Football fans from all over the world can be seen starting to gather in host country Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup ahead of the first kickoff of the tournament, which will pit Qatar against Ecuador on November 20.
Apart from presenting a magnificent stadium and supporting infrastructure, Qatar also enforces strict rules based on Islamic teachings during the four yearly competitions.
One of them is the dress code that spectators must obey to watch their favorite teams compete or while in the country.
As an Islamic country with a conservative dress code, it is not surprising that the Qatari government issued several dress codes that suit their background for visitors who wish to witness the World Cup this year.
According to the information contained on the official World Cup website, although Qatar does not require female visitors to wear an abaya (long black robe) or hijab, female visitors are expected to wear clothes that are not too revealing and must cover their arms, shoulders, and knees to show respect local the local culture.
FIFA’s website repeated the same, reminding spectators that they were free to wear whatever they wanted but still had to abide by Qatar’s strict restrictions.
Article 57 of the Qatari Constitution states that those entering the country must adhere to national traditions and customs.
Those who fail to comply with the dress code imposed by the Qatari government can face several forms of punishment, including imprisonment.
There is no doubt about the seriousness of the Qatari government in implementing its strict rules, where as many as 15,000 cameras with facial recognition technology are known to have been installed to monitor all visitors throughout the event. Evidence from the camera footage will later assist the Qatari authorities with their post-event investigation.
The Qatari government implemented this strict rule, which was intended to preserve Qatari culture and prevent children from being exposed to foreign cultures.
The 2022 World Cup is worth looking forward to as this will be the first time it has taken place in a Middle Eastern country with several strict rules that are different from previous events.
