JEDDAH: The Saudi government will from Sunday start implementing a selective tax that includes products that are harmful to health, primarily tobacco, energy drinks and sodas.
Recent statistics show that 6 million smokers in Saudi Arabia will be affected by the tax, Al-Hayat newspaper reported.
Implementation is part of a selective tax agreement the Kingdom signed along with the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, which was approved by the GCC secretariat last month.
The tax rate is defined according to the danger a product poses to health, with a 100 percent rate being imposed on the most harmful: Tobacco and energy drinks. A 50 percent rate will be imposed on all kinds of soft drinks.
The Kingdom is 64th out of 127 countries in the price ranking of a pack of cigarettes, according to Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices. The price of a pack of cigarettes in Saudi Arabia will double from June 11.
Price of cigarettes to double from Sunday
Price of cigarettes to double from Sunday
Eritrean president tours Saudi port operations in Jeddah
- Afwerki received a presentation on the Red Sea Gateway Terminal, a national company specializing in maritime transport and logistics
JEDDAH: Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki visited Jeddah Islamic Port on Saturday, where he was welcomed by Saudi Ports Authority President Suliman Al-Mazroua.
During the visit, Afwerki received a presentation on the Red Sea Gateway Terminal, a national company specializing in maritime transport and logistics, highlighting its key operations and advanced technological systems.
He toured the company’s facilities and was briefed on the latest technologies and efficiency measures that enhance capacity and competitiveness of Saudi ports, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The visit reinforces the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in maritime transport and logistics, supporting its ports as strategic hubs for global trade in line with Vision 2030.
Later on Saturday, the Eritrean president departed Jeddah. He was seen off at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishaal and other senior officials.
On Wednesday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Afwerki in Riyadh. They reviewed bilateral relations, prospects for cooperation across various fields, and other issues of mutual interest.
