(Reuters) – Saudi Arabia will uphold its current ban on alcohol during the 2034 World Cup, said Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, the host country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Global soccer governing body FIFA officially announced Saudi as hosts of the 2034 World Cup in December.
The kingdom banned alcohol, which is prohibited for observant Muslims, in 1952.
It was not sold at stadiums in neighbouring Qatar, where drinking in public is illegal, during the 2022 tournament but beer was available at designated fan zones and in some hotels.
“Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol – it’s not 100 per cent necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you’re welcome to, but at the moment we don’t have alcohol,” Khalid bin Bandar told British radio station LBC on Wednesday.
“Rather like our weather, it’s a dry country. 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.”
Last year, Saudi announced the opening of an alcohol shop in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh to combat the black market and illegal imports. The store is only for non-Muslim diplomats, who must present diplomatic identification before they buy.
SPORTSWASHING
The kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years through its Public Investment Fund, which has acquired Premier League club Newcastle United and founded the LIV Golf tour, challenging the US-based PGA Tour’s dominance.
Critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, allege it is using the PIF to sportswash its human rights record.
Asked if gay soccer fans would be able to safely attend the tournament, the ambassador replied: “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.”
In September, Hammad Albalawi, the head of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid unit, also assured that LGBTQ fans would be welcome and their privacy respected, pointing to the millions of fans who had travelled to Saudi for sporting events in recent years.
There are no public advocacy groups for LGBTQ people in Saudi and while state law is uncodified, it is understood by Amnesty that people can be sentenced to death if it is proven they engaged in same-sex sexual acts.
MIGRANT WORKERS
Saudi Arabia’s bid book pledged 15 stadiums, new or refurbished, by 2032, which are understood to be completed with the help of migrant labour.
Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) said in November that hosting the tournament in the Gulf country would lead to “severe and widespread” human rights violations.
“Fans will face discrimination… migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die,” Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport, said.
Saudi Arabia has banned labour unions and enforces the “kafala” system of foreign labourer sponsorship. The country has repeatedly denied accusations of human rights abuses and said it protects its national security through its laws.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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