Dubai Enhances Market Fairness And Consumer Rights With Extensive Field Tours

The Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), conducted extensive field and monitoring tours in Q1 2024. This initiative supports DCCPFT’s ongoing campaign to highlight the rights and responsibilities of traders and consumers, promoting competitiveness within Dubai's business sector.

Officials from the Consumer Protection Department of DCCPFT engaged with traders and consumers during 232 tours, focusing on high-footfall destinations, especially during Ramadan. These locations included food markets, retail outlets, beauty stores, and tailoring shops. Traders were urged to display consumer protection numbers prominently, ensuring a seamless customer feedback process.

During these tours, meetings with suppliers and outlet officials emphasised the importance of managing consumer complaints transparently and efficiently. The goal was to ensure a fair experience for all parties involved.

The Intellectual Property Protection Department (IPP) of DCCPFT continued its monitoring tours to safeguard local and international intellectual property rights. These efforts partly responded to requests from brand owners and commercial agencies. In Q1 2024, the IPP Department received 199 requests related to registered trademarks, including eight from commercial agencies requiring cooperation with the Ministry of Economy.

The Department coordinated with other government entities to carry out campaigns ensuring IP rights are not violated. During Q1 2024, 63 campaigns were conducted in collaboration with the Department of Anti-Economic Crime at Dubai Police. Future plans include intensifying these campaigns to monitor apartments potentially used for selling counterfeit goods.

Commitment to Market Stability

Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO of DCCPFT, stated, "DCCPFT is committed to conducting field tours to protect the rights of traders and consumers, responding to consumer complaints, and raising awareness about their rights and obligations." He highlighted the importance of regulating local markets to ensure fairness, equality, healthy competition, and consumer protection.

Al Saadi also stressed DCCPFT’s dedication to protecting intellectual property rights while educating the business sector on registering and safeguarding these rights. These efforts reinforce Dubai’s reputation as a safe market for international brands and a place where consumers can confidently enjoy their retail experience.

Educational Initiatives

The IPP Department regularly organises programmes to educate traders about their rights and obligations under intellectual property laws. Emphasis is placed on avoiding malpractices such as selling counterfeit products. These initiatives aim to optimise commercial control operations and facilitate market oversight across all economic sectors.

In Q1 2024, the IPP Department successfully carried out numerous monitoring tours covering over 10,000 commercial establishments. These efforts protect the rights of local and international brands through ongoing workshops with their representatives, ensuring their IP files with DCCPFT are up-to-date.

Al Saadi concluded by calling on consumers to report any commercial violations promptly and encouraging business owners to protect and register their intellectual rights to avoid future violations or legal liabilities.

With inputs from WAM