During a meeting chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection reviews efforts and plans to strengthen consumer rights and product control in UAE

>> H.E. bin Touq: “Thanks to the guidance of our wise leadership, the UAE has made significant strides in developing an integrated consumer protection ecosystem. The Committee has adopted a proactive approach to ensure legislations align with market changes.”

The Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, reviewed key achievements and initiatives implemented in 2024 to strengthen consumer rights protection and enhance product control across all seven emirates. These efforts aim to create a secure and stable consumer environment that aligns with international best practices, while also improving quality of life and boosting the UAE’s regional and global competitiveness in business and trade.

A Comprehensive Consumer Protection Ecosystem

H.E. Bin Touq said, “Thanks to the guidance of our wise leadership, the UAE has made significant progress in developing a comprehensive legislative and regulatory framework to create a leading and integrated ecosystem for consumer protection. This framework is designed to safeguard consumer rights and ensure fair and transparent trade practices.”

H.E. highlighted the vital role of the Committee in strengthening compliance with consumer-related laws and policies, enhancing market oversight, and fostering coordination and integration between federal and local entities. These efforts are aligned with the broader objectives of national strategies and projects that support the UAE’s ambition of becoming the world’s most prosperous society by the next decade, in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.

Proactive Approach to Developing the Committee's Initiatives

H.E. added, “The Committee has adopted a proactive approach in developing national plans and initiatives that ensure legislation keeps pace with evolving market dynamics. Our goal is to uphold the highest standards of consumer protection when it comes to purchasing goods, products, and services from providers. It has also implemented effective mechanisms and policies to regulate the availability and quality of goods, ensuring sufficient supply to meet consumer demand, particularly in the face of global economic and geopolitical challenges.”

Strengthening Control of the UAE's eCommerce Sector

The meeting reviewed the Committee’s efforts to enhance oversight of the eCommerce sector, including digital trading platforms. This included support for the issuance and amendment of economic legislations and policies for this vital sector, particularly Federal Decree Law No. (14) of 2023 on Commerce through Modern Means of Technology. The law is designed to regulate and advance eCommerce in the UAE by addressing all aspects of advanced technology-based trade from scope application and objectives to authority competence, criteria, technical standards, consumer protection mechanisms, conflict settlement, data management, insurance coverage, legal obligations, and enforcement mechanisms. The legislation reinforces the UAE’s position as a credible and secure business environment for eCommerce.

34,499 Inspection Tours Conducted in 2024

The Committee reviewed the efforts of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, as well as its partners, in market regulation and price monitoring throughout 2024. These efforts included conducting 34,499 inspection tours, which resulted in the identification of 3,561 violations. The Ministry also received nearly 2,000 complaints through its electronic services and handled 115 product recall requests for non-conforming goods via the recall service during the past year. This service enables tracking the withdrawal of non-compliant goods by the supplier or relevant authority in the UAE, the country of origin, or any other country, and facilitates local recall operations. These efforts aim to protect consumer health and safety, uphold the rights of retailers and manufacturers, and maintain market stability across the country.

Progress of Ministerial Decisions Governing Product Pricing Policy

The Committee also reviewed progress on the implementation of ministerial decisions related to the UAE's pricing policy for essential consumer goods. This includes monitoring prices of essential consumer goods, enforcing unit price labelling on selected consumer products, and advancing the adoption of the Guiding Code of Conduct for the retail sector. These measures are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the consumer protection ecosystem while ensuring a balance between the interests of consumers and product suppliers.

New Digital System for Remote Monitoring

The Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection reviewed progress on a new digital initiative aimed at strengthening electronic control of prices for products and goods. This system enables swift enforcement upon detection of violations, facilitates more flexible and accessible complaint submission, and operates through an integrated ‘smart market-analysis and remote monitoring system for consumer goods.’ By leveraging innovative technological solutions, the initiative elevates the country’s market oversight system.

Enhancing Consumer Awareness of Their Rights and Duties

At the end of the meeting, the Committee discussed strategies to boost collaboration on raising consumer awareness of their rights, responsibilities, and obligations. It also focused on promoting responsible consumer behaviour, enabling informed purchasing decisions, ensuring access to accurate product and service information, and affirming the consumer’s right to fair compensation in the event of harm resulting from the purchase or use of a product or service.