Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

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
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
×