Tobacco imports in Saudi Arabia have decreased around 44 per cent, with USD 469 million being imported in 2018 compared to USD 837 million in 2017, Saudi Gazette reported.

The study found that the weight of imported tobacco was around 44,000 ton in 2017 and this dropped to 32,000 ton in 2018, with a daily average import of around 88 ton. This means the weight of imported tobacco has dropped by 27 per cent, around 12,000 ton. This decrease follows an even larger drop in comparison to 2016, when 62,000 tons of tobacco were imported, with a value of USD 1.293 billion. The report stated that these decreases were a result of less cigarettes being consumed across Saudi Arabia.
The report also found that the country exporting the highest amount of tobacco and cigarettes into Saudi Arabia was Turkey. In 2018, Turkey exported 12,617 ton of tobacco, worth around USD 240 million. The second highest exporter of tobacco was Germany, with 6,217 ton of tobacco, worth USD 137 million. German tobacco accounted for 31.44 per cent of tobacco imports into Saudi Arabia.
The main exporter of Muasil, the tobacco used for smoking shisha, was Egypt, who exported USD 13 million worth. The United Arab Emirates were the second highest exporter, providing around USD 10 million of Muasil.