The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing approves requirements for offering tobacco products.

Monday 08 June 2026
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The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has adopted municipal requirements for the provision of tobacco products, with the aim of regulating the activities of providing these products, ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, and reducing the harm of passive smoking to non-smokers.

The ministry explained that the requirements included four main axes, including licensing requirements, spatial requirements, technical requirements, and operational requirements, and are applied to shops licensed to provide tobacco products that conform to Saudi standard specifications.

She explained that the licensing requirements stipulate that the procedures for issuing, renewing, amending, suspending and canceling licenses shall be in accordance with the Municipal Licensing Procedures System and its executive regulations, with the requirement of having a valid commercial license for the main activity.

She added that the spatial requirements included seven main elements related to the urban area inside and outside cities, prohibited areas, the prescribed distances between activity sites and mosques and educational facilities, in addition to parking requirements, permitted heights, afforestation and coverage ratios, as well as special requirements for each municipality related to the minimum width of streets on which the activity is allowed to be carried out.

The requirements emphasized the prohibition of using slogans or promotional images related to tobacco products on external signs and limiting them to data about the main activity. The technical requirements also included ventilation standards, tobacco storage locations, serving areas, tobacco preparation areas and charcoal stoves, in addition to security and safety requirements.

The ministry stressed the need to limit the approved suppliers of tobacco products and accessories to a documented mechanism that can be referred to during inspection work, while prohibiting the sale or provision of these products to those under the age of 18, or as determined by the anti-smoking system.

The guidelines for tobacco product offerings can beviewed at the following link: https://momah.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2025-05/ashtratat%20tqdym%20mntjat%20altbgh.pdf .

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia