Buying alcohol in Qatar
Any expat that’s been in Qatar longer than five minutes will eagerly point out that there is only one bottle shop to service the entire country. They will then either shrug, sigh, roll their eyes, or some combination of the three. The lack of bottle shop options is a running joke. It’s just not a particularly funny one.
Oh, and it gets worse. You can’t just walk into the bottle shop and buy alcohol like a normal person. You need to get a ‘liquor license’ first. And that requires an official ‘okay’ from your employer.
It breaks down like this: any expat making over a certain amount of money (i.e. anyone reading this), can get an official letter from their work enabling them to buy booze. It’s supposed to be a formality. But nothing is ever that easy in Qatar.
Firstly, the consumption of alcohol is still seen as a social taboo in Qatar. So even if you’re a white guy named Chet who grew up in New Jersey and has no religious affiliation, the locals are going to silently judge your application for a license.
Getting the paperwork sorted isn’t THAT difficult, you just need to be aware that employers keep track of who’s applied. This can make things awkward for anyone who looks like they might be from the Middle East or has Mohammed anywhere in their name. And while a company can’t legally prevent you from getting a license on religious grounds, it takes a devil-may-care attitude to apply for one as a Muslim in Qatar.
Also, some employers have a blanket policy that forbids their staff from purchasing alcohol, i.e. Qatar Airways cabin crew. These poor bastards have to live with a whole lot of restrictions on what they can and can’t do. They deal with this by getting wasted on the alcohol their friends secretly buy for them.
But we’re getting sidetracked… The bottle shop is known as Qatar Distribution Centre (QDC for short) and is located out in the middle of nowhere. There’s a monthly limit on how much booze you can purchase (based on your income), but unless you’re a raging alcoholic it should be ample to keep you buzzed and help out a few people.
Also, since no one can be bothered with the hellish commute out to the shop, most people will buy in bulk when they’re forced to restock. Spending a lazy USD $1000 on one of these trips is absolutely normal.
Back in 2012 a second, much more conveniently located, QDC branch was opened at The Pearl. Despite the lengthy approval process that the owners went through, the shop lasted half a day before someone in power had it shut down. It was never spoken of again…
Overpriced Booze and Pork Products
Alcohol at the QDC bottle shop is expensive. Not as ridiculous as the price gouging that goes on at the hotels, but you can still expect to pay around USD $50 for a bottle of brand-name spirit. There are also weird imported options from India, and while they’re considerably cheaper, a Bombay Rum hangover is a special kind of hell.
Still, there’s a decent selection of booze on offer. All the usual top-shelf spirits are available and they have wine and champagne options from around the world.
They also have pork! The QDC bottle shop is the one place in Qatar where you can legally buy ‘proper’ bacon and an assortment of swine-filled deli goods. Of course it’s all been imported and frozen for weeks, so you’re not going to get that exotic miracle ham you might be used to back home, but it’s a start.
Oh, and speaking of pork laws, Qatar customs have their very own passport stamp for those who try and bring some Spanish chorizos or whatever back into the country. Get busted smuggling pork and not only will they confiscate it, they’ll stamp your passport with a special ‘pork smuggler’ stamp*. Which, when you think about it, is actually kind of awesome, and almost reason enough to start an exciting new career putting bratwurst down your pants.
I’ve never been able to verify the pork smuggler story. But let’s run with it.
You can find more tips on living and working in Qatar in my book — God Willing: How to survive expat life in Qatar.