The ban would apply to hotels, restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, sports halls, men and women’s salons and other enclosed public places, said Mubarak Ali Al Shamsi, Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality.

The ban is intended to protect the health of non-smokers from second-hand smoke (passive-smoking).

Special rooms would be designated for smokers, especially in hotels and shopping malls, he noted.

He stressed that like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, which had successfully enforced the ban on smoking in public places, Ras Al Khaimah, too, would ensure that people abide by smoking regulations.