E-cigarettes in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Rural Affairs and Housing has introduced an initial draft through the public consultation platform on the requirements for offering tobacco and e-cigarettes on hospitality premises. The proposal prohibits signs advertising the use of tobacco and requires any premises selling tobacco to post a price list. It also requires health warning signs and a warning against providing tobacco to minors. The proposal will be under consideration until 10th May.

Gulf Cooperation Council: The Gulf Health Council has launched a week-long online campaign under the slogan “#companionship_without_vaping” to combat the use of e-cigarettes, particularly by young people, press reports.

Saudi Arabia: The National Committee for Tobacco Control plans to increase the excise tax on all tobacco products to 150% in an attempt to limit the number of tobacco users, press reports. The tobacco excise tax applies also to e-cigarettes.

Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Shura Council has amended the Anti-Smoking Law, raising the purchasing and distribution age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21, press reports. The amendments also stipulate that designated areas for tobacco use and vaping will also be reserved to those aged 21 and above.

Saudi Arabia: The Riyadh Municipality has tweeted about “the most prominent violations” by hospitality premises serving “tobacco products”, which include e-cigarettes. They include offering tobacco products without a permit, failure to disclose monthly sales, failure to specify a “tobacco product serving fee” and adding it as a separate item on the customer’s invoice. The authoritiy points out that all these violations are subject to the penalties stipulated in the 2019 Anti-Smoking Law.