NICOTINE / VAPE

Nicotine products in the GCC face evolving laws around excise duty, formulation thresholds, and health labeling. TAG ensures your brand stays compliant and launch-ready from day one. From excise registration and DTS onboarding to formulation reviews and SFDA clearance, TAG helps nicotine and vape brands navigate every GCC regulatory step and enter the market with speed and certainty.

Built for GCC Regulatory Success

We help nicotine brands enter GCC markets with speed, clarity, and full compliance.

Product Classification 

Nicotine strength tiering and customs mapping

Market Authorisation 

Support for SFDA or ESMA process

Product Testing 

Lab-certified nicotine analysis

Label Compliance 

GCC rules on descriptors, warnings, and claims

Import Risk Mitigation 

Prevent seizures with clearance and code checks

Regional Trade Entry 

Route-to-market guidance and partner access

UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain — with region-specific compliance handled end-to-end.

UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain

Book a 10 min discovery call

What we Deliver

Consulting for Nicotine / Vape Products

Market Research & Feasibility

From excise eligibility to format mapping, we help nicotine and vape brands make informed market entry decisions across the GCC. TAG delivers intelligence on demand potential, SKU viability, and category risks. We ensure every launch strategy aligns with local compliance and regional dynamics.

Explore Market Entry Intelligence

Entity Structuring & Licensing

Launching nicotine or vape brands in the GCC demands tailored licensing strategies. TAG supports you in selecting the right jurisdiction, navigating excise registrations, and setting up compliant trade entities ensuring your business is structured to meet both regulatory and commercial needs from day one.

Explore Business Setup

Formulation & Pack Compliance

TAG helps nicotine and vape brands align product formats, formulations, and packaging with excise rules and consumer trends in the GCC. We validate SKU types, label specs, and ingredient limits, ensuring your products are retail-ready, legally compliant, and positioned for long-term success.

Explore Product Development

Nicotine & Market Readiness

From nicotine testing to ESMA readiness, TAG handles critical pre-market checks for nicotine and vape products. We coordinate certified lab testing, oversee submission protocols, and manage health warning label approvals, so your products move from lab to shelf with confidence.

Explore Testing & Registration

Channel Strategy & Onboarding

Entering GCC retail as a nicotine or vape brand requires a structured distribution approach. TAG connects you with vetted regional distributors, manages onboarding documentation, and aligns pricing and pack formats with trade expectations ensuring faster access to stores and better shelf positioning.

Explore Retail & Distribution

Regulatory-Compliant Promotion

Promoting nicotine and vape brands in the GCC comes with tight advertising restrictions. TAG advises on compliant messaging, influencer guidelines, and in-store promotion tactics while monitoring policy changes helping you reduce regulatory exposure while building a trusted brand presence.

Explore Marketing, Risk & Compliance

Market Research & Feasibility

From excise eligibility to format mapping, we help nicotine and vape brands make informed market entry decisions across the GCC. TAG delivers intelligence on demand potential, SKU viability, and category risks. We ensure every launch strategy aligns with local compliance and regional dynamics.

Explore Market Entry Intelligence

Entity Structuring & Licensing

Launching nicotine or vape brands in the GCC demands tailored licensing strategies. TAG supports you in selecting the right jurisdiction, navigating excise registrations, and setting up compliant trade entities ensuring your business is structured to meet both regulatory and commercial needs from day one.

Business Setup

Formulation & Pack Compliance

TAG helps nicotine and vape brands align product formats, formulations, and packaging with excise rules and consumer trends in the GCC. We validate SKU types, label specs, and ingredient limits, ensuring your products are retail-ready, legally compliant, and positioned for long-term success.

Product Development

Nicotine & Market Readiness

From nicotine testing to ESMA readiness, TAG handles critical pre-market checks for nicotine and vape products. We coordinate certified lab testing, oversee submission protocols, and manage health warning label approvals, so your products move from lab to shelf with confidence.

Testing & Registration

Channel Strategy & Onboarding

Entering GCC retail as a nicotine or vape brand requires a structured distribution approach. TAG connects you with vetted regional distributors, manages onboarding documentation, and aligns pricing and pack formats with trade expectations ensuring faster access to stores and better shelf positioning.

Retail & Distribution

Regulatory-Compliant Promotion

Promoting nicotine and vape brands in the GCC comes with tight advertising restrictions. TAG advises on compliant messaging, influencer guidelines, and in-store promotion tactics while monitoring policy changes helping you reduce regulatory exposure while building a trusted brand presence.

Marketing, Risk & Compliance

Results Backed by Regional Experience

Our track record in regulated nicotine and vape consulting speaks for itself. We support brands with everything from excise classification to distributor onboarding, helping them enter GCC markets faster, cleaner, and fully compliant. Every number here represents real regulatory wins and smoother launches across the UAE, KSA, and beyond.

Book a 10 min discovery call

45+

Nicotine and vape SKUs guided through regulatory onboarding

100%

First-time excise registration approval

6

GCC markets served with full compliance coverage

35% 

Average reduction in launch timeline

Clarity Before Commitment

Questions We Often Hear From Tobacco Brands

Everything you need to know about getting setup in the MENA region

Is vape an excise product in MENA?

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Yes. Most flavors, devices, and nicotine liquids are regulated and taxed similarly to tobacco products.

How is excise calculated for nicotine products?

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Rates may be per unit, volume-based, or as a percentage of price depending on jurisdiction.

Are pods and e-liquids regulated separately?

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Yes. Each SKU including devices, pods, and juices is considered a distinct item for registration, taxation, and labeling.

Do vape products require approval or testing?

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Many markets enforce lab testing and a full technical dossier before issuing excise codes and regulatory clearance.

What documents are needed for vape registration?

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Manufacturers typically need product specifications, ingredient lists, health warnings, lab reports, and packaging mockups.

How do brands navigate changing definitions?

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Excise definitions often evolve. We continuously monitor updates and adjust filings to ensure ongoing compliance.