The UAE’s adoption of a technical regulation on nicotine pouches in January 2025 is indicative of the country’s vision to regulate novel tobacco products as alternatives to traditional cigarettes. The new technical regulation on tobacco-free nicotine pouches is aligned with EU and US-adopted frameworks with regard to pharmaceutical and toxicological standards of nicotine pouches. Such alignment would facilitate procedures for international firms to export their products into the UAE.
It is unclear whether further decisions will be taken to allow and regulate other novel products, considering that at present, oral tobacco – including chewing tobacco and snus – is banned. Nonetheless, there is a move towards further regional harmonisation of regulations regarding tobacco-related products, which might include novel products.
This report provides detailed analysis of the regulatory framework in place in the UAE for oral tobacco and nicotine pouches, covering all policy areas from taxation and market access to advertising and packaging.
