Organizers of the FIFA World Cup have agreed to a policy with local officials in Qatar to serve beer at stadiums and fan zones despite laws restricting the sale of alcohol in the majority-Muslim nation. According to the Associated Press, fans will be allowed to purchase beer within the stadium compound before and after games, as well as during the official FIFA Fan Festival at night.
Budweiser, the exclusive beer brand of the World Cup, will be sold to fans within the stadium perimeter prior to kickoff of games, after the final whistle, and during the Fan Festival from 6:30 at night onwards. Inside the stadium bowl and during the games themselves, ticket holders will only have access to Budweiser Zero, the brand’s non-alcoholic variation.
The beer policy comes as Qatar has had to relax its heavy regulation of alcohol sales, which are based on traditional Islamic law, for the World Cup. In Qatar, consumption of alcohol is only lawful in hotel restaurants and at bars with licenses to serve.
Qatar had previously loosened its alcohol policies for other soccer tournaments, including the 2019 Club World Cup that had featured teams from Europe as well as both North and South America.
The adoption of the Qatar World Cup’s beer policy comes 11 weeks before the tournament begins and Qatar becomes the first nation in the Middle East to host a World Cup. Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup in 2011.
The 2022 World Cup runs from Nov. 18 to Dec. 20. For a complete look at the World Cup draw click here.
