British American Tobacco will cut about 9,000 jobs this year, including 5,500 direct layoffs and 3,500 outsourced positions, as part of a transformation programme aimed at reducing costs and becoming more technology‑enabled. The FTSE 100 company said the reductions, which affect staff in the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, Costa Rica, Mexico, Singapore and Malaysia, are intended to generate £600 million in annual savings by 2028. Chief executive Tadeu Marroco said the company was building a future‑ready organisation that is more agile, cost disciplined and technology enabled, and that it would support employees through the transition. The firm has partnered with Accenture to access AI solutions and said plans to simplify its structure would make it more digital and AI focused. BAT also announced the closure of its eighth‑largest factory in South Africa in January, citing competition from illicit trade, and forecast a 2.5 % decline in global cigarette volumes this year. Revenue from smoke‑free products such as Vuse vapes and Velo nicotine pouches is growing, with mid‑teen percentage growth expected this year. Shares fell 1.4 % in early trading on Monday but were up 11.8 % year‑to‑date, while rival Imperial Brands fell 1 % in early trading.