Saudi Arabia imported a whopping 38,500 tons of cigarettes worth about SR3.6 billion ($1 billion) in 2013, a report published in a local media said.

 

Citing a report published by local business daily Al-Eqtisadiyah, the Saudi Gazette said the Kingdom had imported cigarettes worth SR2.6 billion in 2010, SR3 billion in 2011 and SR2.5 billion in 2012. Combined together, cigarette imports over the past four years were worth a staggering SR13 billion.

 

Similarly, a HAAD recent statistics showed that the smoking rate within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi ranges between 24-35%.

 

A 2013 study had revealed that a quarter of all smokers in the UAE had their first cigarette before the age of 10.

 

According to Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi about 55% of smokers smoke cigarettes, 38% smoke Medwakh, 29% smoke shisha and 14% smoke cigars. In addition, the Global School Health Survey for 2010 found that 80% of students’ had already tried smoking.

 

However, not all the smokers are Saudis and local Arabs, as Saudi Arabia being a pilgrimage place, receives millions of people from almost every part of the world to the Kingdom.

 

Alarmed by the report, the Saudi Naqaa' Society to Combat Smoking will hold a meeting with Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih during the coming few days to discuss the rising number of smokers in the country.

 

Recently, authorities have taken several measures to curb smoking in public places. They have also barred underage children from buying cigarettes from shops.

 

In this regard, shopkeepers have been warned of stiff penalties if they are found to be selling cigarettes and other tobacco products to children.