Saudis threaten to sue tobacco companies

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia will sue international tobacco companies unless they pay the government and patients the full cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The health ministry has rejected an offer of compensation proposed by tobacco firms, the ministry said in a statement published on its website.

The ministry did not say how much it was seeking or where any law suit, the first of its kind in the region, would be filed. It did not name any companies.

Philip Morris, British American Tobacco Plc and Altadis are among the foreign firms that sell tobacco products in Saudi Arabia.