Alcohol banned at 2022 Qatar World Cup

Qatari officials have confirmed a ban on alcohol in public spaces during the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup, with officials also seeking to ban booze in stadiums.

The Muslim gulf state of Qatar will host the Fifa World Cup in 2022

Taking place in the gulf state’s capital of Doha, organisers of the event said on Tuesday that alcohol would not be permitted in public spaces throughout the capital, as per the country’s normal law, and that they were also seeking alcohol bans within stadiums.

Alcohol will only be allowed in “far-away places,” the secretary-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Al-Thawadi said in an interview with Arabic language newspaper Al-Sharq.

“There will be no alcohol consumption on the streets, squares and public places and that is final,” he is reported to have said, adding: “We are against the provision of alcohol in stadiums and their surroundings,” reiterating that Qatar would not succumb to pressure to alter its laws for the tournament.

Alcohol is strictly illegal in the conservative Muslim country of Qatar, with consumption and sales restricted. Foreign nationals living in the country can apply for licenses allowing them to drink, and hotels are permitted to serve alcoholic beverages.

Russia is set to host the next World Cup in 2018, followed by Qatar in 2022.