Every four years the World Cup is hosted in a country different from its previous host country. Each country is so vastly different from one another, so it is important to adapt to the cultural norms of the host country that is welcoming fans from around the world. This is especially important this year with Qatar being the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup. With such big differences in cultural expectations, it is important to understand and respect the culture of Qatar before visiting there for the World Cup.
Qatar’s presence and deep history in the Middle East are rooted in Islam and with that comes norms and expectations that need to be understood and followed. Firstly, homosexuality is prohibited by law. As someone from the United States, this obviously seems wrong and is a reason that some people are boycotting the World Cup, but this is something that needs to be understood so getting in legal trouble can be avoided. Speaking of legal trouble, there are many other laws and regulations that should be understood before arriving in Qatar. One is that you can be arrested and imprisoned for criticizing the Emir (monarch) of Qatar. So, no matter how much you don’t support his rulings, avoid speaking about politics, especially any criticisms of him. Additionally, to the disappointment of many fans, alcohol is not tolerated in public. It is only served in licensed hotels and bars and will likely be very expensive as it is against the Islamic religion. Pork is also something that won’t be available in Qatar due to its consumption conflicting with the Islamic faith (Cultural Behavior Guide 2022).
Although you won’t be arrested for it, cultural norms are also something that needs to be followed while in Qatar. No matter how tempting it may be to wear clothing that exposes large portions of skin in the heat, it is important to dress to fit the customs of Qatar. You do not need to wear typical Qatari clothing, but the dress code is conservative. This means that both shoulders and knees should be covered by clothing for both genders. Additionally, like Western culture, manners should always be followed.
Like a fingerprint, Qatar is unique and needs to be understood and respected
So, with such a drastic shift in cultural norms, what should you do? It is important to drink a lot of water and to wear thin clothes. Although the clothes must cover your skin, they will help keep the sun off of you and if you chose thin clothes, they would keep you cool. As for alcohol, stick to drinking in designated places and do not become intoxicated. Overall, it is better to avoid drinking alcohol when possible. Furthermore, it is important to be polite to all Qataris and traveling fans. Do not stare, be polite, and avoid taking pictures of anyone without their permission. The Qatar World Cup will be a great experience with new cultures to learn from and some great games to watch. So as long as you learn about the culture in Qatar and have respect for everyone involved, the World Cup will be a great experience!
Works Cited
“Cultural Behavior Guide.” Qatar World Cup 2022, 23 June 2022, www.qatarwc2022.com/cultural-behavior-guide/.
3 thoughts on “Culture and Qatar”
This post was really interesting to me, I do not really know that much about soccer unfortunately, but I had no idea that Qatar is going to be the first middle eastern country to host the cup, and I really had no idea that this was such a controversial issue! It was really interesting to read about how different the culture and government in Qatar is compared to here, and other countries that have hosted in the past!
mmg6448
Great content, writing, and media! Keep up the good work. – VP
Victoria Purchase
Highly informative blog post here! The in-depthness of it certainly demonstrates your knowledge of this situation, and I applaud that. Content wise, I think it’s interesting how you introduced the idea of politics in sports, with the world cup set to be hosted by Quatar, but it is controversial due to the country’s mass religious beliefs.
dkk5518