The Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection adopts an integrated monitoring plan for the month of Ramadan
Dubai, February 11 / WAM / The Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection held its first meeting for the year 2026, headed by His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and in the presence of representatives of the committee’s member agencies.
The committee reviewed the most prominent efforts and achievements achieved in developing the legislative and regulatory environment to protect consumers and provide a safe consumer climate in the country’s markets, within the framework of enhancing national integration to ensure market stability and protect consumer rights.
The committee adopted an integrated monitoring plan for the holy month of Ramadan, in cooperation between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and various federal and local authorities concerned with monitoring markets.
This plan includes inspection tours, awareness-raising efforts, and communication with the consumer and cooperative sectors, to ensure enabling sound commercial practices, raising the level of compliance in the markets, preventing commercial fraudulent practices, and ensuring price stability and availability of goods.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq stressed that the UAE, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, has succeeded in developing an integrated legislative and regulatory system for consumer protection, which reflects the country’s commitment to enhancing justice and transparency in the markets, and establishing a fair and stable consumer environment that is consistent with best global practices, thus enhancing its position as a leading destination in quality of life and business competitiveness, and supporting the objectives of the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision.
He said: “We look forward, through the first meeting of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection this year, to enhance the discussion and come up with new recommendations that support national trends in developing the system for protecting consumer rights in the country, especially with the approaching month of Ramadan, in a way that ensures market stability and enhances community confidence in the consumer environment and the wholesale and retail trade sector in the country.”
His Excellency welcomed the joining of His Excellency Hassan Jassim Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, to the membership of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, stressing that expanding the participation of national authorities in the committee strengthens its effectiveness in following up on files related to market development, strengthening oversight, and diversifying initiatives that serve the consumer and enhance the quality of life in the UAE.
The committee reviewed the most prominent results and indicators achieved within the efforts of the Ministry and the concerned authorities to enhance oversight and consumer protection in the country’s markets, as the specialized teams in the Ministry and the economic development departments in the various emirates of the country carried out 155,218 inspection tours during the year 2025, which resulted in issuing 7,702 violations. The Ministry also received 3,167 complaints through its website during the past year, and they were dealt with with high efficiency, as 93.9% of them were resolved and received during the period. Same 130 recall requests for products and goods, according to which 551,976 goods were recovered.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq confirmed that the legislative environment for protecting consumer rights in the country witnessed qualitative developments during the last stage, as an integrated national policy for pricing basic consumer goods was adopted in accordance with Cabinet Resolution No. (120) of 2022 regarding the rules and controls for pricing consumer goods in the country.
In this context, His Excellency referred to the issuance of three ministerial decisions supporting the pricing policy of basic consumer goods, including setting the unit price for some basic consumer goods, monitoring basic commodity prices and preventing any increase without prior approval from the Ministry, covering 9 major commodities, in addition to adopting a guiding code of conduct to regulate the relationship between suppliers and retailers and enhance transparency in the markets.
His Excellency referred to Federal Decree Law No. (14) of 2023 regarding trade through modern technology, which aims to regulate digital commerce and ensure consumer rights by providing technical protections, secure digital payment channels, and data protection, pointing to the issuance of Cabinet Resolution No. (200) of 2025 regarding violations and administrative penalties related to violating the provisions of the decree.
During the meeting, members of the committee were briefed on an update report on the follow-up recommendations of the second meeting of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection for the year 2025, which reviewed the most prominent previous decisions, and the outcomes of national coordination between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the competent local authorities regarding oversight and consumer protection, in addition to the efforts made to develop a unified and integrated supervisory framework that contributes to raising levels of compliance with legislation regulating markets, reducing violations, and promoting sound commercial practices in order to establish a balanced and fair relationship between the provider and the consumer.
The report highlighted the Ministry’s mechanisms for monitoring the movement of prices of basic consumer goods in coordination with the economic development departments and following up on major sales outlets in the country to ensure that no unjustified increases are implemented, in addition to reviewing the consumer protection plan during the month of Ramadan, which includes intensifying price control, preventing commercial fraud and tampering with Ramadan offers, and verifying the quality and safety of food products, as well as strengthening partnerships with entities supporting the consumer protection system through implementing joint awareness campaigns and organizing workshops in support of the control plan. Nationalism.
The committee discussed the efforts of local authorities to enhance control over markets and ensure the availability of basic commodities before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, as the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi reviewed its field plan to follow the movement of prices and ensure the availability of basic commodities in sales outlets, intensify oversight of compliance with pricing policies and prevent any exploitative practices during the peak season.
The Department of Economy and Tourism – Dubai also reviewed its supervisory efforts and proactive plans to control markets, follow up on Ramadan offers, and ensure commitment to setting price labels and transparency in prices, in addition to strengthening control over the quality and safety of products.
The committee adopted an integrated plan to monitor markets during the holy Ramadan season, which includes holding approximately 26 meetings with major suppliers and importers to ensure the flow of basic commodities in sufficient quantities in the markets, in addition to implementing 420 inspection tours and field visits to sales outlets during the month of Ramadan to monitor prices and the extent of compliance with pricing policies and prevent commercial exploitation, and taking legal measures in the event of monitoring any violations, in addition to intensive awareness campaigns in cooperation with economic development departments to spread a conscious consumer culture during the holy month, as well as Supporting Ramadan discounts and offers initiatives launched by sales outlets in the country.
The committee discussed developments in implementing the guiding code of conduct in the consumer goods sector, which aims to regulate the contractual relationship between suppliers and retailers and enhance integrity and transparency in the basic consumer goods sector.
In this context, members reviewed the sales outlets’ views on implementing the Code, as several outlets confirmed their full commitment to implementing it, while some outlets put forward proposals to develop the Code in a way that enhances its positive impact and the extent of adherence to its guidelines, especially in terms of e-commerce, promotional offers, and contract models between suppliers and sales outlets in accordance with best practices.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related
