Saudi Arabia prohibits the entry of Lebanese vegetables and fruits or transit through its territory, starting from Sunday

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to prevent the entry of Lebanese vegetables and fruits into the Kingdom or transit through its lands, starting at nine in the morning on Sunday, according to the SPA news agency.

The agency published a statement of the Ministry of the Interior in which it said, “Based on the obligations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in accordance with the internal regulations and provisions of international conventions in the matter of combating drug smuggling in all its forms, and where the relevant authorities in the Kingdom have noticed an increase in their targeting by drug smugglers originating from the Lebanese Republic or passing through the territories. Lebanese products, and Lebanese products are used to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom's territory, either through the incoming dispatches to the Kingdom's markets or with the intention of crossing to neighboring countries, and the most prominent of those consignments that are used to smuggle vegetables and fruits.

And given that no practical measures have been taken to stop these practices towards the Kingdom, despite numerous attempts to urge the concerned Lebanese authorities to do so, and in order to protect the Kingdom's citizens and residents on its territory from everything that affects their safety and security; It has been decided to prevent the entry of Lebanese vegetable and fruit missionaries into the Kingdom or transit through its territory, starting from nine o'clock next Sunday morning, until the relevant Lebanese authorities provide sufficient and reliable guarantees for them to take the necessary measures to stop the systematic smuggling operations against the Kingdom.

The statement added that the Ministry of the Interior will continue, in conjunction with the concerned authorities, to follow up and monitor other missionaries coming from the Lebanese Republic, to consider the need for similar measures to be taken with regard to those missionaries.

The Ministry of the Interior affirms that it will continue monitoring everything that would target the security of the Kingdom and the safety of its citizens and residents on its territory from the scourge of drugs, whether from the Lebanese Republic or from other countries, and taking the necessary measures to address it.