emirates7 - -The UAE's Ministry of Economy and Tourism found over 7,702 violations in 2025, of which 93.9 per cent complaints were resolved within a matter of days
Dubai is stepping up its inspections to ensure the price of nine essential goods do not increase during Ramadan.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will conduct these check-ups every day to make sure nine essential items — cooking oil, eggs, dairy products, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread, and wheat — stay priced within a certain range.
During these daily visits, inspectors will check the price of these items with a special device that reads the item's barcode and shows if the price is within the acceptable range. By law, the price of these nine essential goods cannot be hiked unless an official request is raised with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and with a justifiable reason.
Moreover, during Ramadan, some products, though non-essential, become a staple in Muslim households, such as samosas, Vimto, and dates. While the pricing policy does not apply to them, Ahmed Ahli, the Director for Tourism Activities Monitoring at DET, said they are still being inspected to ensure they are reasonably priced.
Daily inspections also happen during other peak seasons, such as during Eid, New Year’s Eve, and the back-to-school season in late August and early September. Apart from that, DET conducts price inspections of these nine essential food products on a monthly basis.
So far, DET has conducted 400 visits, with 10 awareness workshops being hosted with suppliers and retailers to educate them on the rights and obligations of the consumer.
“(Inspections) happen across all retailers and wholesalers, however in specific seasons, we have comprehensive visits on stores that will or we expect to have higher demand.”
Loyalty programmes
Certain items may be priced differently for customers with loyalty programmes, which Ahli said must be clearly marked in big bold letters. “Earlier, it was a footnote on a very small font, so we make sure that it's very obvious that whether this price is for all customers or for loyalty customers or for certain products,” he said.
This is also part of the daily inspections, as DET looks at whether retailers clearly display which prices are intended for loyalty customers, so as to not confuse them.
How to raise a complaint
It is vital that consumers keep records of their receipts, Ahli said, since many of the complaints they receive are dismissed due to insufficient evidence. “This is one of the problems we face,” he said. “When a consumer submits a complaint, they don't have any supportive documents.”
He added that consumers should also keep a record of any quotation or proposal they have received from the retailers so that DET can accurately assess whether there was a violation or a breach of consumer rights.
To file a complaint against unjustifiable price hikes, submit a request to the consumer rights portal (https://consumerrights.gov.ae/en) or call 600 545 5555, and make sure documents are at the ready.
7,000 violations
Countrywide, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism found over 7,702 violations in 2025, of which 93.9 per cent of complaints were resolved within a matter of days. DET received short of 100,000 requests last year, according to Ahli, out of which around 89,000 were consumer complaints.
The director added that complaints don’t necessarily imply a fault from the merchant, as it is sometimes either a misunderstanding or a failure to deliver as per expectation. “Complaints do vary depending on the sector and depending on the nature of the transaction between the consumer and the output,” Ahli added.
Consumer awareness campaigns continue alongside inspections, including the publication of the 'Consumer Rights Guide' on digital platforms, encouraging the public to report any violations.
Dubai is stepping up its inspections to ensure the price of nine essential goods do not increase during Ramadan.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will conduct these check-ups every day to make sure nine essential items — cooking oil, eggs, dairy products, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread, and wheat — stay priced within a certain range.
During these daily visits, inspectors will check the price of these items with a special device that reads the item's barcode and shows if the price is within the acceptable range. By law, the price of these nine essential goods cannot be hiked unless an official request is raised with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and with a justifiable reason.
Moreover, during Ramadan, some products, though non-essential, become a staple in Muslim households, such as samosas, Vimto, and dates. While the pricing policy does not apply to them, Ahmed Ahli, the Director for Tourism Activities Monitoring at DET, said they are still being inspected to ensure they are reasonably priced.
Daily inspections also happen during other peak seasons, such as during Eid, New Year’s Eve, and the back-to-school season in late August and early September. Apart from that, DET conducts price inspections of these nine essential food products on a monthly basis.
So far, DET has conducted 400 visits, with 10 awareness workshops being hosted with suppliers and retailers to educate them on the rights and obligations of the consumer.
“(Inspections) happen across all retailers and wholesalers, however in specific seasons, we have comprehensive visits on stores that will or we expect to have higher demand.”
Loyalty programmes
Certain items may be priced differently for customers with loyalty programmes, which Ahli said must be clearly marked in big bold letters. “Earlier, it was a footnote on a very small font, so we make sure that it's very obvious that whether this price is for all customers or for loyalty customers or for certain products,” he said.
This is also part of the daily inspections, as DET looks at whether retailers clearly display which prices are intended for loyalty customers, so as to not confuse them.
How to raise a complaint
It is vital that consumers keep records of their receipts, Ahli said, since many of the complaints they receive are dismissed due to insufficient evidence. “This is one of the problems we face,” he said. “When a consumer submits a complaint, they don't have any supportive documents.”
He added that consumers should also keep a record of any quotation or proposal they have received from the retailers so that DET can accurately assess whether there was a violation or a breach of consumer rights.
To file a complaint against unjustifiable price hikes, submit a request to the consumer rights portal (https://consumerrights.gov.ae/en) or call 600 545 5555, and make sure documents are at the ready.
7,000 violations
Countrywide, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism found over 7,702 violations in 2025, of which 93.9 per cent of complaints were resolved within a matter of days. DET received short of 100,000 requests last year, according to Ahli, out of which around 89,000 were consumer complaints.
The director added that complaints don’t necessarily imply a fault from the merchant, as it is sometimes either a misunderstanding or a failure to deliver as per expectation. “Complaints do vary depending on the sector and depending on the nature of the transaction between the consumer and the output,” Ahli added.
Consumer awareness campaigns continue alongside inspections, including the publication of the 'Consumer Rights Guide' on digital platforms, encouraging the public to report any violations.
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