BAT sees MENA region as key for its smokeless transformation

British American Tobacco (BAT) is accelerating its transition towards a smokeless world — and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is playing a central role in that journey.

As it drives transformational change with the introduction of its smokeless products with reduced risk profile compared to cigarettes, BAT sees significant potential to make Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) a reality in the region, driven by science, regulation, and consumer readiness. 

“With a 60-year heritage in the Middle East, our MENA cluster holds strategic importance for the firm at a global level and plays a crucial role in our transformation journey,” says Alexandre Ghanem, cluster manager for BAT in MENA. 

“The opportunities in the MENA region are immense, and smokers are actively making a switch from smoking to less risky products. This consumer demand is aligned with our ambition to accelerate our THR journey in the region by offering adult smokers a wide range of high-quality, scientifically substantiated, reduced risk alternative nicotine products compared to cigarettes.” 

Backed by science and regulation 

According to Ghanem, BAT’s innovation strategy is underpinned by world-class science and is focused on building a comprehensive portfolio of non-combustible nicotine products to meet the evolving preferences of adult consumers.

“Aligned with our vision of creating ‘A Better Tomorrow’, we’re driving innovation through cutting-edge works led by over 1,750 R&D specialists at our global innovation centres around the world,” said Ghanem.

“By  using our 9-step  risk assessment framework, we are looking at the emissions, exposure, risk, and ultimately the harm of our smokeless products to establish the weight of evidence to scientifically substantiate their relative risk profiles compared to cigarette smoking.”

The company invests more than £300m annually in research and development.  It recently introduced tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches under the VELO brand in the UAE. 

Changing perceptions through education 

According to Ghanem, “misperceptions around nicotine and smokeless products remain a significant obstacle not only in the region but globally, with many believing that all smokeless alternatives are just as harmful or even more harmful than traditional tobacco.

A global Ipsos survey of 27,000 smokers across 28 countries found that 74 per cent believe vaping is at least as harmful as smoking”. This disconnect persists, despite clear endorsements from respected public health authorities such as the NHS UK, which stated that while “nicotine vaping is not risk-free, it is less harmful than smoking.” 

A smokeless Middle East 

BAT says its commitment to the region is clear – it is to create A Better Tomorrow by building A Smokeless World. BAT MENA aims to do this not only through its smokeless product offerings but also in its ongoing efforts to develop local talent in alignment with government visions, as Ghanem described. 

Speaking about the MENA cluster, he said: “As a global company, committed to contributing to the economic growth and talent development within the Middle East & North Africa, the Group chose Dubai as the location for our regional headquarters covering ‘Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa – West’ regions, recognising the city’s strategic importance and its status as a leading hub for innovation and business.”

BAT’s operational growth in the GCC aligns with rising consumer demand of the smokeless products, as more adult smokers are found to be actively seeking to switch to less harmful alternatives.

Local research from Kantar showed that 7.8 per cent of UAE consumers currently use non-combustible products— while a much sizable pool of 83 per cent of the respondents are open to making the switch to these products from smoking.