Restaurants on The Pearl-Qatar have lost more than half their turnover since a ban on alcohol was introduced on the vast man-made island.
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Restaurants on The Pearl said they received notices from its developer, United Development Company (UDC), on various dates in the second week of December that they had to stop selling alcohol. UDC declined to comment.
"The first day it was suspended almost 100 people [either cancelled bookings or] walked out when they found out there was no alcohol," said Rey Tumulak, the head waiter at the Bice Ristorante on The Pearl-Qatar.
He said revenue at the Italian restaurant was down by more than 50 per cent because of the alcohol ban.
Restaurants on the huge development covering some 4 million square metres off the coast of Qatar were told about a month ago that the sale of alcohol was to be suspended "until further notice", Mr Tumulak said.
The Pearl-Qatar was designed as a dining, marina and residential destination, described by its developer as the "Riviera Arabia".
Amily Chompoo, a supervisor at the Mango Tree restaurant on The Pearl, said there had been a decline in revenue and a definite shift in the demographic of its customers since the restaurant had stopped selling alcohol.
"Most of the guests now are local Qataris," she said.
Mr Tumulak said alcohol was a vital part of Bice's profitability.
"Let's say for two people, the maximum for food they consume is 400 to 500 [Qatari] rials.
Most of the people will have alcohol for almost 1,000 rials [Dh1,008].
So you can imagine, in a group, they consume 2,000 for food, but they consume 3,000 to 4,000 for alcohol."
"Alcohol is obviously a sensitive issue in many Muslim countries," said Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, the head of hotel advisory at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Middle East and Africa.
"Therefore, managing the open sale of alcohol is always a delicate balance.".
He added that tourism in Qatar was unlikely to be affected by the ban.
"Qatar, as an international and regional tourism destination, is more associated with sports, culture and high-level public meetings and conferences," Mr Ben Mahmoud said.
"Alcohol in such context is not as central as it would be in Ibiza, say."
rbundhun@thenational.ae
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
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May 2025
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July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
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Fear
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Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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Year started: 2017
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
