There will be no alcohol available at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, according to the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
In an interview on LBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud confirmed that alcohol would not be sold anywhere during the tournament, including in hotels.
“At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol,” Prince Khalid told LBC. “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, but we don’t have alcohol.”
When asked if fans would be able to drink at hotels after the games, as they did during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he clarified: “No, there is no alcohol at all. Just like our weather, it’s a dry country.”
He further explained, “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.”
The topic of alcohol sales at the World Cup came up ahead of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, another Muslim country with strict alcohol regulations. While the decision to sell alcohol at stadiums was reversed two days before the competition, fans were still able to purchase alcohol in designated fan zones and hotel bars.
Prince Khalid also addressed the issue of same-sex relations and transgender recognition in Saudi Arabia, stating, “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.”
