Shisha smoking crackdown in Saudi

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of the Interior has asked the Control and Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Makkah to start cracking down on cafés in Jeddah disregarding the ban on smoking shisha and other tobacco products in enclosed public areas, according to a story in the Arab News.

The Jeddah Governorate had apparently sought the help of the CIB in enforcing the law.

A CIB team was expected to start work this week on compiling the names of café owners breaking the law.
The move comes after the governorate received reports about café owners serving shisha and tobacco in places where bans were in force.

The governorate has warned that it will punish mayors and employees of branch municipalities for not enforcing the law.

The Interior Ministry’s ban on smoking in enclosed public places includes cafés, restaurants and shopping centers and applies to shisha and other tobacco products.