Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has confirmed that alcohol will not be allowed at the 2034 FIFA World Cup. In an interview with LBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud stated that alcohol would not be sold anywhere during the tournament, including hotels.
“At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol,” Prince Khalid said. “Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol—it’s not 100% necessary. If you want to drink after you leave, you’re welcome to, but at the moment we don’t have alcohol.”
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Asked whether fans would be able to drink in hotels, as was the case at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he replied: “No, there is no alcohol at all. Rather like our weather, it’s a dry country.” He added, “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 ban follows similar restrictions at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the sale of alcohol in stadiums was reversed two days before the tournament began.
However, fans were still able to buy alcohol in designated fan zones and hotel bars. Saudi Arabia has faced criticism over its human rights record, with campaigners accusing the country of “sportswashing” through major sporting investments.
Amnesty International has warned that hosting the tournament could lead to widespread rights violations. Same-sex relations are illegal in Saudi Arabia and being transgender is not recognised. However, Prince Khalid said: “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.”
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