The country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom said that Saudi Arabia will not allow alcohol at the 2034 World Cup.
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No alcohol at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia
Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud said that hotels, restaurants, and stadiums will not allow alcoholic drinks.
FIFA oficially confirmed that Saudi Arabia will serve as host for the 2034 men’s football World Cup.
“At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol,” the ambassador told LBC.
“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.
Alcohol availability was a key talking point ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a country where laws and customs are influenced by Muslim values.
However, Qatar reversed the decision to permit alcohol sales in stadiums following last-minute negotiations, two days before the tournament’s opening game,
“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.”
“I mean, really? You can’t live without a drink?” the ambassador joked.
Everyone is welcome
Human rights groups have raised concerns over the prospect of a World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Before the Middle Eastern country was awarded hosting rights, Amnesty warned that “migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die.”
Additionally, there are also concerns about whether the country will discriminate against LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Saudi Arabia can sentence people to death if they prove involvement in same-sex sexual acts.
However, the ambassador assured that even gay fans are welcome in their country.
“We will welcome everyone in Saudi,” he said.
“It is not a Saudi event, it is a world event. And to a large extent, we will welcome everyone who wants to come.”
