Saudi Arabia has imported SR13 billion worth of cigarettes and other tobacco products in a four-year period, local media said quoting recent data.
The values of Saudi tobacco imports consistently increased during these four years, from SR2.6 billion in 2010 to SR3 billion in 2011, SR3.5 billion in 2012 and SR3.8 billion in 2013, said the report.
The lion’s share of imports to the Kingdom in 2013 — 91 percent — came from three countries, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey, at a cost of SR3.2 billion.
Germany captured 57 percent of cigar imports alone, at SR2 billion, followed by Switzerland, at SR603 million, or 17 percent of the total, and Turkey, at SR599 million, or 17 percent of all imports, the report said.
The Kingdom imports cigarettes from more than 17 countries.
South Africa is the fourth largest tobacco exporter to the Kingdom, at SR104 million, followed by India (SR73 million), Czech Republic (SR59 million), France (SR43 million), Indonesia (SR17 million), Poland (SR14 million), the Philippines (SR13 million), Egypt (SR8 million), Yemen (SR6 million), Lesotho (SR3 million), Pakistan (SR2.7 million) and Italy (SR2 million), while other countries account for SR1.7 million worth of imports.
In addition to cigarettes, the Kingdom imports other types of tobacco, such as honeyed tobacco estimated at SR93 million, “jarak” at SR28 million, snuffs at SR16 million, manufactured tobacco at SR16 million and other types worth SR24 million.
The value of imported tobacco products stood at SR177 million, the report said.
KSA imports tobacco products worth SR13 billion in 4 years
