World Cup host Qatar slaps ‘sin’ tax on booze

Qatar – which is set to host the 2022 World Cup – has slapped a ‘sin’ tax on booze, with prices doubling overnight.

A 24-bottle crate of beer is now set to cost a whopping £82 (384 riyals) in the Gulf state following the introduction of a 100% booze tax. A litre of Bombay Sapphire gin setting you back around £73.25 (304 riyals), while the price of a bottle of wine has also risen, with a South African Shiraz costing around £18.50 (86 riyals).

The levy was unveiled by the country’s only alcohol retailer, the Qatar Distribution Company (QDC) who published a 30-page list of amended booze prices on 31st December – the day before the levy came into effect. It cited a 100% excise duty raise, and followed the announcement in the country’s annual budge of a levy on ‘health-damaging goods’,  which includes energy drinks, a few weeks ago.

The news seems to have prompted consumers to stockpile booze, with video footage emerging of huge queues outside the QDC shop in Doha on New Year’s Eve, and sparking many incredulous comments on social media.

Although the purchase of booze in the Gulf state is legal with a permit, drinking in public is banned, with drinking alcohol only permitted in licensed bars, clubs and hotels.

The World Cup organisers have confirmed that alcohol will only be available to buy during the tournament in designated drinking areas.