Check the box before you use your next face mask. The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), the UAE’s regulator for medicines and medical products, has ordered a precautionary recall of blue three-layer face masks from batch number 20251015. Inspectors found foreign material and signs of contamination in some units after a complaint about the product’s quality. If you have masks from this batch, stop using them and return them to the shop or supplier.
How to tell if your masks are affected
| Batch number | 20251015 |
|---|---|
| Product | Blue three-layer (three-ply) face mask with “NIN 160” and “NML” in the product name |
| Problem found | Foreign material and signs of contamination in some units |
| Type of recall | Precautionary |
| Ordered by | Emirates Drug Establishment |
The batch number is the detail to match. Gulf News gave the product name as NIN 160 FMP – NML Face Mask CG Blue, while Khaleej Times wrote it as Nin 160 FMB-NML, so the exact wording on your box may differ slightly. Neither report named the manufacturer. Masks from other batches are not part of this recall.
What to do now
- Look for the batch or lot number on the box. It is usually printed near the expiry date.
- If it reads 20251015, stop using the masks, including any already taken out of the box.
- Take them back to the pharmacy, shop or supplier you bought them from.
- If you work in a clinic, pharmacy or hospital, the EDE has told healthcare facilities to stop selling, supplying and using the batch, set remaining stock aside, return it to the supplier and keep records. Report quality complaints through the EDE’s official reporting channels.
Khaleej Times reported that the Dubai Health Authority has told private health facilities in Dubai to comply with the recall; we could not confirm this against an official notice. At the time of writing, the recall did not appear on the news page of the EDE website.
For more on health cover and what clinics charge, read our guide to UAE health insurance rules and real costs. Other changes that affect residents are collected on our UAE updates page.
Quick answers
Which face masks have been recalled in the UAE?
Blue three-layer face masks from batch number 20251015. The Emirates Drug Establishment ordered the recall after foreign material and signs of contamination were found in some units.
What should I do with masks from the recalled batch?
Stop using them and return them to the pharmacy, shop or supplier you bought them from.
Are all face masks in the UAE affected?
No. The recall covers only batch 20251015. Masks from other batches are not part of it.
Published 13 October 2026. Sources: Gulf News and Khaleej Times (both 12 October 2026), reporting an Emirates Drug Establishment circular. We will update this post if the EDE publishes further details.
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