Sin Tax in Qatar
#1
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Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Riyadh
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Sin Tax in Qatar
It looks like Qatar has finally gone ahead with their "Sin Tax" on Alcohol, Energy Drinks, Cigarettes and soft drinks. 100% increase on the already expensive price of alcohol is going to hit hard. From a list going around the whatsapp groups, a 24 pack of Heineken cans goes up from 255 QAR to 510 QAR - ouch. Will this mean the start of 1000 QAR brunches, or the start of a very different Qatar?
#2
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Seems a very silly move by Qatar. I dont see how the restaurants and bars will manage to stay open. I highly doubt that they will just double their prices also to keep there profit margin so high.
https://news.sky.com/story/alcohol-p...orced-11595884
I'm not 100% on this but i think this would make Qatar the words most expensive place to buy a beer now.
https://news.sky.com/story/alcohol-p...orced-11595884
I'm not 100% on this but i think this would make Qatar the words most expensive place to buy a beer now.
#4
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Location: Doha, Qatar
Posts: 56
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
I'm guessing it means that the blockade is hitting them really hard, more than they would care to admit, and they're going to enormous lengths to make sure the impacts are not absorbed by the nationals, but are instead passed on to the expats.
As usual, it's extremely short-sighted - they're risking some of their best bars and restaurants and even hotels being shut down ahead of 2022 (unless the hospitality industry chooses to suck it up for the next 3 years with the hope of making a huge profit in 2022).
As usual, it's extremely short-sighted - they're risking some of their best bars and restaurants and even hotels being shut down ahead of 2022 (unless the hospitality industry chooses to suck it up for the next 3 years with the hope of making a huge profit in 2022).
#5
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
I'm guessing it means that the blockade is hitting them really hard, more than they would care to admit, and they're going to enormous lengths to make sure the impacts are not absorbed by the nationals, but are instead passed on to the expats.
As usual, it's extremely short-sighted - they're risking some of their best bars and restaurants and even hotels being shut down ahead of 2022 (unless the hospitality industry chooses to suck it up for the next 3 years with the hope of making a huge profit in 2022).
As usual, it's extremely short-sighted - they're risking some of their best bars and restaurants and even hotels being shut down ahead of 2022 (unless the hospitality industry chooses to suck it up for the next 3 years with the hope of making a huge profit in 2022).
#7
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Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
I don’t know much about Qatar but I’d assume that closer integration with Iran (due to the embargo) is behind this. The money raised is small so it’s more likely a political move than an economic one. I would assume when face with a 100dh pint you’d probably not bother drinking it.
It will be interesting to see how bar prices settle out given the relative elasticities of supply and demand. QAR 100 pints they can forget. The price of a 330ml bottle of Stella bought in a case from QDC has gone up QAR 8 a bottle to QAR 16. The same sold individually in Trader Vic's (happy hour) for QAR 30 in December.
#8
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Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Take Heineken, 330m x 24 cans, 384 Riyals.
That's 7,920ml or 16.7 pints (imperial).
384 QAR is £82.86 (considering the worthless pound, this would have been mid 60s pre-Brexit).
That makes it under a fiver a pint.
Having just spent 12 days in the UK, I can assure you that you'd have to go up North or to an undesirable pub to get a pint of something 'premium' like Heineken for under a fiver.
That's 7,920ml or 16.7 pints (imperial).
384 QAR is £82.86 (considering the worthless pound, this would have been mid 60s pre-Brexit).
That makes it under a fiver a pint.
Having just spent 12 days in the UK, I can assure you that you'd have to go up North or to an undesirable pub to get a pint of something 'premium' like Heineken for under a fiver.
#9
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Take Heineken, 330m x 24 cans, 384 Riyals.
That's 7,920ml or 16.7 pints (imperial).
384 QAR is £82.86 (considering the worthless pound, this would have been mid 60s pre-Brexit).
That makes it under a fiver a pint.
Having just spent 12 days in the UK, I can assure you that you'd have to go up North or to an undesirable pub to get a pint of something 'premium' like Heineken for under a fiver.
That's 7,920ml or 16.7 pints (imperial).
384 QAR is £82.86 (considering the worthless pound, this would have been mid 60s pre-Brexit).
That makes it under a fiver a pint.
Having just spent 12 days in the UK, I can assure you that you'd have to go up North or to an undesirable pub to get a pint of something 'premium' like Heineken for under a fiver.
#10
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
I wonder what bar prices have done in Qatar. If they've barely moved because of the logic of tax doubling and not price then it will only affect the home-drinkers.
#11
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Location: Riyadh
Posts: 204
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Looks like bar prices haven't risen as much as expected. The Rose and Thistle has said there's an average increase to drink prices of 20%. The Belgium cafe is absorbing the cost (for now). Kempinski brunch going up from 450 to 520qar (doubling the difference in cost between the non-alcoholic and alcoholic option). Westin brunch still 430qar.
#12
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Looks like bar prices haven't risen as much as expected. The Rose and Thistle has said there's an average increase to drink prices of 20%. The Belgium cafe is absorbing the cost (for now). Kempinski brunch going up from 450 to 520qar (doubling the difference in cost between the non-alcoholic and alcoholic option). Westin brunch still 430qar.
Also not really taking the cost they are just lowering there massive profit.
Seems to be a bit of a knock on effect where all the bars are agreeing to not really increase prices or if so only by a small margin. Brings alcohol prices in Doha to roughly what it was 5 years ago when there was much less competition.
#13
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Maybe a move to maintain business in the bars..make the booze store too expensive to encourage punters to go out more?
#14
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Thats Belgian bar (best all day happy hour in town) confirmed that happy hour will be fully cancelled from today. Alas no more cheap(ish)beers for residents
#15
Onwards and Upwards!
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 884
Re: Sin Tax in Qatar
Look to the skies to find the answer, QDCs parent company is Qatar Airways who reported a very large loss in March last year and are under increasing pressure from US carriers over alleged state subsidies.
https://www.google.com/search?client...bution+company
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/unde...its-books.html
What's your contingecy plan if QA goes under, jet-ski to Oman?
https://www.google.com/search?client...bution+company
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/unde...its-books.html
What's your contingecy plan if QA goes under, jet-ski to Oman?