As football aficionados arrive in large numbers from across the world for the Fifa World Cup 2022, which is set to begin in Qatar on Sunday, there is some bad news for women fans. According to the country's strict laws, wearing clothes that are "too revealing" for Qatar law enforcement officials could land a woman in jail.
While non-Qatari women are not expected to wear the traditional long black robe called 'abaya', they will have to avoid clothes that may reveal their shoulders, midriff, or knees. The Fifa website also advises fans to dress according to their will, but respect the laws of the land.
"People can generally wear their clothing of choice. Visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings. Swimwear is allowed at hotel beaches and pools. Fans attending matches should note that the removal of shirts in the stadium is not permitted," it states.
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Qatar’s legal code doesn’t specify a dress code for foreigners. However, visitors and fans will be expected to wear clothes that display “modesty” according to the country and Islamic culture. This means that men would be wise not to wear shorts and keep their shirts on at all times and women will have to avoid mini skirts, tank tops, and the likes.
According to a report by the Sun, women are banned in Qatar from wearing tight clothes.
The British Embassy in Qatar advises: “Women in Qatar are not required to wear the hijab nor are they expected to wear an abaya. However, note should be taken of the local dress code. Men and women should cover the shoulders and upper arms, and shorts or skirts/dresses should fall to or below the knee.”
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While the clothing choices of many women have led them to the coveted blue tick on Instagram, courtesy camerapersons at sporting events, this time special cameras will track "dress code violations" and could land them in jail.
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Media outlet Zee quoted chief technology officer at Aspire Zone Foundation Niyas Abulrahiman as saying: "We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. It’s being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation."
Aspire Zone Foundation is the firm that is developing the technology to be used at all the stadiums during the matches.
According to a report in The Times of India, Kerala-born Abulrahiman’s team has created a platform that will “connect” all eight stadiums where the matches will be played. The team will control all technological aspects of the World Cup from a control centre.