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Doha – Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has confirmed that no alcohol will be permitted during the 2034 FIFA World Cup, maintaining the kingdom’s longstanding prohibition policy that dates back to 1952.
In an interview with LBC radio on Wednesday, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud explicitly stated that alcohol would not be available anywhere during the tournament, including hotels, marking a stricter approach than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol,” Prince Khalid said. “Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol – it’s not 100% necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you’re welcome to.”
When specifically asked about hotel bars, he emphasized: “There’s no alcohol at all. Rather like our weather, it’s a dry country.”
The ambassador defended this position by citing cultural considerations: “Everyone has their own culture. We’re happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don’t want to change our culture for someone else.”
This stance differs from Qatar’s 2022 World Cup approach, where alcohol was available in designated fan zones and hotel bars, despite being banned in stadiums two days before the tournament began.
Addressing concerns about LGBTQ+ visitors, Prince Khalid stated: “We will welcome everyone in Saudi. It is not a Saudi event, it is a world event and, to a large extent, we will welcome everyone who wants to come.”
Read also: Morocco & World Cup 2030: If You Build It, They Will Come
This echoes similar assurances made by Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid unit, who in September said LGBTQ fans would be welcome and their privacy respected.
The announcement comes amid what many observers describe as a persistent pattern of Western-centric criticism toward Arab nations hosting major sporting events.
This criticism has been evident in reactions to Qatar’s 2022 World Cup preparations and Morocco’s joint bid with Spain and Portugal for 2030, leading many to question the underlying biases in such responses.
Following this familiar pattern, Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance lashed out against the decision, denouncing that hosting the tournament could lead to “severe and widespread” human rights violations.
“Fans will face discrimination… migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die,” thundered Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport, in a scathing condemnation of the tournament plans.
The tournament’s infrastructure plans include 15 stadiums, either new or refurbished, to be completed by 2032. FIFA officially confirmed Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host in December 2024.
The kingdom has recently increased its involvement in global sports through its Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle United and established the LIV Golf tour, while critics continue their Euro-American gaze by characterizing these investments as attempts at “sportswashing.”
