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Read more informationUAE: Amendments to the Consumer Protection Law
On 10th November 2020, His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, issued Federal Law No. (15) of 2020 on Consumer Protection (the 'Consumer Protection Law'), repealing Federal Law No. (24) of 2006 on Consumer Protection (the 'Old Consumer Protection Law').
The Consumer Protection Law's main objective is to further protect consumers' rights in the United Arab Emirates ('UAE'). It extends to the sale and purchase of all goods and services supplied in the United Arab Emirates (including free zones) and e-commerce website and sources registered in the United Arab Emirates.
Among its goals, the Consumer Protection Law aims to ensure:
The Old Consumer Protection Act defines "Supplier" extensively and captures any legal person, including but not limited to manufacturers, distributors, service providers or any person "plays a part in producing or trading or storing a commodity to provide the same to the consumer". The concept of 'Supplier' now refers to suppliers of e-commerce services registered in the UAE. Given the substantial growth of e-commerce in the UAE, this latter point is essential, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic, which has intensified e-commerce activities. As such, a welcome change is the expansion of the legislation to include such events.
The main points that the Consumer Protection Law include the following:
Consumer rights protections:
Under Article 36 of the Consumer Protection Law, it is expected that the Executive Regulations will conform with the Consumer Protection Law by 15th May 2021 and provide more clarification. We will include an update to this client warning until the same one is released. Furthermore, Article 33 of the Consumer Protection Law states that any who are caught in compliance with the provisions of the law shall ensure that they are entirely complied by 10th November 2021 or any other date appropriate to the UAE authorities. Article 36 of the Consumer Protection Law specifies that, by 15th May 2021, the Executive Regulations are required to comply with the Consumer Protection Law and offer more clarity. Furthermore, Article 33 of the Consumer Protection Law specifies that all those caught in compliance with the provisions of the law must ensure that they are fully complied with by 10th November 2021 or by some other date suitable for the authorities the United Arab Emirates.