The Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with economic departments across the emirates, conducted 8,168 inspection tours of markets between February 28 and March 17, 2026. These tours resulted in 729 warnings and the imposition of 216 financial penalties ranging from 2,000 to 200,000 dirhams. These efforts are part of ongoing national initiatives to strengthen market oversight, ensure retailers comply with consumer protection policies, and provide a safe and fair shopping environment for all consumers. The ministry stated it employs a graduated approach to penalties, aiming to correct violations and ensure adherence to relevant laws and regulations. Market monitoring is carried out by specialized teams from the ministry and economic departments, as well as through an electronic price monitoring system that enables real-time tracking of prices across 627 major sales outlets, including cooperatives, hypermarkets, and large stores, representing approximately 90% of the domestic trade volume in basic consumer goods. The ministry emphasized that consumers are active partners in monitoring the prices of goods and products by engaging with regulatory authorities and contacting the ministry through its official channels to file complaints and report any price hikes or violations. During the period from February 28 to March 17, 2026, the ministry received a total of 2,441 consumer complaints, including 1,994 related to rising food prices, nine related to the hotel sector, and 438 other complaints, all of which were addressed promptly. The ministry also launched a series of intensive awareness campaigns in collaboration with economic departments to reassure the public about the availability of goods and price stability, and to encourage consumers to avoid impulsive or panic buying in the current circumstances. It is worth noting that the ministry's teams, in cooperation with economic departments across various markets, carried out approximately 155,218 inspection tours during 2025, resulting in 7,702 violations. These included the failure to display price tags, monitoring the quality of products offered to consumers, and preventing commercial fraud and trademark infringement. In the same year, the ministry received around 3,167 complaints through its electronic service system on its website, and 93.9% of these were resolved with high efficiency, reflecting the effectiveness of the electronic system and the speed of response from the relevant authorities in protecting consumer rights.
