British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International plan to launch vaping products in the United Arab Emirates after the government lifts the ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices in April, The National reported.

Experts assume that other brands may soon follow which want to profit from an international market with a current volume of USD 26 billion (EUR 23 billion) per year, the report said. “In the UAE specifically, regulators have long looked at the e-cigarette and vapor category,” Julian Prynn, marketing director at BAT Middle East, was quoted as saying. “With more evidence-based scientific research emphasising the potential harm reduction of these products, it was only a matter of time until they became legal in the country.”
According to the report, BAT’s tobacco heating products and vapor revenue increased by 95 per cent to GBP 901 million (EUR 1.05 billion) in 2018. By 2023-24, the company aims to secure revenue worth GBP 5 billion (EUR 5.8 billion) from smoking alternatives. Investment in BAT’s ‘transforming tobacco’ project and the development of new smoke-free products has been significant – around USD 2.5 billion (EUR 2.2 billion) since 2013.
PMI has also invested significantly more than USD 4.5 billion (3.98 billion) into research and development of new products, including its iQOS nicotine delivery system. BAT will also launch its smoke-free alternative, the Vype ePen 3, at the end in 2019, the report said.