Saudi Arabia bans sale of tobacco, dates, meat, fruits, vegetables in grocery stores
Small grocery stores in Saudi Arabia, commonly known as Baqalas, are now prohibited from selling several products, including tobacco, dates, meat, fruits, and vegetables, the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing announced.
The ban, issued by Minister Majed Al-Hogail, is aimed at reorganising the retail structure and enhancing public health and safety standards across Saudi Arabia. The new regulation takes effect immediately, but existing establishments have been granted a six-month grace period to comply with the new rules.
Conditions of the new regulation
Under the amended rules, grocery stores, kiosks, and mini markets are no longer permitted to sell:
Tobacco products (including regular cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and shisha)
Dates
Meat
Fruits and vegetables
These items may only be sold in:
Supermarkets, provided they obtain a separate licence for selling meat
Hypermarkets, which are permitted to sell all of the above without additional licensing
The sale of charger cables and prepaid recharge cards is permitted across grocery stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets.
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New space requirements
The regulations also redefine the required minimum space for retail categories:
Grocery stores must have a minimum floor area of 24 square metres
Supermarkets must be at least 100 square metres
Hypermarkets must have a minimum space of 500 square metres
Implications for retailers
The move is expected to impact thousands of small grocery stores across the Kingdom, many of which have traditionally relied on the sale of fresh vegetables, tobacco, and dates as core parts of their stock.
Retailers will need to reassess their product merchandise and expand their space to upgrade their classification if they wish to continue selling restricted items.
For consumers, the changes may mean fewer options for convenience purchases at neighbourhood stores. However, the revised regulations will result in improved product handling and safety in larger, better-regulated establishments.
The Ministry has stated that enforcement teams will monitor compliance during the six-month transition period, after which violators may face penalties, including fines and closure orders.
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