A luxury hotel in Riyadh has posted a job opening for a ‘bartender’ required to ‘serve wine/champagne bottles’, despite the country’s alcohol-free laws.
The unnamed hotel listed the job opening on its website and the job description included the ability to “restock bar with liquor and supplies”.
According to Al Arabiya News, who quoted the report on online Saudi news website Sabq.com, the job listing was has since been taken down from the hotel’s website.
The Al Arabiya News report also claimed that Hospitality Online, which lists jobs in the hospitality sector, also had a job opening for Club Concierge at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh, where the duties required included to “serve hot, cold, and/or alcoholic beverages and also to secure liquors, beers, wines, coolers, cabinets, and storage areas.”
Merhan el-Massry, Assistant Director of Public Relations for the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, told Al Arabiya News the listing was posted in error and has since been removed, claiming that it was posted accidentally.
“The posting was listed in error based on a global system and does not apply to The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh continuously respects and upholds the Kingdom’s rules,” Massry was quoted as saying.
Sale or consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden by Saudi laws, as per the guidelines of Islam.
Below: An edited version of the job advertised.
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