By Abdul Aziz Al-Rubaie

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH – The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs granted permission to grocery stores and supermarkets to sell tobacco and shisha products, well-informed sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Sources said deputy minister for municipal affairs has accorded permission for the sale of manufactured and packaged tobacco products that are licensed from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) such as regular and electronic cigarettes and shisha products in provision stores and hypermarkets. This was in line with a request from the Ministry of Commerce.

The approval stipulated that the sale shall be in accordance with the terms and conditions for the sale in grocery stores (baqala), provision stores and supermarkets.

The ministry had granted permission to open pharmacies in hyper markets last month, after getting approval from the Ministry of Health.