--- title: "Saudi Arabia Airport Smoking Areas" canonical: "https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/" language: "en-us" description: "Smoking areas at Saudi Arabia airports: indoor rooms after security at Riyadh RUH, Jeddah JED, Medina MED and Dammam DMM, plus Hayyak Lounge areas." lastmod: "2026-10-24T00:00:00Z" --- # Saudi Arabia Airport Smoking Areas All four of Saudi Arabia’s biggest airports — [Riyadh King Khalid (RUH)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ruh-smoking-at-riyadh-king-khalid-international-airport/), [Jeddah King Abdulaziz (JED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/jed-smoking-at-jeddah-king-abdulaziz-international-airport/), [Medina Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz (MED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/med-smoking-at-medina-prince-mohammad-bin-abdulaziz-airport/), and [Dammam King Fahd (DMM)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/dmm-smoking-at-dammam-king-fahd-international-airport/) — provide indoor smoking rooms post-security. Vaping has been legal since 2019; the airports publish no separate vaping rule, so ask staff whether a room admits e-cigarettes. ## Saudi Arabia Airports Compared: Before and After Security Before security, you can always smoke outside: at a designated smoking area where there is one, or outside the airport property, beyond the terminal kerb and car parks. After security, Yes means there is a smoking area past security and a dash means none is listed. Each airport’s page has the details. | Airport | Before security | After security | | --- | --- | --- | | [Abha (AHB)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ahb-smoking-at-abha-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Al-Wajh (EJH)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ejh-smoking-at-al-wajh-airport/) | Yes | – | | [Dammam (DMM)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/dmm-smoking-at-dammam-king-fahd-international-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Jeddah (JED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/jed-smoking-at-jeddah-king-abdulaziz-international-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Jizan (GIZ)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/giz-smoking-at-jizan-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Medina (MED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/med-smoking-at-medina-prince-mohammad-bin-abdulaziz-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Qassim (ELQ)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/elq-smoking-at-qassim-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Riyadh (RUH)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ruh-smoking-at-riyadh-king-khalid-international-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Tabuk (TUU)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/tuu-smoking-at-tabuk-airport/) | Yes | Yes | | [Taif (TIF)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/tif-smoking-at-taif-airport/) | Yes | Yes | For travellers, Saudi airports work well as transit points. Jeddah is a critical hub for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims; Riyadh handles substantial intra-Middle East traffic; Dammam serves Eastern Province oil-industry routes. At all four, the smoking rooms sit after security, so a connection needs no exit to smoke. ## How Saudi Airport Smoking Works Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Smoking Law (Royal Decree M/56 of 1436H/2015) restricts smoking in enclosed public spaces, including public-transport facilities; its Implementing Regulations set out how airports and other transportation hubs may carve out isolated, enclosed smoking rooms instead of banning smoking outright. The rooms are: - Post-security, accessible without leaving the transit zone - Air-conditioned and well-ventilated (essential given Saudi summer temperatures) - Free to use, no fees - Distributed across departure halls and gate clusters - Available at both international and domestic terminals ## The Major Hubs **[Riyadh King Khalid (RUH)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ruh-smoking-at-riyadh-king-khalid-international-airport/).** The Saudi capital’s main airport, expanding to handle Vision 2030 tourism growth. Indoor smoking rooms sit in the departure areas of all five terminals: since the February 2026 terminal reallocation, Terminals 1 and 2 handle national-carrier international flights, Terminals 3 and 4 domestic routes, and Terminal 5 foreign-airline international flights with the most modern facilities. **[Jeddah King Abdulaziz (JED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/jed-smoking-at-jeddah-king-abdulaziz-international-airport/).** The main pilgrimage airport, serving Hajj and Umrah travellers to Mecca. Terminal 1 (opened 2019\) absorbed the closed South Terminal and carries ventilated smoking rooms in the post-security departure area, split into male and female rooms, plus rooms in the T1 Plaza Premium Lounge; the North Terminal, serving foreign airlines, has rooms in its departure lounge. Hajj season (varying lunar calendar dates) brings extreme passenger volumes, and the open-sided Hajj Terminal runs its own seasonal facilities. **[Medina Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz (MED)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/med-smoking-at-medina-prince-mohammad-bin-abdulaziz-airport/).** The second pilgrimage airport, serving travellers to Medina (the second holy city of Islam). Its single terminal (opened 2015\) keeps ventilated smoking rooms in the post-security gate area, plus outdoor areas at the departures-level entrance. **[Dammam King Fahd (DMM)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/dmm-smoking-at-dammam-king-fahd-international-airport/).** Eastern Province airport serving oil-industry routes and Saudi Aramco operations. Its grounds cover about 776 km², with one compact passenger terminal: indoor smoking rooms sit in the post-security departure areas, and some airline lounges have smoking rooms or sections of their own. **[Abha (AHB)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ahb-smoking-at-abha-airport/).** The Asir highlands airport is the exception to the pattern. Smoking is at the outdoor areas on the 1st and 2nd floors across the street from the terminal, landside, and the single airside point is a cabin inside the Hayyak Lounge on the 1st floor — reachable by any departing domestic passenger who holds a lounge-membership card or buys a walk-in pass at the door. ## Regional and Domestic Airports Saudi Arabia’s smaller regional and domestic airports — run by Matarat Holding’s Cluster2 OpCo rather than the dedicated airport companies behind the majors — follow the same Hayyak Lounge pattern seen at Abha: several have a Hayyak Lounge with a designated smoking area past security, reachable with a lounge-membership card or a paid booking, alongside the open air outside the terminal building, landside, where Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Smoking Law permits smoking. - [Tabuk Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport (TUU)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/tuu-smoking-at-tabuk-airport/) — a Hayyak Lounge smoking area after security, plus outside the terminal, landside - [Taif International Airport (TIF)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/tif-smoking-at-taif-airport/) — a Hayyak Lounge smoking area after security (International Departure only), plus outside the terminal, landside - [Jizan King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport (GIZ)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/giz-smoking-at-jizan-airport/) — a Hayyak Lounge smoking area after security, plus outside the terminal, landside - [Qassim Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Airport (ELQ)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/elq-smoking-at-qassim-airport/) — a Hayyak Lounge smoking area after security (Domestic Departure only), plus outside the terminal, landside - [Al-Wajh Domestic Airport (EJH)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/saudi-arabia/ejh-smoking-at-al-wajh-airport/) — outside the terminal building, landside, where the law permits open-air smoking; its own lounge does not list a smoking area ## Tips for Smokers at Saudi Airports - All major Saudi airports have post-security indoor smoking rooms — easy transit - Air-conditioned rooms are essential during Saudi summers (50°C\+ outdoors) - Vaping legal since 2019 — the airports publish no vaping rule for the smoking rooms, so ask staff - Heat-not-burn devices (IQOS) widely available - During Hajj season (varying dates), millions of additional pilgrims pass through Jeddah airport — plan extra time - Dress modestly when smoking outdoors landside, especially during Ramadan ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do Saudi airports have indoor smoking rooms? Yes — the four biggest Saudi airports all maintain indoor smoking rooms post-security. Riyadh King Khalid (RUH), Jeddah King Abdulaziz (JED), Medina Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz (MED) and Dammam King Fahd (DMM) each have enclosed, ventilated rooms in the departure areas. Several regional airports repeat the pattern seen at Abha (AHB) — a smoking area inside a Hayyak Lounge past security, reachable with a lounge-membership card or a paid booking: Tabuk (TUU), Jizan (GIZ), and one of the two lounges each at Taif (TIF, International Departure) and Qassim (ELQ, Domestic Departure). Al-Wajh (EJH) has no lounge smoking area, only the outdoor landside option. ### Where can I smoke at Jeddah Airport (JED)? Jeddah King Abdulaziz International is a major Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage gateway with substantial smoking facilities. Terminal 1 (opened 2019\) has modern ventilated smoking rooms in the departure area after security, separated into male and female rooms, and the T1 Plaza Premium Lounge has its own. The North Terminal, which serves foreign airlines, has smoking rooms in its departure lounge, and the Hajj Terminal runs seasonal facilities during the pilgrimage. Outdoor areas near the terminal entrances cover pre-security and arrivals. ### Are there smoking rooms at Riyadh, Medina, and Dammam airports? Yes — Riyadh (RUH) has indoor rooms in the departure areas of all five terminals, Terminal 5 (foreign-airline international flights since the February 2026 reallocation) being the best equipped. Medina (MED) is the second pilgrimage airport, with ventilated rooms in the departure area of its single 2015 terminal. Dammam (DMM) covers about 776 km² of land and works from one compact passenger terminal, with indoor rooms in the departure areas and smoking sections in some airline lounges. ### Are e-cigarettes and vapes legal in Saudi Arabia? Yes — vapes and heat-not-burn devices are legal in Saudi Arabia, which legalised vaping in 2019 and ended an earlier prohibition; heat-not-burn products like IQOS are widely available. The airports publish no separate vaping rule for their smoking rooms, so ask staff before using one in a room, and never vape in the general terminal. ### Can I smoke during a Saudi airport layover? Yes. Indoor smoking rooms at Saudi airports are post-security, so transit passengers can use them without re-clearing security or immigration. Riyadh and Jeddah are major Hajj/Umrah and intra-Middle East transit hubs. Walking time gate-to-room is typically 5-10 minutes.