Current UAE Consumer Protection framework
UAE consumer protection is principally governed by Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection, as amended, together with its Executive Regulation in Cabinet Resolution No. 66 of 2023. The current federal authority is the Ministry of Economy & Tourism (MoET).
The framework protects consumers through rights relating to accurate information, product and service safety, warranties, defective goods, invoices, misleading advertising, pricing and dispute resolution. The federal framework also applies alongside the rules of the competent emirate-level consumer-protection authority.
Online transactions also have an additional federal framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Modern Technology-Based Trade.
Core statutory consumer rights
| Consumer right | Legal basis | Current explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Defective-good remedy | Article 12 + Executive Regulation | Where a flaw is found, the provider must provide the remedy required by law, including repair, replacement, take-back/refund or free re-performance of a service, according to the Executive Regulation. |
| Recurring defect | Article 13 | If the same defect occurs three times during the first year and fundamentally affects functionality, the provider must replace or refund the product under the statutory conditions. |
| Warranty / after-sales service | Articles 10, 14 & 15 | Providers must honour applicable warranties, provide required spare parts and maintenance and comply with the statutory after-sales obligations. |
| Price transparency | Article 8 | Prices must be clearly written/displayed and price advertising must not be misleading. A detailed invoice is required. |
| Arabic invoice | Article 8(4) | The invoice must be in Arabic; the provider may add another language. |
| Misleading descriptions | Article 17 | Advertisers, providers and commercial agents must not use false data or misleading descriptions/advertising. |
| Excess price / monopoly conduct | Article 19 | The law prohibits specified conduct including concealing goods to control prices, monopolising goods and charging a price higher than the declared price, subject to the Executive Regulation. |
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Defective goods: repair, replacement and refund
Article 12 is stronger and more specific than a simple "full refund" formulation. When a flaw is found in a commodity or service, the provider must, in accordance with the Executive Regulation, repair or replace the commodity, take it back and refund its price, or re-provide the service without charge.
| Situation | Current legal position |
|---|---|
| Defect discovered | Consumer can have the statutory repair, replacement, return/refund or service re-performance remedies required by Article 12 and the Executive Regulation. |
| Same defect occurs 3 times in first year | Article 13 provides a stronger replacement/refund remedy where the repeated defect fundamentally affects functionality. |
| Repair period exceeds 7 days | For a commercial agent/distributor covered by Article 16, a similar good must be provided free of charge if implementing the warranty exceeds seven days, subject to the law. |
| "No Refund / No Exchange" sign | Such wording cannot defeat protected statutory remedies. The Executive Regulation specifies limited circumstances where the wording can be used and expressly preserves rights for manufacturing defects and specification violations. |
Price display, invoices and misleading pricing
Article 8 requires providers to clearly write/display the price when offering a commodity for sale, prohibits misleading price advertising and requires a detailed invoice containing the provider's trade name, address, commodity/service details, price and quantity/details prescribed by the Executive Regulation. The invoice must be in Arabic, although another language may be added.
| Issue | Correct explanation |
|---|---|
| Displayed price | Must be clearly displayed and price advertising must not be misleading. |
| Checkout price | Charging above a declared price can violate Article 19 where the statutory conditions apply. |
| Invoice | A detailed invoice is required. |
| Invoice language | Arabic is mandatory for the invoice; an additional language is permitted. |
| VAT | The UAE standard VAT rate is 5%, but consumer price-display obligations should not be incorrectly attributed entirely to Article 8 of the Consumer Protection Law. |
Warranty and after-sales service
Provider obligations
Commercial-agent protection
Article 16 places additional warranty obligations on commercial agents and distributors. Where warranty implementation takes more than seven days, the agent or distributor must provide a similar good free of charge until the warranty is implemented, subject to the statutory conditions.
"No Refund / No Exchange" policies
A store cannot use a blanket sign to remove statutory consumer rights. The Executive Regulation lists specific circumstances in which wording such as "goods sold are neither returned nor exchanged" may be used, including certain goods whose nature prevents resale, rapidly perishable goods, goods manufactured to consumer specifications and cases where the consumer knew of and accepted the defect.
Importantly, the Executive Regulation expressly preserves the consumer's return and replacement rights where the reason is a manufacturing defect, breach of approved specifications or another legally protected defect.
Online shopping and digital consumer rights
E-commerce is not governed only by the general Consumer Protection Law. Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Modern Technology-Based Trade gives digital consumers additional rights and imposes specific duties on digital traders.
| Digital right / requirement | Current framework |
|---|---|
| Digital-trader identity | The digital trader must make specified licence, address and contact information available to consumers. |
| Complaints | Digital traders must provide complaint contact channels and a mechanism for following up complaints. |
| Product/service information | Digital-commerce information must be presented transparently, including required contract and transaction information. |
| Return / replacement | The 2023 law provides return or replacement rights in the circumstances specified in its Article 7 and related provisions. |
| Digital payment fees | Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 and Cabinet Resolution No. 200 of 2025 contain specific rules concerning digital-trade payment fees. Any surcharge must therefore be assessed under the digital-trade rules and disclosed contractual terms rather than stated as a one-line blanket rule for every card transaction. |
How to file a consumer complaint
Dubai Consumer Protection
Dubai consumer complaints are handled through the Dubai Consumer Protection / Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism channels.
For consumer complaints concerning establishments licensed in Dubai.
1. Gather evidence
Keep the invoice, contract, warranty, screenshots, advertisements, correspondence, payment evidence, delivery documents and photographs relevant to the complaint.
2. Contact the seller
Clearly state the defect or dispute and the remedy requested. Keep evidence of the seller's response or refusal.
3. File with the competent authority
Submit the complaint through the correct emirate or federal consumer-protection channel and attach the supporting documents requested.
Which consumer authority should you use?
| Location / matter | Primary complaint route | Current phone |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai Consumer / DET consumer-protection channels. | 600 545555 |
| Abu Dhabi | ADDED Consumer Protection / TAMM channels. | 800555 |
| Ajman | Use the competent local economic authority rather than the federal MoET complaint route. | Local authority |
| Other emirates within federal MoET service | MoET consumer complaint service via website, smart app or call centre. | 800 1222 |
Consumer documentation checklist
Important distinctions
Statutory defect remedy vs voluntary return policy
A retailer's voluntary return period for an unwanted but non-defective product is different from the statutory remedy that applies when a good is defective, unsafe, not as described or otherwise falls within a protected legal case.
General consumer law vs digital trade
Online transactions may receive additional protections under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023. Do not assume that every e-commerce question is governed only by the 2020 Consumer Protection Law.
Federal vs local complaint authority
The federal MoET complaint service is not the primary complaint route for every emirate. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ajman have local consumer/economic authorities.
Price display vs VAT
Consumer Protection Law price transparency and the VAT-inclusive pricing framework should not be merged into one unsupported Article 8 claim.
Common mistakes to avoid
Frequently Asked Questions
Official primary sources
Consumer-protection rights arise under the federal framework, but complaint handling is also administered through emirate-level authorities. The correct complaint channel depends on where the seller or service provider is licensed and the nature of the transaction.