Agriculture's 2024 report.
- Primary source: Ministry of Commerce, notice on wine names on foodstuffs, 6 November 2013
- Primary source: GSO 1027:2021 Malt Beverage, GCC Standardization Organization catalogue
- Secondary source: US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, International Affairs Resources for Saudi Arabia (reviewed 2011)
- Secondary source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAIRS Country Report, Saudi Arabia (SA2024-0005), 5 July 2024
Common questions
Is non-alcoholic beer allowed in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia prohibits the import of alcoholic beverages, but it is one of the ten largest markets for no-alcohol beer, according to the drinks research firm IWSR. The Gulf states regulate these drinks as malt beverages under a shared technical regulation, GSO 1027:2021, whose alcohol limit is not published, and we did not find a Saudi text that sets the limit.
Elsewhere in the Middle East
The six Gulf states share a technical regulation for non-alcoholic malt beverages, GSO 1027:2021, which calls the product a malt beverage rather than beer. Its alcohol limit sits in the part of the text that is sold rather than published. The figures that are public for the region are lower than in Asia: 0.05% in US government reports on Kuwait and Qatar, and in Jordan's 2025 draft standard. Several Gulf facts below rest on US government reports that are more than ten years old, and each row says so.
| Country or territory | A drink counts as alcoholic from |
|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Not found in UAE law we could read. Customs uses the Harmonized System, which treats 0.5% or less as non-alcoholic. |
| Kuwait | Alcoholic beverages, and foods that contain alcohol, may not be brought into the country. |
| Qatar | The import of alcoholic beverages is restricted to one organisation. |
| Bahrain | Not verified. |
| Oman | Not verified. Alcohol is limited to licensed import companies. |
| Egypt | Not verified. |
| Jordan | Not verified. |
| Türkiye | Not verified. The law we read gives no number. |
Across the whole region
- All 27 countries and territories in one table
- What halal authorities have published
- What regulators say about drink-driving laws and non-alcoholic beer
- The same rows as JSON or CSV, free to reuse with credit
If a rule for Saudi Arabia has changed, or a source no longer says what we say it does, write to getsoma.store@gmail.com and we will correct it.
Who publishes this page
SOMA is a non-alcoholic craft beer brand founded in Bangalore, India, and its beers are under 0.5% ABV. Our first deliveries will be in Bangalore, and we do not ship outside India. We keep these pages because the rules on non-alcoholic beer differ a great deal between countries, and many pages online state them without a source.
To learn how non-alcoholic beer is made and what is in it, read Non-Alcoholic Beer 101.