Although the event has not started yet, the event held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18 has received a lot of criticism, dissatisfaction, even boycott from many individuals, organizations or territories around the world.
Among the negative views that the host country of this year’s World Cup has to face, the strict rules and regulations in Qatar is one of the most mentioned issues. Alcoholic beverages (wine, beer), gambling, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage… are prohibited in Qatar.
But to serve the needs of football fans around the world flocking to this country for more than 1 month, the Qatari government has accepted a compromise with FIFA in relaxing many rules here.
The first is about the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Qatar side allows the sale of beer and alcohol at the World Cup fan areas but limited to the time frame from 18:30 to 1 o’clock the next day. Besides, the government of this Arab country will apply a very high tax on the above item. According to The Washington Post, a bottle of beer with a capacity of 500 ml will cost up to 20 euros (more than 500,000 VND).
Besides alcoholic beverages, the dress code is also considered to be slightly reduced for international visitors to Qatar on this occasion. Specifically, the host country of the World Cup 2022 will remove many restrictions for fans when coming to the field. However, overly intimate actions or gestures in public are still not allowed. In addition, sex toys and pornographic products will be strictly prohibited.
Regarding homosexuality, Major General Abdulaziz Al Ansari – one of the senior officials in the Qatar government – said: “All fans of the LGBT community are welcome. However, they must strictly adhere to it in accordance with the laws of our country. In addition, I also recommend that gay symbols should not be displayed ostentatiously on stadiums.”
Meanwhile, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO, Nasser Al Khater, spoke to appease fans around the world and confirmed the Arab nation would show the best possible attitude. “As long as people respect the culture and traditional values here and behave in a proper manner, there is nothing to worry about. All visitors to the World Cup will be welcomed and respected.”
Source: CafeBiz
Source: Vietnam Insider