Trip to Qatar: what you should know as a World Cup tourist

Qatar has been heavily criticized for its poor human rights situation. Around two million migrant workers live there, most of whom come from poor countries such as India, Bangladesh or Nepal and make up around 95 percent of the working population. Their working and living conditions are often catastrophic. Many are paid less than agreed, have to work longer and harder, are poorly housed, and some have their passports confiscated.

According to research by the London daily newspaper, the construction of the stadiums for the soccer World Cup, which will take place from November 20 to December 18, 2022 alone The Guardians between 2011 and 2020 more than 6500 workers lost their lives in Qatar. Nevertheless: The World Cup is taking place and football fans will travel to the emirate. Once the decision to travel to Qatar has been made, very practical questions arise – just like with any other trip. Since Qatar is an Islamic country, there are a few additional rules that must be observed.

Entry: What are the Corona rules in Qatar?

Anyone who wants to enter the country and is at least six years old must present a PCR test that is not older than 48 hours or a rapid antigen test that is not older than 24 hours. Self-conducted tests are not recognized. Proof of vaccination is not necessary. At least three days before entering the country, you have to fill out an entry form, which you can upload online or present in the original upon entry. Anyone entering the country must download the Qatari corona tracking app “Ehteraz” onto their cell phone. The app is checked when you enter museums, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and the like. There is no obligation to wear mouth and nose protection there. Only those who visit public transport or health facilities must wear mouth and nose protection.

In Qatar: What’s the best way to get from A to B?

Especially by car. You can get anywhere with a taxi or limousine service. If you want to drive yourself, you can rent a car. But you have to pay attention to something here. In Qatar, for example, you can only drive for the first seven days after entry with a German driver’s license. If you want to do this for longer, you have to apply for a provisional driver’s license, which is then valid for three months. If there is an accident, you must call the police in any case and you must not leave the accident car. The Federal Foreign Office advises careful driving and points out that road traffic in good road conditions is characterized by high speeds, often risky driving behavior and many accidents.

If you want to avoid stress with the rental car: there has been a metro since 2019, which connects the airport to the city center, for example. There are also buses. According to the Foreign Office, you should avoid the regular bus lines because they are unreliable.

Going out: Can I drink alcohol?

One of the most important questions of all for many football fans. Consumption of alcohol and drunkenness in public are prohibited. Both are difficult anyway, since alcohol is neither allowed to be imported nor bought in shops. Those wishing to drink alcohol can do so in hotels that have an alcohol licence. In any case, you have to be older than 21 years – and have enough money. A beer can cost the equivalent of ten to 15 euros there.

There will be exceptions for the World Cup this year. Alcohol will be served on the stadium grounds before and after the game. In the stadium, on the other hand, there should only be non-alcoholic beer. Only those who pay a lot of money and book a seat in a box should get alcohol there during the game. There will also be a fan zone for the world football association FIFA, where beer can be drunk from 6.30 p.m.

Shopping: when and where?

When it’s hot outside, the shopping malls are the ideal escape. They are air-conditioned and usually open from 9am to 9pm. Important to know: In Qatar, Friday is Sunday – and Sunday is a normal working day. In other words, all shops are closed on Friday mornings. However, most of them reopen after Friday prayers, including the restaurants. Only authorities remain closed.

Dress code: What do I have to consider when choosing my clothes?

Some travel guides state that “conservative clothing” is desirable. There are probably many different ideas of what conservative dress is. Basically, the knees should be covered. Short skirts or shorts are therefore not desired. The same applies to transparent clothing. In addition, the shoulders should be covered. If you want to bathe on a public beach, you should definitely look at the respective dress code for bathing there. Topless and nude bathing is generally not permitted. At the hotel pool it is usually not a problem if women wear bikinis.

Communication: Which gestures should I avoid?

Pointing a finger at someone is not considered polite in many countries, in Qatar it is considered very rude and should definitely be avoided. The same applies to waving at someone with your index finger. If you wave a waiter over with it, you will most likely not be served well. So let it go. And if everything goes great on vacation and you want to show this by giving a thumbs-up, you could find that things go worse from there. Because this gesture, which has positive connotations in Western countries, is considered offensive in Qatar.

Contact: Greetings and kisses allowed?

Let’s start with the greeting. Women might see a man turn down their offer to shake hands. This is not meant personally. Religion forbids Muslims from shaking hands with women. It can also happen that men do this to each other or women to each other – then simply because they are not Muslims. You shouldn’t judge that as disrespectful, but take this hurdle calmly. It would be a pity if we had to forego interesting discussions and encounters because of this.

Avoid kissing and hugging in public. This is illegal and may result in penalties if caught doing so. Non-marital sex is also forbidden and can be severely punished. There is talk of a prison sentence of up to seven years. A one-night stand at the soccer World Cup in Qatar can result in a prison sentence that lasts considerably longer than one night.

Homosexual acts are banned in Qatar and can also be punished with up to seven years in prison. However, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, had declared that all people were welcome at the World Cup, including homosexuals.