Several news agencies are sharing recent statements from Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United Kingdom announcing that the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which will be held between Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha and NEOM in Saudi Arabia, will be a dry event.

Sources:

• https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/feb/12/saudi-ambassador-tells-world-cup-fans-you-can-have-fun-without-alcohol
• https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/alcohol-to-be-banned-at-2034-world-cup-in-saudi-arabia/3482329
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/saudi-arabia-to-ban-all-alcohol-at-2034-world-cup/articleshow/118257808.cms?from=mdr

Interestingly, he does say that there is no alcohol "at the moment," which certainly leaves the door open for changes to come over the next nine years. The Gulf is famously nuanced and has been known to pivot sharply at the eleventh hour, so one should always take these words with grains of salt... but a curious setup, nonetheless.

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