Saudi Arabia: heated tobacco regulation, August 2022

Heated tobacco products have been legalised in Saudi Arabia and treated as any other tobacco product in areas such as taxation, public usage or retail restrictions since the enactment of Supreme Decree 38621 (11/7/1440H).

The most important change that could happen in the medium term is that Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries agree on a joint standard, which will lead to a change of rules. There could also be smaller regulatory changes resulting from Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision for the promotion of public health.

This report offers an overview of the current regulatory framework heated tobacco in Saudi Arabia, covering all policy areas from taxation, notification and labelling to advertising, product restrictions and public usage.