Saudi Arabia to ban all alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Field Level Media|published: Thu 13th February, 14:12 2025

Nov 22, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Fans arrive for a group stage match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia during the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

The 2034 FIFA World Cup promises to be a sobering experience for soccer fans after Saudi Arabia announced there will be no alcohol available.

And not just at the stadiums, but also at the hotels and elsewhere throughout the nation, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom confirmed Wednesday.

Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud said supporters traveling to the tournament will have to respect the customs of the host nation, where alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden.

"Everyone has their own culture," he told the UK news site LBC. "We're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don't want to change our culture for someone else."

The ambassador quipped that much like Saudi Arabia's dry weather, "It's a dry country."

"Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol -- it's not 100 percent necessary and if you want to drink. After you leave you're welcome to, but at the moment we don't have alcohol," he added.

Alcohol availability was a talking point ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where fans were only allowed to buy booze in hotels and designated fan parks but not inside the stadiums.

--Field Level Media

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