DUBAI: Gulf states will study a proposal next week to raise the customs duties charged on tobacco imports to 200 per cent from 100pc, an executive at the UAE Federal Customs Authority said.

Prices for cigarettes in the Gulf are cheap relative to global standards, costing between four dirhams (400 fils) and seven dirhams (700 fils) per box.

The GCC customs union committee, which is set to meet in Riyadh on Sunday, will discuss whether to double the levy on cigarettes, said Saeed Khalifa Al Marri, deputy director general of the UAE authority. Saudi Arabia's Finance Ministry recently proposed the change, he said.