Tobacco Documents Online

N04J 26 "92 10:40 META' META 711 P01i03 M1DDLE' EAST TOBACCO ASSOCIATION LIMITED PO Box No. 16965, Jebel Ali; Dubai„ U!A.E. Tel: (971-) 84-557Q7 Fax: (97y-) 84-55'1i87 Facsinnille Transm+ssian Date : November 25, 1992 To:. Mr J Bevan Rothmans Aylesbury Fax No. 0044-296-433793 Mr R C Hancock Rothmans Aylesbury 0044-296-2.9662 Dr W D Rowland' Rothmans, Denham 0044-895-834949~ Mr I Morton TEI, Bahrain 00973-256241 Mr E Aguilar B & W Dubai 04L518447 Ivir D f'_larke c/o Binza gr Co, B & W Jeddah 00966•2-6531844 Mr R' Davies B:A.T. Woking, 0044-4'v3-756100 Mr R Galgut B'.A.T. Dubai 04-522966 Mr A J Cook B.A.T. Qatar 00974-415185: Mr M Whitehead: Gallaher, Weybridge 0044-932-849119, Ms S Wise. Gallaher, Weybridge 0044'-932-850401. Dr A J Nelmes Gallaher, Weybridge 0044'-932'-849119 Mr B G' Barou di Philip Mbrris Dubaa. 04-520782' Mr B K Ayash Philip Morris, Bahrain 00973-712706 Mr H Schedeli Philip Morris Ii.au.canne 004.1.-21-618.4618 Mr G Nassif Philip Morris, Lausanne 0041-21 ^618-4618 Dr J B Boder PhM; Europe. 0041-38-312476 Mr Di Pross RJ. Reynolds Geneva 0041-22-703'0275 Mr E F Touzna R.J. Reynolds Geneva 0041-22-703'-0275' Mr G' Abi Nakad R J Reyrnolds, Bahrain 00973-694766 F+ronn : Robin Allen, META, Dubai Total Pages (Including this page) : 3 Strb3ect . Gulf Standards : Bahrain & Oatar Industry Submissions The above .were signed and delfveredi between 11 - 19 l'lovember. In the case of Bahrain, delivery to the authorities was completed by t'he chair company following the last signature from their own distributor; in Qatar, delivery to Shaikh Abdullah's office by rnie- I am passing on following pieces of market intelligence from distributors and/or field' managers. Each point is the personal opinion or news from one or more ind'2vidual: For any queries regarding tfiis rrnessage, please call (971'.-) 84- 55707 Registered Oliice• Oxford Road, Aylesbury„ Bucks HP 21 BSZ, Erngl9nd. Registered in England No. 2679'1't'2

WQV ' 25 ' 92 1i0: 41 META 1) BA-IRAIN GCC Legi'slatnon 711 P02i03 The government is now thought to be, very reluctant to be the first to implement any new GCC resolution concerning tobaccoi because of other GCC countries' lack of supporu In 1987 it implemented the 50% ad valorem tax (following Oman), in the expectation that all other GCC' countries would follow, suit. This has not, (yet) happened. Only Qatar went to 50%, (in 1992)l Mohammad Al-Khatib: the Egyptian ex-director of Preventative Health in Bahrain, is now back in Egypt. His absence may mean Bahrain lacks the impetus to initiate : anti-tobacco legislation or re:solutions. Jawad A1-Arrayed, the Minister of Health„ "has nothing,against cigarettes and himself smokes ci'gars": Khalid Fakhro is the dizecton of specifications and superior to Fadul Abul who received the industry submission. Khalid Fakhro comes under the under-secretary of Commerce Hassan Al-Nusuf, but it is the Minister of Healtii, not Commerce who "should be aware of' GCC standards concerning tobacco (& food) - and whose support would be needed for tighter anti-tobacco specifications." It is reckoned (by at least one distributor, whose friend he is) that, this support will not be forthcorning. A vertisin There is talk in the market place about cigarette advertising being altowed~ in, the airport compound - outside the terminal building - because Bahrain needs the money. There are already examples of' "special situations": i.e. on the Saudi- Bahrain, causeway; as well as Gulf Air already having re-introduced tobacco advertising, on in+flight video-filrns. CnCC Standards : follow~up meetings The next steps in the GCC Standards process is apparently as follows: the GCC Technical Committee for Food (whi& includes tobacco) is duee to meet in the third week of December. This would - if plans are adhered to - coincide with the a:nrniual~ mcetiitg of GCC Hieads of State (due in Abu

MOV 26 ' 92' 10I: 41 META 71'1 P0..:y03 Dhabi hosted by the UAE): There is still an element of doubt wfiether this will actually take place unless Saudi Arabia goes some way to sopthliag Qatar's injured feelings over their violent border dispute. Then five or six tnont'hs after this Technical Committee meets, the Higher GCC Technicat Conuni'ttee would' meet (; i.e. not till May or June): Iv,Iflnisters would be involived later. What we need to know is whether there are to be steps/meetings whi& could speed up this process to the detriment of the industry. Market intelligence viafield managers from oft4eials arid d'nstributors is essential if we are to know of events before they happen. IZ) QTAR Dr. Hajar Ahmed Hajar, the under-secretary at the Ministry of Public Health, and the virulent head of the anti-smoking lobby - is rumoured to be resigning. If this is the case, the anti-smoking lobby could' lose some of its head~ of steann.. Submission follow-up: Three d"nstribw.tors complained to rne about the lack of follow-up after submissions are presented, and that distributors are n.ot being kept informed. My response to all three was the same a) the question of specifications and standards was an on-going issue now in the wider forum of the GCC and not simply confined to Qatar: the pace of follow-up was decided at META meetings and in the 'mteritnl by the chair company buR that all META companies would want to clear in advance any major initiative. Distributors thermseliues were the "national" businessmen and that communication between them and field managers was obviously important, d) I would be involved when META unanimously wanted me to be involved - no more or less. Kind~ regards. Robin Allen