Saudi Arabia: Alcohol will probably remain banned at the World Cup

The awarding of the 2034 Football World Cup to Saudi Arabia caused a lot of excitement. After the official decision during a Fifa online congress, it is becoming clear what a World Cup in the Arab country could look like.

According to a report in the British daily newspaper “The Guardian”, no alcohol will be served in the stadiums. The fans would have to forego their (alcoholic) beer at the game – as they did at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. FIFA has not yet commented publicly on the topic. But high-ranking sources within the world association are said to have assured the Guardian that serving alcohol in the stadiums is not up for debate. And the attitude in the host country is also clear.

Saudi Arabia has had a restrictive alcohol policy for decades and has not relaxed it in recent years. Alcohol has been banned in the Islamic monarchy since 1952. Ibn Saud, founder of the state and first king of modern Saudi Arabia, issued the relevant law at the time, which is still valid today. Only since January has there been a single shop in the capital Riyadh that is allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats under strict rules.

According to the source quoted by the Guardian, FIFA does not want to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to relax the regulations. We learned from the lengthy discussions before the World Cup in Qatar: At that time, FIFA tried to enforce the serving of alcohol in the stadiums before the government blocked it a few days before the opening game. This time there should be clarity early on.

“We have hosted more than a hundred sporting events with three million fans without alcohol,” Hammad Albalawi from the Saudi Ministry of Sports told British broadcaster Sky in September. “They enjoyed their time here and discovered what Saudi Arabia has to offer.” However, it cannot be ruled out that in the ten years until the start of the World Cup, Saudi Arabia may also take a more liberal path. It is also still unclear how the issue of alcohol should be handled during the World Cup, for example on fan miles.

It is also unclear when the game will take place in 2034. Because of the great heat in the summer months, the World Cup could take place again in the winter months in 2022, as in neighboring Qatar.

Human rights organizations had sharply criticized the awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. “Fifa’s reckless decision, without ensuring human rights protections, will put many lives at risk,” said Steve Cockburn, sports and human rights expert at Amnesty International.

There was no opposing candidate to the Arab country. When assessing the application, FIFA certified Saudi Arabia as having a “medium risk” in human rights issues. The Saudi organizing committee promises far-reaching reforms leading up to the World Cup.

Sources: , DPA