Doha, Qatar, is in a desert, but there’s water everywhere. It is also a conservative Muslim country, but there’s alcohol too. It’s just not everywhere.

Questions about water and access to one’s favourite tipple in this tiny peninsula county abound.

And, with the FIFA 2022 World Cup around the corner, the thirst for such information is flowing freely.

The short answer to the “dry” question is that the implementation of massive desalination plants means that water is now available in plentiful supply. And, the relaxing of stringent rules around alcohol also means you can get everything from beer to bourbon.

So, if we’re honest, Doha isn’t really a “dry” country.

It’s the where, how and the cost, however, that you need to navigate in acquiring your favourite frosty.

With regards to drinking water, that’s easy. You simply turn on the tap.

(The irony of living in a desert where water is plentiful, is not lost on me. My hometown of Gqeberha in South Africa is in the midst of a long drought where the likelihood of Day Zero and dry taps is a scary reality).  

In light of the abundance of water here, the focus of this post will be on “liquid courage”.

Drink disclaimer

But first, a disclaimer. I am no authority on all-things-alcohol-related in Qatar. Yes, I love the odd glass of chilled Chardonnay or a crispy, refreshing cider, and that’s about it.

Given the number of questions I have received about this highly sensitive, hot topic, however, I am willing to try to help you understand the where, the how and the cost of alcohol consumption in Qatar.

Additionally, I hope it will help you appreciate the conundrum that Qatar is juggling. They are endeavouring to be hospitable in welcoming other cultures, without undermining its own faith-based rules around alcohol.  

The where …

Unlike South Africa, alcohol is not freely available. You can’t just pop to Preston’s, local mall or supermarket, or order online, walk back from your neighbour’s carrying your grog or sneak a bottle or three into the country in your suitcase. Try the latter and you’re likely to be sent packing back to where you came from.   

In short, alcohol is not allowed in public.   

But you can find alcoholic beverages at:

• International hotels
• Stadium zones for imbibing before and after matches
• Alternative licenced venues

And, then there is the:

• QDC (This is where the “how” comes into play for residents. This is the story of what it takes to support an occasional craving for a glass of chilled Chardonnay in the comfort of your own home. See below.)

International hotels

My limited first-hand experience of the many, many international hotels in Doha is that once inside them, you could be anywhere in the world.

These five-star hotels are plush and flush with ex-pats chatting, laughing, relaxing and drinking as they would do in any upmarket bar in Johannesburg or downtown joint in New York. Many of these “watering holes” are sports bars with big screens and extensive menus. They often have live entertainment, happy-hour specials and even pub quizzes.

There are also some restaurants and night clubs where alcohol is available.

Stadium zones

News on the street, after months of waiting, is that football fans won’t be drinking beer inside the eight stadiums for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Instead, specially designated zones outside of the stadium will give fans the opportunity to drink before and after the game. These zones are expected to open when gates to the stadiums are opened and close 30 minutes before each game starts.

Likewise, they are expected reopen for about an hour after the game.

According to newspaper reports, however, alcohol-free drinks or rather Budweiser zero-alcohol beer only will be sold within the stadiums during the games.

Alternative spots

Hearsay has it, that Doha is awash with hotel hangouts where alcohol is also readily available at a much cheaper price than at the swish, international hotels. These places are apparently legit, run by foreign residents from various countries around the world, and are very popular.

While smoking in indoor public places is supposed to be illegal, many such places still permit smoking as it’s very much part of the local culture.

QDC (Qatar Development Corporation)

The QDC is your Qatar bottle store or off-sales. Well, not really, but it is the closest you will get to it.

The QDC is the only place in Qatar where you can legally buy alcohol (outside of the pubs) for personal consumption. They are the sole importers, distributors and retailers of alcohol (and pork – that’s a post for another day) in Qatar.   

Now here comes the “how”? How do you purchase your favourite bottle of Babylonstoren Chardonnay 2021?

The answer: with great difficulty, and maybe not ever.

To purchase alcohol as a permanent resident you need to apply for a licence from the QDC. To do that need to provide proof of residence, confirmation from your sponsor and proof of address. Then it’s four months’ worth of bank statements.

You could get thirsty waiting, but that’s how it goes.

If, and when, you’re given the all-clear and have paid your annual fee (about R1500) for the privilege of purchasing your weekend hooch, then you book.

Yep, you book an appointment to go to the QDC. There’s no rocking up on a whim because you fancy a good red or have South African visitors passing through. You have to book and it’s just a 15-minute slot. It’s an officious country this.

With wish-list in hand, you fly through a small room groaning with booze, but not your favourite Chardonnay. Nor, indeed, even some of “more economical” bottles of South African wine in sight. It’s the luck of the draw.

I regale like a regular, but if truth be told, the closest I have got to Preston’s-in-the-desert is the car park. Only the licence holder can go beyond the darkened windows and high walls to enter the hallowed hall of the QDC. I could only watch the world pass by with their trolley loads of liquid loot from my air-conditioned viewing spot.

The cost of drinking

If the difficulty of acquiring a drink hasn’t frightened you off, the cost will so do. If the cheapest bottle of plonk wine comes in at R200-plus, you can forget about your Babylonstoren, or any other preferably beverages. A case of beers costs about a grand, dependent on the brand. It’s ridiculously expensive in South African terms, and pricey still for those who are earning in Qatar Rials (QAR1: R4.60) because of the 100% sin tax.

Of course, all these prices are further escalated in the pubs and bars.

I almost gagged on my QAR40 glass of wine (that’s more than R180), especially given the tight-fisted filling of my glass. Even with my glass-half-full outlook on life, I struggle to accept paying for a glass that is only quarter filled. It’s more like a wine-tasting portion. But enough, you get my drift. Drinking is expensive. (And, in case you have not been told, too much of it is bad for your health!)

To ensure folk do not always feel that are being short-changed, the world invented “happy hour”.

Happy hour

Happy hour is hugely popular in Qatar. Work colleagues, families, friends, sports players and like pack the pubs referred to above to make the most of reduced prices. Usually, it’s a 30% reduction on usual bar prices. Happy hour times vary from places to place and are generally longer than an hour.

And then there are the boozy brunches, and the ladies’ lunches …

So there you have it, a sip into the drinking know-how from Doha. It’s certainly not a truly dry country, but one trying to compromise so that all cultures are recognised.

I say cheers to that!