With the World Cup in full swing, an underground orgy is quietly taking place. Despite Qatar's strict controls on extramarital sex, websites under the guise of "Doha escorts" have been unusually active, displaying photos of female escorts and their services. It was reported that many of these sites were from the UK, and the British judiciary was concerned that England fans might take the risk and were eventually sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
A large number of escort websites can be easily found by simply typing in keywords such as "Doha" and "escort" on the Internet. Before the World Cup began, the British media had already exposed the existence of these websites. However, as the tournament reached the final eight, the activity of the websites became more and more rampant.
Most of the women on these sites are from Eastern Europe, Asia and even India, and some even use nude photos and short videos as bait to attract customers, most likely because they are using their status as tourists to "make a quick buck" in Doha during the World Cup. The website advertises that "these girls can be your other half, accompany you to watch the game, or provide you with the services you need." What appears to be escorting is in fact prostitution.
Charges for escort services range from QR1,500 (HK$3,200) to QR3,000 (HK$6,400) per hour, with some sites offering "special services" such as dressing up in traditional Arab women's clothing. Business is expected to explode as there will be gaps in matches during the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Despite the fact that these websites are registered outside the country, they have been operating as usual since the start of the World Cup. However, Qatar has severe penalties for prostitution, with those who provide sexual services facing up to three years in prison. In addition, the Qatari authorities officially announced prior to the World Cup that sex outside of couples was prohibited nationwide and that violators would face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
