The Consumer Protection Higher Committee convened its second meeting for 2025, led by His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. During the meeting, representatives from member entities discussed significant strides made in enhancing the legislative and regulatory environment to ensure a safe and fair consumer landscape in the nation’s markets. This includes efforts to bolster consumer rights and maintain price stability using best global practices, which in turn supports national economic growth and sustainability.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri emphasized that the UAE, guided by its wise leadership, places great importance on developing policies and regulations that protect consumer rights. He highlighted the commitment to fostering transparency and fair competition in the marketplace and strengthening a resilient and sustainable economic framework. The minister noted that the UAE aims to provide a secure and stable consumer environment, reinforcing its status as a global leader in quality of life and business competitiveness, while also supporting the objectives of the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision focused on building a diversified and sustainable knowledge-based economy.
He added, “In our discussions during this meeting, we prioritized the development of national initiatives aimed at enhancing market monitoring, regulating price movements, and combating harmful consumer practices, all adhering to the highest standards of transparency, fairness, and security. Our focus is on achieving a balance of interests between consumers, suppliers, and vendors while bolstering trust in local markets. We are also committed to maintaining direct communication channels with consumers to effectively address inquiries and complaints.”
Inspection Activities
Economic development departments across the Emirates continue to work in tandem with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism in intensifying their efforts to oversee marketplaces, regulate pricing, and combat counterfeit and fraudulent goods. In the first half of 2025, local departments conducted over 76,500 inspection tours in various markets, resulting in 4,908 violations, as part of the cooperative efforts between the ministry and local entities aimed at protecting consumers and enhancing market integrity.
The committee reviewed key results and indicators from the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, which focused on strengthening oversight in the nation’s markets. Notably, there have been 2,297 consumer complaints received from the start of 2025 until early November, and there were 79 product recall requests for items failing to meet specifications, affecting 309,484 products during the first nine months of the year.
The committee also discussed initiatives aimed at educating consumers and businesses about various types of fraud and phishing scams. Members learned about the measures being implemented by regulatory authorities in the UAE, including new mechanisms for early detection of electronic fraud attempts, leveraging artificial intelligence technologies in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and local economic development departments, along with relevant federal and local stakeholders.
The meeting featured a presentation on the guidelines for food delivery platforms in Dubai to enhance competition, promote fair trade practices, and encourage responsible commercial behavior while attracting more investment to this vital sector. The committee urged consumers to engage directly with relevant regulatory bodies and to share their experiences, complaints, and inquiries via the official website and smart application of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. This aims to reinforce the ministry’s role as a trusted legislative and regulatory authority in the country, promoting awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities while ensuring the implementation of best practices in handling complaints and feedback.