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Ramadan in UAE: How shoppers can file complaints against illegal price hikes
Consumers can also play their own part in ensuring prices for these items remain stable by submitting formal complaints to the Ministry or other relevant authorities.
- PUBLISHED: Wed 18 Feb 2026, 5:10 PM UPDATED: Wed 18 Feb 2026, 10:22 PM
The next time you go grocery shopping, make sure you keep an eye out for illegal price hikes on nine essential food items.
To protect consumer rights during the holy month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in collaboration with local entities around the country, will continue its efforts to ensure food prices are not hiked without prior permission.
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Issued in 2022, the Ministry’s ‘Pricing Policy for Essential Consumer Goods’ prohibits increasing the prices of nine essential food products — cooking oils, eggs, dairy products, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread, and wheat — without prior approval either from the Ministry or other relevant authorities.
However, if a retailer increases the price of essential goods, inspectors will pause sales of that product until the retailer adjusts the price. Consumers can also play their part in ensuring prices for these items remain stable by submitting formal complaints to the Ministry or other relevant authorities.
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How to track price increase?
To know if the price of the nine essential products has been tampered with, make sure you take note of the listed price on the shelf versus when it is scanned at a barcode during checkout.
Retailers are required to clearly display the item’s true price in big, bold fonts, and should clearly indicate loyalty card offers in a visible font to not confuse consumers.
Another, less convenient way to know if the price of these nine essential goods has noticeably increased is by keeping receipts. This way, you can compare prices from your previous purchase to the most recent one.
How to submit a complaint
The Ministry accepts complaints for all emirates except for Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ajman, which each has its own respective portal.
To file a complaint against a retailer that increased the price of these nine essential commodities:
Go to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s website (https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/home).
Click on the eServices tab.
Scroll down to the Consumer Protection and Commercial Control Services section and select Resolve Consumer Complaints.
Make sure you have the required documents, such as the name and branch of the retailer (i.e supermarket), a summary of the complaint submitted, and a copy of the purchase invoice or receipt.
Fill in the personal information and attach relevant documents, then submit the complaint.
It is important to note that without proof of purchase or any other supporting documentation, the complaint will likely be dismissed. The complaint can be expected to be resolved within one week of submission.
Complaining in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Ajman
Consumers must submit complaints through separate portals for retailes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ajman.
Dubai
Dubai has its own separate portal, through the Department of Tourism and Economy’s consumer rights website. To file a complaint of a retailer located in Dubai:
Go to consumerrights.gov.ae.
Click on consumer complaints.
Fill in the form and attach evidence.
Click submit.
Alternatively, you can call the helpline at 600 545 5555.
Abu Dhabi
There are three modes of submitting a complaint for supermarkets in Abu Dhabi:
Call the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre at 800555
Email: contact@tamm.abudhabi
Go to any of the Tamm service centres
Ajman
Go to the official website of Ajman’s Department of Economic Development (https://www.ajmanded.ae).
Click on the Consumer Protection tab.
Choose Request for Complaint.
Make sure the purchase invoice or contract is submitted in addition to any supporting documents.
Review the application and submit.
Just to note, the commercial license must be issued by the emirate of Ajman only. Additionally, some complaints are subject to the condition that a technical report is available from accredited bodies.
What is the penalty for violators?
Depending on the type of violation, measures may include issuing a written warning and granting the violator a deadline to rectify the situation or imposing financial fines starting from Dh500 and reaching up to Dh100,000.
Additionally, other administrative actions may be taken, such as the temporary closure of the establishment for varying periods. In severe cases or upon repeated violations, stricter measures proportionate to the gravity of the violation may be implemented.
In 2025, the Ministry recorded over 7,702 violations across the country. Moreover, it received 3,167 complaints via its website last year, 93.9 per cent of which were resolved.
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.
