Saudi Arabia confirms alcohol ban for 2034 World Cup

Football fans attending the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will not be able to purchase alcohol, the country's ambassador to the UK has confirmed. Speaking to radio station LBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud made it clear that there would be "no alcohol at all" during the tournament.

"Rather like our weather, it's a dry country," he explained. "At the moment, we don’t allow alcohol, but plenty of fun can be had without it. It's not 100 per cent necessary. If you want to drink after you leave, you're welcome to, but at the moment, we don't have alcohol."

The statement aims to avoid the uncertainty that surrounded the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where a last-minute decision banned beer sales in stadiums just days before the tournament began.

Despite this, Prince Khalid reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia will not alter its cultural values for the event. "Everyone has their own culture, and we're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture, but we don’t want to change our culture for someone else," he said. "I mean, really, you can't live without a drink?"

He also assured visitors that Saudi Arabia will welcome all fans, describing the tournament as "a world event, not just a Saudi event," while reiterating the country's commitment to hosting it on its own terms.