Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Bahrain

17th March 2025: Bahrain: The government has announced in the country’s o fficial gazette the implementation of law (29) of 2025, which enforces the unified customs tariff schedule for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Under this regulation, a minimum customs tax of 100% will be imposed on tobacco products.
17th March 2025: Bahrain: Executive and legislative authorities held a joint meeting on 16th March to discuss the 2025-2026 state budget. Selective excise tax increases on tobacco products, soft drinks and energy drinks will be introduced to promote public health.
12th March 2025: Middle East: The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean published a post on 11th March on the social media platform X that called on smokers to quit smoking, highlighting that smoking might decrease life expectancy by ten years.
10th March 2025: Bahrain: On 9th March, the Shura Council of Bahrain gave its final approval on the draft law amending Article (20) of the Law on Combatting Smoking and Tobacco (law 8 of 2009). The bill introduces stricter penalties related to the prohibition of importing, distributing or selling any herbal or non-herbal materials for the purpose of using them as an alternative means of smoking tobacco, even if they do not contain nicotine. The bill was sent to the speaker of the Council of Representatives, to be subsequently forwarded to the prime minister in preparation for its submission to the king.
3rd March 2025: Bahrain: On 2nd March, the Shura Council of Bahrain discussed the Services Committee’s report on a draft law amending Article (20) of the Law on Combating Smoking and Tobacco (law 8 of 2009), as stated in its declaration published on its website. The bill introduces stricter penalties related to the prohibition of importing, distributing or selling any herbal or non-herbal materials for the purpose of using them as an alternative means of smoking tobacco, even if they do not contain nicotine. The proposed penalties are imprisonment for up to one year, and a fine of between BHD1,000 ($2,660) and BHD100,000 ($266,000). The Shura Council decided to approve the draft law as a whole, and will produce the final opinion on the bill in its next session.
28th February 2025: Bahrain: The Shura Council of Bahrain is set to discuss on Sunday, 2nd March, the Services Committee’s report on a draft law amending Article 20 of the law on combating smoking and tobacco (law 8/2009). The draft law aims to combat the use of herbal and non-herbal materials as an alternative to smoking tobacco, as well as tighten the penalties stipulated in law 8/2009, particularly with regard to the prohibition of importing, distributing or selling any herbal or non-herbal materials for the purpose of using them as an alternatives to smoking tobacco, even if they do not contain nicotine. The proposed bill would amend the penalty stipulated in Article 20 for violating Article 11 of law 8/2009, whereby the amended penalty would be imprisonment for a maximum period of one year, and a fine of between BHD1,000 ($2,660) and BHD100,000 ($266,000). Moreover, the draft law would introduce an amendment related to the consequences of a conviction of an infraction, enabling the court to order the closure of the store in question for a maximum period of three months or the confiscation of the materials used.
28th February 2025: Middle East: The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean posted that while smoking rates in the region are declining, there is still significant room for improvement. The WHO urged its Eastern Mediterranean Region member states to strengthen tobacco control measures, including smoking bans in public places, prominent health warnings, and enhanced support services for smoking cessation. Notably, the thread makes no reference to novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products.
25th February 2025: Bahrain: The House of Representatives Public Utilities and Environment Committee approved a motion urging the government to step up the enforcement of ministerial resolution 83/2006, which regulates restaurants, cafés and similar establishments serving tobacco products, press reports. The motion calls for enforcing the resolution, banning new shisha cafés near residential areas, schools and mosques, and addressing non-compliant establishments.
18th February 2025: Gulf Cooperation Council: The Technical Committee for Tobacco Products of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO) has preliminarily approved a standard introducing flavour restrictions, additional requirements for devices and batteries, common health warnings, and standardised packaging regulations across all GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – for both vaping and heated tobacco products (HTPs). The standard still requires final approval, and the text of the proposed regulation is currently unavailable. We are actively engaging with the relevant authorities to obtain more detailed information.
5th November 2024: Kuwait: The International Conference on Tobacco Control organised by the Ministry of Health has recommended that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries establish national observatories to monitor tobacco industry activities and align with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards on tobacco control. Additionally, the conference advocated for regulating novel emerging products in the region, such as nicotine pouches, and recommended increasing excise taxes on tobacco.
20th June 2024: Bahrain: The government referred an amendment to the Law on Tobacco and Smoking Control to the parliament, press reports. The new amendment proposes to increase the sanctions imposed on importing, distributing or selling oral (non-smoked) tobacco products to imprisonment for a maximum period of one year and a maximum fine of BHD100,000 ($266,000). Currently, not complying with the ban on oral tobacco can lead to a minimum fine of BHD2,000 ($5,300) and a maximum of BHD5,000 ($13,300).
30th April 2024: Bahrain: The minister of industry and commerce has issued decision 34/2024, authorising the Ministry of Health to monitor the implementation of the Electronic Nicotine Products standards for one year. The Ministry of Health was mandated in March 2023 to monitor the implementation for a period of one year under decision 26/2023.

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Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Bahrain

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