UAE Bans Price Rises For Rice, Poultry, Bread, Dairy And More Essentials Ahead Of Ramadan 2024
The UAE has banned price increases on certain essential items and announced sales of up to 75 per cent off nearly 4,000 items during Ramadan.
Prices on essentials such as rice, poultry, bread and dairy will be frozen in an effort to protect consumer rights in the country.
The Ministry of Economy (MoE) has outlined its plan to strengthen the supervision of prices of products and services in the country’s markets during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
UAE Ramadan 2024 prices
The goal is to safeguard consumer rights within a comprehensive and leading consumer ecosystem that aligns with global standards, thus maintaining a balanced trade-consumer relationship in the UAE.
Through this plan, the ministry aims to strengthen its collaboration with partners in enforcing consumer protection laws and regulations in the country.
It also seeks to educate consumers about the country’s legislative framework for consumer protection; the pricing policies for essential goods, thus promoting consumer knowledge and awareness on their rights and responsibilities when making purchases; and guiding them towards making informed consumption choices.
Abdullah Sultan Al Fan Al Shamsi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Monitoring and Follow Up Sector at the Ministry of Economy, emphasised that the UAE is moving forward in establishing a comprehensive regulatory and legal framework to safeguard consumers and guarantee their rights.
He pointed out that the UAE’s MoE consistently works in cooperation with relevant government bodies at the federal and local levels, particularly through the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, engaging and coordinating with the cooperative sector, private sector, and stakeholders to create a safe and favourable environment for consumers when buying products or using services.
Al Shamsi said: “The Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry organised over 26 meetings with suppliers of essential goods in the country in 2023.
“These goods include cooking oil, eggs, dairy products, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread, and wheat. All these meetings were aimed at ensuring the adequate availability of products to meet consumer needs during Ramadan 2024.
“The UAE implements best policies to ensure a strategic supply of all vital goods required by citizens, residents, and visitors in the country, in ample quantities for extended periods, guided by clear directives and unwavering support from our wise leadership.”
He also pointed out that as Ramadan approaches, the UAE markets see a substantial increase in the availability of goods and products, especially that of essential consumer items.
He further emphasised the ministry’s commitment to meeting all consumer needs and facilitating their access to these goods effortlessly and without any unjustified price hikes, and providing the quantities they require.
In addition, Al Shamsi explained that the prices of essential goods cannot be increased without prior approval from the ministry and relevant authorities, following the pricing policy for basic consumer goods.
This policy includes a ban on raising prices for nine key items:
- Cooking oil
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Rice
- Sugar
- Poultry
- Legumes
- Bread
- Wheat
The enactment of UAE Federal Decree Law No. 5 of 2023 amending certain provisions of Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on consumer protection, along with its executive regulations, has strengthened consumer rights and supported national efforts to tighten price regulation in the UAE’s markets.
This involves the imposition of over 43 obligations on suppliers and the implementation of comprehensive regulatory measures to promote fair business practices.
Al Shamsi added: “The ministry will oversee the promotions announced by a group of consumer cooperatives and outlets in the country and those related to the discounts on the prices of goods and products during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
“The discounts on some products in the cooperatives go up to nearly 50 percent.”
Al Shamsi noted that, during the Holy Month of Ramadan 2024, promotions for goods and products in some cooperatives will cover nearly 4,000 commodities advertised through promotional campaigns within the country’s markets.
Sales rates ranged from 25 per cent to 75 per cent, while e-store discounts reached over 40 per cent on commodities in Ramadan and 70 per cent on seasonal commodities such as vegetables and fruits, which witness pent-up demand during the month.
A large set of UAE outlets have also announced a 75 per cent increase in discounts on goods and products during the Holy Month of Ramadan 2024.
He explained that the main reasons behind the increase in promotions are the increased competition between outlets, availability of supply in large quantities, and high consumer awareness among individuals.
Furthermore, Al Shamsi reviewed a series of new initiatives that the MoE, in collaboration with relevant federal and local authorities and economic development departments, seeks to implement during the next phase. They will promote a safe environment for consumers in the country and raise it to new levels of competitiveness and prosperity. These initiatives include:
Establishing a UAE team to monitor the prices of essential consumer goods and products in the country
Promulgating a code of conduct to strengthen the contractual relationship between outlets and suppliers in the country’s markets
The ministry and the relevant authorities shall oversee retailers’ adherence to the unit prices, while monitoring and taking appropriate action on any irregularities regarding the obligation of not raising the prices of essential consumer goods.
He revealed that in 2023, the ministry’s teams and economic development departments carried out nearly 96,200 inspection tours, resulting in the detection of 6,645 violations.
The number of inspections carried out by the ministry in January and February 2024 totalled approximately 620.
He noted that these tours form part of the ministry’s efforts to further monitor markets and outlets and assess merchants’ commitment to price labelling, as well as prevent cases of commercial fraud and trademark infringements.
Al Shamsi also confirmed the availability of alternatives to consumers, giving them the option to choose products based on their purchasing needs and budget.
This allows them the flexibility to shift from one brand to another when its price is higher, the quality is low, or there are other competitive advantages.
This is of great significance since the purchasing decisions of consumers are a key and critical factor that influences prices, market trends, and supply and demand.
