Credit: Getty Images
In this interview, Alexandre Ghanem, Cluster Head of Middle East & North Africa (MENA) at BAT, discusses the significance of the new rules, how they align with global harm reduction efforts, and BAT’s plans to launch a new portfolio in the UAE.
What are BAT’s plans for the UAE with this new regulatory framework in mind?
The UAE’s decision to issue regulatory requirements for tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches aligns with BAT’s transformation and our vision of creating ‘A Better Tomorrow’—a smokeless world driven by reducing the health impact of our business.
Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) as a policy encourages adult consumers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to lower-risk alternatives. Adult smokers and nicotine users in the UAE are progressive and open to innovative products. The UAE standard now provides access to high-quality alternatives, which is why BAT plans to introduce a new portfolio of tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches under the VELO brand in the market, in line with our THR ambitions.
How significant is regulating tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches to harm reduction in the UAE?
The UAE continues to lead in regulatory innovation. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s (MoIAT) decision to issue a technical standard for tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches reflects a strong commitment to public health and quality control.
It is widely accepted that most harm from smoking comes from inhaling the smoke produced by burning tobacco—not from nicotine itself. Tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches, being smokeless and tobacco-free, present a reduced-risk profile when compared to combustible products, assuming a complete switch from smoking.
How effective has the launch of BAT’s tobacco-free nicotine pouches been elsewhere? Can that success be replicated in the UAE?
Our tobacco-free nicotine pouches are currently available in over 40 countries, with 7.4 million adult consumers globally. VELO products are developed under rigorous stewardship and have been shown to contain 90–99 per cent fewer toxic chemicals compared to cigarette smoke.
The broader category of oral nicotine pouches has contributed significantly to global public health by reducing smoking rates. Sweden is a notable example, where oral nicotine has largely replaced smoking over the past 70 years, resulting in the lowest smoking rate and lung cancer mortality rate in Europe—29.1 deaths per 100,000 compared to the EU average of 66.7 (2020 data).
As of 2024, Sweden’s smoking rate stands at 5.3 per cent, positioning it to achieve the WHO’s ‘smoke-free’ status and putting the country 15 years ahead of the EU’s 2040 target.
Where do tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches fall on the risk continuum compared to cigarettes?
Leading health bodies, including the US FDA, acknowledge that the main causes of smoking-related diseases are the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke—not nicotine itself.
In 2008, the WHO identified nine key toxicants in cigarette smoke. In VELO products, these are reduced by more than 99 per cent. While smokers may be addicted to nicotine, nicotine itself is not classified as a carcinogen. The Royal College of Physicians in London reinforces this, noting that the real danger lies in the smoke.
If nicotine can be delivered in an effective and acceptable smokeless form, such as oral pouches, most—if not all—of the harm from smoking could potentially be avoided.
