Featured Image Credit: Getty/Michael Regan - FIFA
Topics: World Cup, Saudi Arabia, Football, Alcohol
Jess Battison
Topics: World Cup, Saudi Arabia, Football, Alcohol
Football fans will be completely banned from drinking alcohol at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The hosts won't be making any exceptions for the tournament with the Kingdom having a strict ban on booze for over 70 years.
FIFA confirmed in December that Saudi Arabia would be hosting the men's World Cup in 2034.
And Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, ambassador to the UK, has now confirmed to LBC that alcoholic beverages will not be sold anywhere as football fans flock for the matches - including hotels, restaurants and stadiums.
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"At the moment, we don't allow alcohol," Prince Khalid said.
"Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol - it is not 100 percent necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you're welcome to, but at the moment we don't have alcohol."
When asked if this meant fans would instead be able to have a drink once they got back to their hotels (like during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar) the ambassador clarified: "No, there is no alcohol at all.
"Rather like our weather, it's a dry country.
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"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.
"And I mean, really, you can’t live without a drink?’"
Football fans caught breaking these laws on alcohol could potentially face prison sentences, fines, public flogging and deportation.
There had been a bit of an expectation, or shall we say, a hope, from those planning to head over for the World Cup thanks to what happened at the most recent one.
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Another Muslim country, Qatar had allowed supporters to buy alcohol from designated fan zones and hotel bars during the tournament.
However, it did reverse its initial decision to sell booze in stadiums just two days before the competition began.
But hey, there's still another nine years to go until this World Cup even takes place, at this rate you never know what plans could change.
With this strict ban on alcohol, same-sex relations are also illegal in Saudi Arabia and being transgender is not recognised. Prince Khalid, however, insisted: "We will welcome everyone in Saudi.
"It is not a Saudi event, it is a world event and, to a large extent, we will welcome everyone who wants to come."