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Rabat – Qatar will not allow the selling of alcohol at stadiums during the World Cup, which will open on November 20.
FIFA confirmed the news on Friday, two days prior to the opening of the World Cup, saying that the decision came following discussions between the host country and FIFA.
“A decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations, and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” the statement said.
The statement stressed that the decision will not affect the “Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.”
The Qatari government has faced several campaigns criticizing its restrictions in line with the country’s religion and policies.
One of the controversies that targeted the Gulf country concerned a cartoon by French newspaper Le Canard Enchaine.
The cartoon, directed at Qatar as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, featured depictions of long-bearded men wearing Qatar’s football jersey.
Some of the drawings also depicted the characters carrying weapons and guns.
Responding to similar controversies and campaigns against the Gulf country, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani denounced the “unprecedented” criticism against Qatar.
“Since we won the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced,” he said in October.
Qatar won the hosting rights of the 2022 World Cup in 2010.
