Saudis smoke Dh3.6bn worth cigarettes in 2013

Smokers in Saudi Arabia puffed away nearly SR3.6 billion (Dh3.6bn) worth of cigarettes in 2013 to turn their Gulf country into one of the world’s largest tobacco consumers relative to its population, according to local statistics.

Despite a ban on smoking in most closed public places and intensified awareness campaigns, the value of imported cigarettes last year was nearly nine per cent above the 2012 value of about SR3.3 billion (Dh3.3bn), showed the figures, published by the Saudi Arabic language daily Aleqtisadia.

The report showed the Gulf kingdom, the largest Arab economy and the world’s top oil exporter, imported nearly 38,500 tonnes of cigarettes and tobacco in 2013.

During 2010-2013, the country’s cigarette imports totalled nearly SR13 billion (Dh13bn), the 20th largest imported items, the report showed.

Germany, Switzerland and Turkey were the main cigarette suppliers to Saudi Arabia, with their exports totalling SR3.2bn, nearly 88 per cent of the kingdom’s total cigarette imports. A breakdown showed cigarette exports stood at SR2bn by Germany, SR603m by Switzerland and SR599m by Turkey.

“There has been an alarming increase in the number of smokers among men, women and children in Saudi Arabia…we have repeatedly called for increasing the price of cigarettes and tobacco to cut consumption,” said Mohammed Yamani, chairman of the Saudi association for combatting smoking.

Saudi Arabia has a population of around 29 million, including nearly nine million expatriates, mainly other Arabs and South Asians.

 

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