Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

World Cup fans ready to party despite beer ban in Qatar stadiums

World Cup fans ready to party despite beer ban in Qatar stadiums

Sudden ruling by the government to halt all beer sales at stadiums welcomed by some fans as others criticise the last-minute timing of the announcement.

Flag-draped fans have continued to pour into Qatar in advance of the Middle East’s first World Cup, even as organisers banned the sale of beer at stadiums – a last-minute decision that appeared to be largely welcomed by the country’s residents and shrugged off by some visitors.

The Gulf country, home to some three million people, expected another 1.2 million fans to fly in for the tournament that begins on Sunday.

After Friday prayers, the talk of the capital, Doha, became the sudden ruling by the government to halt all beer sales at stadiums.

Many welcomed the decision in the country, where beers, wine and liquor are sold at discrete hotel bars.

Abdullah, an Egyptian resident of Qatar, said he would feel more comfortable attending games knowing that beer would not be available in the stadiums.

“I am happy to hear this news. It’s not like alcohol is not sold in Qatar. People have to respect Muslim culture and get on with the tournament. I’ll feel much better about taking my family to the stadium now. We’re supporting Brazil,” he told Al Jazeera.


Flag-draped fans continued to pour into Qatar ahead of the World Cup

Federico Ferraz, a fan group organiser from Portugal, said the timing of the decision to ban alcohol at the stadiums was made too late.

“I think FIFA and Qatar left it very late to announce this decision … Fans are going to feel hard done by. They waited till the last minute, for everyone to buy tickets, book hotels and then they announced it. Were they afraid that fans wouldn’t have come here if they had banned alcohol earlier?”

Alcohol will still be served in hotels, luxury suites, private homes and at the FIFA Fan Festival site during the tournament.

In Doha’s Souq Waqif market, 35-year-old Pablo Zambrano of Ecuador shrugged off the news of the beer ban before his country’s opening night match against Qatar on Sunday.

He was staying with his mother, who lives in Qatar, and said the fridge already is stocked with beer, which foreigners can buy legally in selected depots.

“There’s things about the alcohol and the women with the dress codes,” Zambrano told the Associated Press news agency, referring to the country’s customs. “It’s different. But it’s going to be good.”

Zambrano was one of a growing number of fans sightseeing in the traditional market and along the Corniche, a seaside boulevard with views of Doha’s glittering skyline.




Just down the street, 24-year-old vegetable seller Ajmal Pial from Khulna, Bangladesh, took in the breeze with the city’s skyscrapers stretched out behind him across the waters of the Persian Gulf.

But instead of his nation’s green and red disc flag, Pial waved Brazil’s over his head as his friend took pictures of him. He and his friends support Argentina and Brazil, two of the tournament favourites.

For Pial and others, the World Cup represents a pinnacle of work in Qatar and likely a final hurrah before heading home as jobs potentially slow.

Labour conditions in Qatar, like many of the Gulf Arab states, have been criticised for exploiting the low-paid workers who built the former pearling port into a desert metropolis.

Qatar has overhauled its labour laws, but activists have asked for more to be done. There are no guarantees for freedom of speech in the country, but Pial said he felt genuinely happy at the chance to see the tournament.

His friend, 32-year-old Shobuz Sardar, also from Khulna, Bangladesh, said part of that excitement came from the fact that it is only the second time that an Asian country hosts the World Cup, 20 years after Japan and South Korea co-hosted the tournament.

He also said the tournament provided a rare opportunity to celebrate.

“You also know that there are too many people all here for work, for jobs,” Sardar said. “They don’t have any option for having fun. This World Cup makes them have fun.”



Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×