Beer was a very hot topic of conversation when fans who flocked to Qatar for the World Cup in 2022 were forced to go thirsty. That will once again be the case when the tournament returns to the Middle East, as Saudi Arabia is giving attendees plenty of time to prepare for the alcohol desert they’ll be greeted with.
There was plenty of controversy surrounding FIFA’s decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 when was picked as a host 12 years before the event got underway.
The decision was mediated by the bribes multiple officials almost certainly accepted before endorsing the location and contributed to the deaths of the hundreds (and possibly thousands) of migrant workers who perished while building stadiums and working on infrastructure projects linked to its preparation for the tournament.
The human cost of that World Cup obviously pales in comparison to another issue fans who flocked to Qatar encountered upon their arrival, but there was nonetheless plenty of outrage after the country decided to abandon its plan to permit the purchase of beer at designated points during games by enacting a blanket ban on all sales.
You may not need booze to enjoy a World Cup game, but it’s usually not going to hurt. However, anyone hoping to get their fix when Saudi Arabia gets in on the action for the first time in 2034 is going to be sorely disappointed.
According to the BBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud recently confirmed Saudi Arabia has no plans to relax the incredibly strict temperance laws first instituted in 1952 that threaten residents with fines and jail time and foreigners with deportation if they’re caught drinking in the country, saying:
“At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol. Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol—it’s not 100% necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you’re welcome to—but at the moment we don’t have alcohol.
Rather like our weather, it’s a dry country. Everyone has their own culture. We’re happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don’t want to change our culture for someone else.”
In 2024, a single shop opened in the capital city of Riyadh where diplomats from non-Muslim countries can purchase alcohol, but that remains the only place in Saudia Arabia where it can be legally obtained.
Thankfully, that will not be an issue when the United States, Canada, and Mexico host the World Cup in 2026 and Morocco, Portugal, and Spain get the nod in 2030.
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