Doha: Any fan attending the World Cup in Qatar who has a ‘one-night stand’ could face up to seven years in prison. The host nation has a strict law in place which bans having sex outside marriage in the country.
While the Qatari citizens are already accustomed to the laws and regulations, those travelling to the country to watch the World Cup will have to ensure they are familiar with the laws of the land.
As per the law, no person can have sex outside of marriage in Qatar and those found guilty can face up to a year in jail, as per reports.
However, according to the non-profit Human Dignity Trust, those guilty can also face up to seven years in jail if caught violating the law in the nation.
Similarly, same-sex intercourse is prohibited under the Penal Code 2004 and could also lead to a prison stay of similar length.
This was backed up by a police insider who told the Daily Star: “Sex is very much off the menu, unless you are coming as a husband and wife team. There definitely will be no one-night stands at this tournament.
“There will be no partying at all really. Everyone needs to keep their heads about them, unless they want to risk being stuck in prison.
“There is essentially a sex ban in place at this year’s World Cup for the first time ever. Fans need to be prepared.”
They continued: “The drink and party culture after games, which is the norm in most places, is strictly prohibited.
“With very strict and scary consequences if you are caught. There is a feeling this could be a very bad tournament indeed for fans.”
The 2022 World Cup gets underway on 21 November, with the final to be played just before Christmas on 18 December.
