Saudi Arabia Bans Sale of Dates, Meat, and Fruit in Grocery Stores

In a major move to reform the retail sector and strengthen public health and safety standards, Saudi Arabia announced new regulations banning small grocery stores, locally known as baqalas, from selling key food items and tobacco products.

What the Ban Covers

The new rules, introduced by the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, Majed Al-Hogail, prohibit small grocery shops and kiosks from selling dates, meat, fruits, vegetables, shisha, regular and electronic cigarettes. The aim is to reorganize retail sales and ensure higher health and safety standards across the Kingdom.

Where These Items Can Still Be Sold

While small grocery stores must stop selling these products, the regulations allow their sale in:

• Supermarkets (supply stores) — but meat sales require a separate license.
• Hypermarkets — these larger stores can sell all the listed products under the updated regulations.

Additionally, grocery stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets are still permitted to sell items like charger cables and prepaid recharge cards. According to Arabic daily Okaz, the regulations take effect immediately. However, existing small shops have been granted a six-month grace period to adjust their inventory and comply with the new rules.

Minimum Size Requirements for Stores in Saudi Arabia

To further organize the sector, the new rules introduce specific size requirements:

• Grocery stores must be at least 24 square metres.
• Supermarkets must cover 100 square metres.
• Hypermarkets must be 500 square metres or larger.

Why This Change?

The Saudi government says this decision is part of broader efforts to modernize the retail sector, ensure food safety, and protect consumers. By concentrating sales of sensitive products like meat and tobacco in larger, licensed stores, the Kingdom aims to better monitor quality and improve public health outcomes.

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