It is not a picture one expects to see coming out of Saudi Arabia: a burka-clad woman, lying down drunk in the streets of the capital.

But ex-pats have revealed how this is not a surprising sight, as young Saudis do drink and take drugs at debauched gatherings - despite their countries strict laws.

Westerners - who themselves admit to wild parties on compounds in the desert state - have lifted the lid on the excesses of their Saudi neighbours, including a growing taste for a drug used by ISIS fighters before they go into battle.

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Wild parties: The western compounds have always been known for their parties, but Saudis also engage in drinking and drug taking, according to ex-pats. The claims are backed up by this picture, apparently of a woman in a burqa passed out on the streets of Ridyah, despite the country's strict laws

Dry: Technically, selling alcohol is banned in Riyadh, and all Saudi cities, but ex-pats say it is freely available

Their claims came as the picture of the 'drunk' woman emerged, apparently collapsed after a gathering held in the capital Riyadh - one of many held in the strictly Muslim country, right beneath the nose of the strict authorities.

In theory, alcohol is banned. At worst, a person caught with alcohol can be put to death. Most of the time, however, they are sentenced to lashes and time behind bar.

However, that doesn't stop people from brewing, buying and consuming alcohol in vast consequences - especially within the walled compounds where westerners live.

'The parties are pretty crazy even by western standards,' one ex-pat told the Sunday Mirror.

Tony, another ex-pat, told the BBC that while the compounds are like 'holiday camps' - but the Saudis were just as likely to be found with a drink in their hand.

'There is quite a drinking culture with the Saudis themselves,' he said.

'Most of the guys that I socialise with have stocks of Jack Daniels and other booze, as well as buying stuff that some of the expats brew.'

Harsh: Punishment for those caught with alcohol can be death, but is more usually prison and flogging

Risk: Despite this, young Saudis are known to make their own alcohol, some at a shocking 99 per cent prooof

They also are known to make their own 99 per cent proof moonshine, made from potatoes, the Mirror's source revealed.

The partying culture is nothing new. Five years ago, Wikileaks revealed how a Saudi prince threw a party for 150 20 and 30-somethings, where booze was flowing freely and prostitutes mingled with the super-rich.

Attendees were protected from the authorities thanks to their host's royal status, according to an American diplomat, the Guardian reported.

The dispatch also revealed a bottle of Smirnoff vodka could fetch as much as 1,500 riyals (£250), while the local version will cost just 100 riyals (£16).

But it doesn't stop at drink: the Mirror's source also revealed how rich young Saudis have got a taste for the Syrian-made drug Captagon - a drug used by ISIS fighters.

It has previously been reported that the drug is used to keep the fighters on both sides of the bloody conflict alert, allowing them to fight for longer.