Ramdan 2024 - retailers cannot hike prices on 9 foods

UAE retailers are not allowed to raise prices of nine basic items without prior approval — and this Ramadan, shoppers are urged to stay vigilant and report violations, authorities said on Wednesday.

Abdullah Sultan Al Fan Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary for the monitoring and follow-up sector at the Ministry of Economy (MoE) said that the pricing policy for consumer goods is a key pillar of market price regulation.

“This policy prohibits price hikes of nine essential goods which are, cooking oil, eggs, dairy, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread and wheat without prior approval from the Ministry of Economy and the competent authorities in the country,” he said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

With families expected to stock up on essentials and make the most of deals this holy month, residents are reminded to keep their receipts to ensure their rights are protected, the official said.

Such proofs of purchases will come in handy in case a dispute arises.

The ministry, he added, had rolled out initiatives to ensure discounts and promotions would be applied appropriately this holy month.

“We would also like to encourage consumers' engagement with regulatory authorities and their continuous communication with the Ministry through our channels. This enables them to lodge complaints, report detrimental commercial practices that undermine consumer protection, and share suggestions and ideas to enhance the consumer protection landscape in the country. They can reach out to us via the toll-free number 8001222,” he said.

The mission is to educate consumers about their rights and prevent practices that may harm their interests, Al Shamso added.

In 2023, the ministry and other regulatory authorities in the UAE conducted 96,200 inspections to tackle violations related to price labelling, product quality monitoring, and prevent commercial fraud and trademark infringements. During this crackdown, 6,545 violations were detected.