Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid to host the 2034 World Cup means the kingdom will become the second Middle East nation in quick succession to host football’s biggest tournament, after Qatar did so in 2022.
As was the case ahead of that World Cup two years ago, Saudi Arabia being chosen to stage the biggest tournament in men’s football has raised many questions, chief among them concerning the country’s human-rights record. With the eyes of the footballing world on Saudi Arabia over the next decade, much will be discussed, dissected and scrutinised.
One issue which could cause consternation for some is Saudi Arabia, a Muslim country, having conservative laws on alcohol, the consumption of which is prohibited in Islam. For many visiting supporters, enjoying a beverage or two is synonymous with a tournament of this kind, so what may or may not be allowed when it comes to beer and other types of booze at the 2034 World Cup?
What are Saudi Arabia’s rules on alcohol?
Under current Saudi law, penalties for consumption or possession of alcohol can include fines, imprisonment, public flogging, or deportation for expatriates. According to Reuters, whipping has largely been replaced by jail sentences as part of law reforms.
Why prohibition was introduced in Saudi Arabia is quite the story. Despite being forbidden under Islam, alcohol was allowed in the country until 1952, when King Abdulaziz imposed a total ban after his son, Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, shot dead Cyril Ousman, the British vice-consul in Jeddah, the country’s second city, in 1951 for refusing to pour him another drink at a function.
Earlier this year, it was widely reported that a shop would open in capital Riyadh selling alcohol to a select clientele of diplomatic staff, the first of its kind in more than 70 years, in the government’s bid “to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions”, the Centre of International Communication (CIC) said in a statement to Reuters.
Recent changes marry with the nation’s Vision 2030 programme, which government literature describes as a “transformative economic and social reform blueprint that is opening Saudi Arabia up to the world”. The aim is to help the nation diversify its economy, away from oil and gas.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, told Sky News it would be Islamophobic to require the country to lift some of its restrictions if it hosted a World Cup, saying “the World Cup is for everyone”.
He added: “If you are against that, and you don’t feel like you’re going to enjoy your time coming, and you can’t respect that rule, then don’t come. It’s as simple as that.”
Was alcohol allowed at the Qatar World Cup?
Fans were not allowed to drink beer in the stadiums during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
While FIFA successfully pressured host nation Brazil to change its federal laws to allow alcohol sales in its stadiums before it hosted the 2014 tournament, overturning a ban introduced in 2003 to address violence at its stadiums, the governing body didn’t exert such authority at the Qatar World Cup.
It was initially decided that fans would be able to drink beer “in select areas” at certain times in Qatar’s eight host stadiums but, in a dramatic U-turn just two days before the tournament’s opening game, FIFA announced that alcohol would not be sold in any of the venues.
Due to its maker’s sponsorship deal with FIFA, the only alcoholic drink that would have been sold at Qatar 2022 was Budweiser. The non-alcoholic brand Budweiser Zero was on sale at matches.
The in-stadium ban did not affect those with hospitality tickets but meant most supporters could only consume alcohol in designated fan zones or at specially licensed restaurants, bars, and hotels.
What happens at other sporting events in Saudi Arabia?
Formula 1’s Max Verstappen celebrates after winning this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
Some fans will have already experienced sporting events in Saudi Arabia, as the country has hosted huge spectacles in recent years, including tennis’ WTA Finals, various big-ticket boxing matches and, since 2021, Formula 1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
F1 is another sport synonymous with alcohol, with drivers traditionally popping celebratory Champagne bottles on the podium after races. These days, drivers spray each other with sparkling wine after a race, but at the Saudi GP they use rose water, and do the same for the races in fellow Gulf states Bahrain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
No alcohol is available to F1 fans at the Saudi event, but there are alcohol-free beers.
Earlier this month, Hammad Albalawi, head of the kingdom’s 2034 World Cup bid, told Reuters: “We’ve had over 100 global sporting events that already have taken place in Saudi Arabia. No alcohol was served in those tournaments. We had three million sports fans come in and enjoy those tournaments that have come and come again.”
What else may not be allowed?
The UK government says those visiting Saudi Arabia should avoid “showing affection in public, swearing and rude gestures, playing loud music and making critical political statements or behaving in ways the Saudi authorities assess disrupt the public order”.
In terms of clothing, Saudi has a ‘Public Decorum Charter’, which states all visitors in public places should “dress modestly and must not dress in outfits with photos, figures, signs or phrases violating common decency”.
As was the case ahead of Qatar 2022, concerns have been raised about the country’s human-rights record, in particular concerning women’s rights, migrant rights and the LGBTQI+ community.
LGBTQI+ relationships are illegal in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law and the maximum punishment which can be imposed is the death penalty. There are also laws in place against freedom of expression, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). The Athletic reported on the experiences of Saudi Arabia’s LGBTQI+ community in October 2021.
In its evaluation report, published last month, FIFA declared the risk assessment for human rights in Saudi Arabia to be “medium”, which led Amnesty International to describe its observations as “an astonishing whitewash”. Earlier this year, the human-rights organisation said women were “widely discriminated against” and that there was “no free speech” in the country.
In a 2022 interview with Sky News, Prince Abdulaziz said members of the LGBTQI+ community were welcome to the kingdom: “I’m sure they’ve come to some of our events. We don’t go around asking, ‘Are you gay or straight?’. Everyone’s welcome. There are rules that everyone respects.”
Neither the Saudi Arabian bid’s human-rights strategy nor FIFA’s bid evaluation mentions LGBTQI+ rights specifically. The closest FIFA’s evaluation comes to addressing the issue is stating: “As part of the human-rights strategy, the bidder commits to ensuring a secure and inclusive tournament environment free from discrimination through the implementation of policies, procedures and educational measures to address discrimination in the tournament context”.
(Top photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
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