In a dusty suburb on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital is the “liquor store,” where guards are standing duty at a gated complex ringed with razor wire, and they check passports and permits very thoroughly before letting anybody inside. This, however, is not a high-security zone related to the ongoing World Cup.
In this conservative Muslim country on the Arabian Peninsula, which follows the same rigorous Wahhabi interpretation of Islam as its neighbor Saudi Arabia, tight limitations on the use of alcoholic beverages are a way of life. Fans of soccer who traveled to Qatar to see the World Cup got a taste of that shortly before the competition began when officials stopped beer sales inside the stadiums.
Despite limitations on the alcohol, corks are still being popped in premium boxes during sporting events. Fans are filling their pints from beer towers at hundreds of hotel bars, lounges, and nightclubs with liquor licenses. There has been no letup in the pace of sales of $14 Budweisers at the FIFA Fan Zone in Doha.
“Not to say that you need alcohol to fuel your life, but it’s a good time,” said Ed Ball, an American who created an online map for imbibers in Doha to find bars. “The idea being passed around that you can’t drink in Qatar is wrong. There are places.”
In addition to the pubs, there is also a “liquor store,” at which non-Muslim locals and tourists may make purchases of alcoholic beverages after submitting an application for a license given by the government. Located in Doha’s Abu Hamour district, near an Indian school, it is managed by the Qatar Distribution Co., which is a state-owned organization operating under the auspices of Qatar Airways. This company has the sole rights to sell alcohol and pork across the nation.
The store, which is now the only one selling booze in Qatar, runs on an appointment system. This is a throwback to the stringent coronavirus laws that dominated this nation until shortly before the World Cup.
During a recent visit, security made two separate checks for the identity and appointments of a reporter with the Associated Press. The towering walls surrounding the property are topped with razor wire to prevent anybody from seeing inside.
There are signs that warn anybody who is abusive toward the security personnel that their drinking license might be withdrawn. The parking area is littered with empty beer kegs that have a silvery hue to them.
Customers eventually make their way to the door of the store, which is located at the end of a pathway that smells like chlorine. The shelves and stands inside are loaded with bottles of wine ranging in price from $12.50 up to $45, with the majority of the selection falling somewhere in that price range.
The cost of one liter of Jack Daniels whiskey is $70, yet one liter of Absolut vodka is just $42. Nearly $52 is required to purchase a regular 24-pack of Budweiser cans.
There is a part of the shop that is dedicated to pig-related products, such as frozen pork pepperoni pizzas, slabs of bacon, cans of pork and beans, and Spam.
Customers were seen filling their shopping trolleys or carrying bottles and cans in their hands while they compared the items they had purchased to their shopping lists or texted members of their families to verify the requirements. A few of them were even wearing their FIFA tournament passes around their necks.
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A British lady of 31 years of age who lives in Qatar and works as a teacher there was seen filling the trunk of her vehicle as she stood outside the store. She refused to share her name because of the stigmas that may be attached to drinking in Qatari culture, but she disregarded the criticism that has been leveled against drinking and the tournament.
“It’s really not that big of a deal,” she said of the licensing system in Qatar. “It’s like going to the supermarket for alcohol.”
She added that she thought the restrictions on sales for the matches also made sense. “I’m British. I know what it’s like to be around drunk people all the time.”
Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the sheikhdom of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates are the countries in the Persian Gulf that do not permit the use of alcoholic beverages. In Islam, using alcohol is regarded as haram, which literally translates to “forbidden.” Wine is said to be “the work of Satan,” according to a verse in the Quran, which imams cite.
However, alcohol, which is an Arabic term, has a long history in the area. Abu Nawas, a poet from the eighth century, was famous for his “khamriyyat,” or “wine poems.”
Both alcohol and pork are subject to a 100% import tariff. Qatar claims that tax income would be used to enhance health care, infrastructure, education, and other public services.
Alcohol is not permitted to be brought into the nation by visitors. Many hotels are dry and do not allow guests to bring alcohol inside their rooms.
“For me, drinking is just like eating. It just goes along with the culture,” Ball told the AP after returning home to Seattle, where he works for Boeing Co. “I know it’s not part of Qatar … but it’s also part of the World Cup. One of the biggest sponsors is Budweiser so it just goes to show you it kind of goes hand in hand.”
Over 875,000 people have browsed Ball’s online bar map in Qatar. A video on Twitter shows him downing two pints of beer in 10 seconds.
Bars in Qatar check visitors’ IDs, and many are working on a voucher system to ensure supporters spend at least a specific amount during the event.
On Saturday night, while downing drinks and posing for photos with servers at Doha’s Irish Harp, a group of Russians yelled expletives at the US team during their play against the Netherlands.
Dermot O’Callaghan, a 66-year-old soccer enthusiast from Dublin, Ireland, rocked along to the Cuban band Chicas Melao while drinking a much calmer pint at the bar.
“It’s very enjoyable, you can get a drink here if you want in the evenings,” O’Callaghan said. “You do have a cohort of fans roaming around, looking for a drink.”
