Alcohol has given Qatar a headache since it won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup. The sale and consumption of alcohol is severely limited in the conservative Arabian Gulf country.
But FIFA has long had its advertising interests, and with Budweiser as one of its most prominent sponsors since Mexico’s 1986 tournament, alcohol consumption has been as reliable a component of quadrennial festivities as the game itself.
Initially, Qatar agreed to its regulations related to the availability and sale of alcohol for the World Cup. But last week, just 8 days before the opening ceremonies on November 20, Budweiser, which has the exclusive right to sell beer at the football tournament, won a sudden downward order to move its beer stands in the halls of the stadium to more discreet locations. Unnamed sources told The New York Times that the sudden order came from Qatar’s royal family, namely Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the brother of Qatar’s ruling emir, amid fears that excessive visibility of the alcohol would disappoint the local population and create security concerns.
On Friday, just two days before the first kickoff, The Associated Press reported that tournament organizers had to absolutely ban the sale of alcoholic beer in all 8 World Cup stadiums.
Budweiser tweeted Friday: “Well, it’s embarrassing” in a now-deleted reply. FIFA later issued a message on behalf of football’s governing framework and Qatar confirming the ban, tweeting: “The tournament organisers appreciate the continued understanding of [Budweiser’s parent company] AB InBev. and help by our shared commitment to bringing everyone’s wishes together during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 2022. »
Here’s what you want to know about promoting alcohol at the World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike its only neighboring country, Saudi Arabia, Qatar is not a completely dry country, but it has strict regulations when it comes to alcohol. According to Qatar’s World Cup cultural awareness guidelines, alcohol consumption is “not a component of local culture” and is only served to non-Muslims over the age of 21 in licensed restaurants, bars and hotels. There is a liquor store in Qatar available for non-Muslim residents. In addition, it is forbidden to bring alcohol into Qatar from abroad. Violating those regulations can face eviction or fines of up to 3,000 rials ($823), though the extent to which the government enforces those laws at the tournament remains a question mark.
Consumer regulations were relaxed for the tournament. While it is generally illegal to drink or be in public, enthusiasts in Qatar will be able to drink in the official fan express spaces after 6:30 a. m. PM.
According to ESPN, there will be designated spaces for fans to calm down. Qatar World Cup chief executive Nasser Al Khater described them as “a position to make sure you protect yourself, not harm anyone else. “
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Drinking inside the stadium’s perimeter matches remains prohibited. Most will only be able to consume non-alcoholic Budweiser Zero and Coca-Cola products. beers, champagne, wines selected by a sommelier and premium spirits”).
This limitation is not entirely unprecedented; Former World Cup hosts Brazil and Russia have also banned drinking in stadiums, but FIFA has controlled pressure on both countries to lift rules for the 2014 and 2018 tournaments, respectively.
Half a liter of Budweiser would cost 50 Qatari riyals ($13. 73), while the alcohol-free edition would cost 30 rials ($8. 24) and water would cost 10 rials ($2. 75). Entertainment Betting. com looked at the average price of a beer in the 32 countries that qualified for the World Cup, with Qatar leading the way, almost twice as many as Denmark at the time.
Despite this, Al Khater reported in the past that the value of beer in fan zones and stadiums would be much lower for fans. In September, he said, “We recognize that there is a challenge with courage and that’s all we’re looking at tactics to decrease the value of alcohol.
But the country has undergone an immediate economic transformation in recent decades, thanks to the hydrocarbon boom, from a small pearl trading post to one of the richest countries in the world. Foreigners now represent 90% of the population.
Although alcohol has historically been limited in the Arabian Gulf, it has a long history in the Greater Middle East. Wine has been cultivated for millennia and alcohol is found in many countries, such as Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.