Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DRINK.. FROM 6.30PM
Qatar laws mean late rule to buy beer.. for £12 a Bud
PARCHED football fans at the World Cup will have to wait until 6.30pm until they can buy a beer, then pay around £12 for less than a pint of Budweiser.
Organisers unveiled their 300,000 sq ft fanzone in Qatar’s capital Doha yesterday, offering mini-football games, cafes, bars and a museum housing the World Cup trophy.
But the first of 3,000 England fans due to arrive this weekend will not be able to buy a pre-match alcoholic drink before Monday’s opener against Iran, as it kicks off at 4pm local time.
From 6.30pm they will be able to order Budweiser, the only beer sold at the tournament, in half-litre cups.
These are equal to 0.88 of a pint and cost 50 Riyal (around £12), with a maximum of four beers per customer.
Alcohol-free beer will be available all day at £6.71, with a bottle of water costing £2.30 and pizza slice at £8.
Located close to the city’s Corniche walkway, fans can watch matches on big screens and there will be evening concerts between games.
Gerdine Lindhout, FIFA head of fans’ experience, said all supporters, including those who are LGBT+, are welcome, despite homosexuality being illegal in
Qatar. She said:
“They can share the experience and enjoy it with their partners. You cannot get into trouble for that.”
Promising a “life-changing” experience, she added: “Our statute states it is for every person, every religion.”
She urged fans to drink in “moderation” in the Muslim country, amid 31C heat. Organisers say local laws and heat were factors in restricting booze to evenings. Alcohol is usually just served in hotels or bars, or to locals under licence. It is illegal to drink or be drunk in public. Some 1.2 million fans are expected at Qatar 2022, which starts Sunday. England players held a sweltering first training session yesterday.
Boss Gareth Southgate promised: “They can do the country proud.”
FOOTBALL supporters at the fans’ village in Qatar will be paying £12 for a beer.
Let’s hope our teams do well, as none of them can afford to drown their sorrows.