(Bloomberg) -- Qatar relented -- ever so little -- after slapping a “sin tax” on alcohol over New Year's that raised the price of a 24-pack of Heineken from $53 to a whopping $105.
After making global headlines and prompting an outcry on social media, the country's sole liquor store pared its prices on Sunday. Residents in Qatar can now get their brews for just about $92 a case.
Read: Beer Ban at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Is Not a Done Deal
Like most other countries in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, Qatar restricts alcohol sales to non-Muslim foreigners. Expats need permission from their employers to get a license that allows them access to the store that sells liquor and pork, located on the outskirts of Doha near the country's main graveyard and church complex.
The liquor store, officially called Qatar Distribution Co., said that it's “pleased to reduce the retail sales price.” A list that accompanied a statement to its customers showed slightly lower prices across the board, and a 100 percent tax on top of it.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mohammed Aly Sergie in Dubai at msergie@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at nrazzouk2@bloomberg.net, Paul Abelsky, Amy Teibel
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