As kickoff for the 2022 World Cup draws near, fans planning to head to Qatar to take in the spectacle up close should prepare for a slightly different match day experience: one that is alcohol-free.
World Cup stadiums will not be serving alcohol at this year’s event, according to a report from Andrew Mills of Reuters. Beer sales will be allowed outside the arenas before and after some matches, though specifics are not yet known.
Alcohol consumption is not a crime in Qatar, though it is illegal to drink or be drunk in public. That presents a difficult task when hosting an event expected to draw more than a million spectators from all around the globe.
There will be designated areas around the main FIFA fan zone in the Al Bidda park in Doha, the Qatari capital, where fans will be permitted to buy beer at certain times. Other areas of the Doha Golf Club and a “sandy plot” near the delivery entrance of an unspecified hotel will be transformed into venues allowing alcohol consumption.
Visitors are not allowed to bring alcohol into the country, nor are they permitted to shop at the nation’s lone liquor store located on the outskirts of Doha. They are allowed to purchase alcohol at a handful of licensed hotels and clubs.
The 2022 World Cup is set to begin Nov. 21.
