Nicotine Pouches in the UAE: What the 2025 ECAS Rule Changed
Short answer: Tobacco-free nicotine pouches in the UAE can be sold only with ECAS certification from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. The requirement applied from late July 2025. Sale is for adults only. Reported limits cap nicotine at 16.6 mg per pouch. We do not stock pouches at the moment, so this is a rules guide, not a product list.
What changed in July 2025
The rules are recent. A technical regulation was published in the Official Gazette on 30 January 2025 under Cabinet Resolution No. 2 of 2025. SGS, a notified body for MoIAT, says all tobacco-free nicotine pouches for oral use had to meet the ECAS scheme from 31 July 2025. Arabian Business reported that MoIAT authorised sales from late July 2025 on condition of ECAS certification.
Who checks the product
ECAS is the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme. A certificate of conformity is issued for a specific product. The same scheme covers electronic vapes, heated tobacco sticks, cigarettes, cigars, moassel shisha and dokha, according to SGS. For a buyer, the practical point is the same as with vapes: the certificate belongs to the model, so ask the seller for it.
The strength question
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction lists a cap of 16.6 mg of nicotine per pouch, and several UAE retailer guides repeat it. We could not read the technical regulation itself, so confirm the figure before you rely on it. The practical consequence is that very strong pouches sold in Europe or the US may not meet the UAE limit.
What to check on a can
- Certificate: ask for the ECAS certificate for the exact product.
- Strength: the milligrams per pouch should be printed on the can.
- Warnings: industry guides describe Arabic and English health warnings on compliant packs.
- Age notice: sale is for adults aged 18 and over.
How this differs from the vape rules
A pouch has no tank and no liquid, so the 10 ml tank limit and the 20 mg/ml liquid limit in the vape standard are not the relevant figures. The Dh1-per-ml minimum excise price applies to liquids used in electronic smoking devices, so it is not a pouch rule either. Our guides to the vape rules and the new excise price cover those.
Health questions
Nicotine is addictive in any form. The doctors quoted by Arabian Business say pouches remain addictive and carry their own health concerns. Questions about your own health belong with a doctor or the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Do we stock them?
We don’t list nicotine pouches at the moment (checked 3 October 2026), so this is a rules guide, not a product list. How to spot an unreliable seller is in our guide to spotting a genuine product.
Background reading on Wikipedia: Nicotine pouch and Nicotine.
Common questions
Are nicotine pouches legal in the UAE?
Tobacco-free nicotine pouches can be sold to adults when they hold ECAS certification, which applied from late July 2025.
Do nicotine pouches need ECAS certification?
Yes. SGS says all tobacco-free nicotine pouches for oral use had to meet the ECAS scheme from 31 July 2025.
What is the maximum nicotine per pouch?
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction lists 16.6 mg per pouch. Confirm it against the technical regulation.
What age do you need to be?
18 or over. Selling nicotine products to anyone younger is prohibited.
Written and reviewed by DK Ridoy for Vape Royality Store. Sources checked 3 October 2026. 18+ only. Contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Not for sale to minors, non-smokers, or pregnant women.
