Smokers in the Middle East are largely shunning e-cigarettes and other alternatives in favour of traditional tobacco, figures show.

Research company Euromonitor International found only a small minority of smokers used e-cigarettes to quit.

Previous trials showed such devices have helped people who were addicted, although medical opinion remains divided over the benefits of e-cigarettes and vapes.

Analysts found that only 1.8 per cent of smokers in the region took up alternatives to conventional cigarettes this year.