30% of complaints over 5 months focused on the prices of building materials

The Emirates Consumer Protection Association revealed that it received about 1,800 complaints from consumers during the first five months of this year.

She reported to “Emirates Today” that about 30% of the total complaints received were concentrated in the building materials sector, affected by changes in the prices of supplying building materials in a number of world markets, noting that the most prominent complaints were concentrated in the prices of goods, car repair workshops and spare parts, and e-commerce platforms.

In detail, Walid Al Naqbi, a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Consumer Protection Association, said that the association received during the first five months of the current year 2026 about 1,800 complaints from consumers in various sectors.

He added in statements to “Emirates Today” that “the most prominent complaints focus on sectors such as commodity prices, building materials, car repair and spare parts workshops, and e-commerce platforms.”

He revealed that “the largest share of consumer complaints received by the association during the same time period were concentrated in complaints from the building materials sector, which accounted for about 30% of the total complaints received during that period, as a result of the events that took place in the region and the change in the prices of supplying building materials in a number of world markets,” pointing out that the UAE market was the least affected by it compared to different countries, supported by the flow and diversity of supply from different countries of origin.

Al-Naqbi continued: “Consumer complaints received by the association, during the first five months of this year, increased at rates exceeding 30% compared to the same period last year 2025, which indicates the extent of increased awareness among consumers and increased confidence in the association’s role in dealing with complaints,” noting that “the total complaints received by the association during the past year 2025 reached about 3,500 complaints.”

Al-Naqbi stressed the association’s keenness to continuously raise consumers’ awareness of the necessity of reporting any violations observed in the markets immediately, whether to the relevant oversight authorities or the association, so that any negative practices in the markets can be quickly and effectively addressed.

He said: “Among the observations that were monitored during the first quarter were price complaints during the first half of the holy month of Ramadan, which were monitored to decline during the second half of it, with the rapid response of the concerned authorities, and the increase in inspection and follow-up campaigns in the markets.”

He stressed that “the association has carried out a number of field tours in the markets since the beginning of this year, especially during the holy month of Ramadan and the period that follows it,” indicating that these tours included various markets, most notably retail trade areas, and markets for vegetables and fruits in Dubai and Sharjah.

. Complaints included prices of goods, car repair shops, spare parts, and e-commerce platforms.