Over 2,000 items confiscated from Abu Dhabi markets

Thousands of inspection campaigns have been carried out ahead of festive season

Officials from the A/bu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) carry out inspection visits across the emirate. Courtesy of ADDED.

More than 2,000 items have been confiscated from Abu Dhabi markets for failing to meet regulations and standards.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development carried out 10,000 inspections of markets across the emirate looking for signs of commercial fraud and illegitimately increased prices.

More than 2,000 items that broke regulations were found across 15 main outlets.

“We urge consumers to be aware of their rights and feel free to ask questions about the products and services, particularly during the festive season,” said Mohamed Monif Al Mansoori, executive director of ADDED’s Abu Dhabi Business Centre.

The department urged retailers to add product descriptions in Arabic to make product packaging clear and understandable to Arab-speaking consumers.

Information in Arabic should include date of manufacturing, packaging and expiry, ingredients, net weight and country of origin.

The Consumer Protection Department issued several circulars to various points of sale during the Holy Month of Ramadan to ensure consumer protection, including a circular on freezing prices during festive seasons.

Another circular forbids putting additional unjustified fees or service charges on consumers and to reimburse consumers as per the amounts stated on the bills.

Additional circulars also focused on preventing misinformation, tackling misleading advertisements, and avoiding any discrimination of consumers in terms of price and the quality of products and services.