Fans attending the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later on this year will have to brace themselves for a sober ninety minutes after the Gulf Arab state announced that there will be no alcohol sold inside the stadium.

Just like many Arab states, the country has a law against drinking in public and the latest development will be a huge blow to over 1.2 million fans who will be attending the World Cup games. 

Unlike Saudi Arabia that does not allow alcoholism in public at all, fans will however be allowed to buy their favorite beers during restricted times and at certain venues in Doha. 

Alcohol will also be available at the Doha Golf Club but this is quite a distance from the match venues and fan zones.

Fans flying into Qatar are prohibited from buying airport duty-free alcohol and bringing it through customs.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the first to be held in a Muslim country and as expected, strict control on alcohol are expected.

“At stadiums, the plans are still being finalised, but the current discussion is to allow fans to have beer upon arrival and when leaving stadium, but beer won’t be served during the match or inside the stadium bowl,” the source told Reuters.

“Unlike previous World Cup fan zones, beer won’t be served all day long, but at restricted times,” the source added.

A spokesperson for the organisers, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told Reuters that together with FIFA they will announce plans on the availability of alcohol at the 28-day tournament “in due course”.

“Alcohol is already available in designated areas in Qatar, such as hotels and bars, and this will not change in 2022. With the aim of catering to visiting fans in 2022, alcohol will be available in additional designated areas during the tournament,” the spokesperson said.

Alcohol can be bought by visitors to Qatar at a handful of licensed hotels and clubs, where a pint of beer can cost Ksh 2,128. 

The price of beer inside the fan zones and close to the stadium has not yet been agreed yet.