Despite the Qatari government's ban on a price hike on Pepsi soft drinks in March 2009, the country's dealer has increased prices for Mirinda, Pepsi and 7up by 50 percent. The Peninsula newspaper claimed that cans of the drinks were now selling for QR1.50 ($0.41), while the price of a 2.25 litre bottle was now QR5 ($1.37). Major outlets selling the brands were inundated with demand, and restaurants and retail outlets hiked prices on Monday afternoon, a day ahead of the dealer's request to raise the prices starting from Tuesday. “Our shelf stock ran out within hours yesterday,” a sales executive of a leading hypermarket told The Peninsula. Both Coca Cola and Pepsi dealers had implemented a similar price-hike last year, but the Ministry of Business and Trade forced the move to be overturned. The newspaper added that retailers are expecting the price of Coca-Cola to be increased in the next few days as well The move follows Pepsi and Coca-Cola's decision to increase their prices in Bahrain in January this year. And in December 2009, both drinks giants raised their prices in Saudi Arabia by exactly the same amount.
