EVEN for wallet-busting Doha, my bar tab came as a sobering shock.
Watching France thrash Australia at popular sports bar Shots I was charged a whopping 65 riyals – that’s around £15 – for a bottle of Becks.
A Saudi Arabia supporter – celebrating his team’s World Cup win over Argentina – told me: “The prices are ludicrous. How are we supposed to party?”
After a day in the Qatari sunshine my 275ml bottle of Becks – just over half a pint – disappeared in a flash.
And that is approximately 20p per millilitre on beer.
An apologetic barman told me: “We’ve run out of draught beer tonight so it’s bottles only. Draught will be back on tomorrow.”
A draught pint of Budweiser in the bar costs 60 riyals (around £13.90).
The wine list was equally lumpy. A glass of pino grigio would have set me back 70 riyals (around £16.15).
My bill for the evening at the popular sports bar – inside the Hilton Doha Hotel with stunning views of Doha’s bay – was 190 riyals – around £44 – for two bottles of Becks and Greek salad.
Fans have been searching for an affordable beer in Doha’s hotel bars with prices in the fan zone also eye-wateringly steep.
The fan zone at Al Bidda Park on the waterfront Corniche has room for 40,000 people – yet there was just one designated beer tent with 78 fridges packed with tins of Budweiser.
A 500ml glass of the lager goes for 50 riyals – around £11.50 – and you’re limited to four alcoholic drinks.
A bog standard slice of pizza to soak it up is around £8.
Alcohol isn’t served until after 6.30pm and you’re only allowed four measly 500ml cups of World Cup sponsor Budweiser’s fare.
Only alcohol-free beer is on sale in stadium perimeters.
According to the 2021 World Beer Index by Expensivity, Qatar has the most expensive beer prices in the world.
Analysing prices in the capitals of 58 nations, Doha came out tops with a 330ml bottle of beer costing around £9.45.
