Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has banned sales of tobacco within 500 meters of mosques and schools.
Aimed at promoting public health and creating a safe and orderly commercial environment across the country, the new regulatory requirement applies to all stores selling tobacco products and accessories, including cigarettes, shisha, and e-cigarettes.
Obtaining a license would require a valid commercial registration, Civil Defense approval, and full compliance with the Municipal Licensing Procedures Law and its executive regulations.
Saudi Arabia bans tobacco near schools, mosques
As per the requirements, stores will have to be located within a commercial building, and will need to have a minimum store area of 36 square meters. Specific requirements for each municipality will also apply according to street width and site classification.
The ministry has specifically prohibited the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18, giving them the right to request proof of age from buyers.
The new regulations prohibit the mixing or repackaging of products or selling them in unapproved packaging and requires them to provide proof of the product’s supplier. The sale of single cigarettes or products that do not comply with the standard specifications approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority have also been stopped.
The stores are only allowed to display the name of the business and any logos or promotional materials on external sign boards are not allowed. The shops will have to install both internal and external surveillance cameras.
The ministry also emphasised the importance of placing warning signs inside stores that include awareness-raising messages about the dangers of smoking, along with displaying QR codes linked to licensing and regulatory information in order to ensure transparency and ease of verification.
Companies will not be allowed to offer tobacco products as rewards or free samples.
The municipal authorities will continuously monitor the implementation of these requirements on the ground and impose penalties against violating establishments.
The requirements stipulate a set of controls for the sale and trade of tobacco products and their derivatives. All tobacco products and their derivatives must comply with the standard specifications approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). Possession or display of products of unknown origin or containing misleading information is prohibited.
All tobacco packages in Saudi, as well as the packages of any products containing tobacco or its derivatives, must bear explanatory and warning information that complies with the standard specifications made by SFDA.
The regulations further say that tobacco products must be intact and free of manufacturing defects. Retail sales of tobacco products in kilo or part of it are prohibited. Sales must be made according to the weights and sizes approved by SFDA.
