Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding consumer rights, reporting strong achievements during the first half of 2026 through a combination of regulatory oversight, consumer services, and market inspection campaigns.
MoCI in a social media post yesterday highlighted preservation of more than QR7.9m in consumers’ financial rights during the first six months of the year. The figure reflects the Ministry’s intervention in resolving complaints and addressing consumer grievances.
The Ministry also demonstrated a high level of efficiency in handling consumer complaints. During the reporting period, 13,408 complaints were successfully resolved, representing an impressive 99.7 percent completion rate.
In addition to formal complaint resolution, the Ministry reported that 4,395 complaints were settled amicably in favour of consumers. This illustrates MoCI’s approach of encouraging fair resolutions between consumers and businesses whenever possible, reducing the need for prolonged disputes while protecting consumer interests.
Digital transformation continues to play a key role in the ministry’s consumer protection strategy. The post also revealed that 96.9 percent of all complaints were received through digital channels, reflecting growing public confidence in the Ministry’s online platforms and electronic services.
The high adoption rate also demonstrates the success of ongoing efforts to make government services more accessible, efficient, and convenient for consumers across the country.
As part of its regulatory enforcement activities, the Ministry issued 163 violation reports during the first half of 2026.
The market inspections also remained a central component of the Ministry’s oversight efforts. It carried out inspection campaigns covering 4,287 commercial establishments during the six-month period.
These inspection campaigns are designed to verify compliance with consumer protection regulations, monitor pricing practices, ensure product quality, and detect potential violations.
These indicators reflect comprehensive approach to consumer protection, combining preventive inspections, responsive complaint handling, regulatory enforcement, and digital service delivery.
Together, these measures contribute to enhancing consumer confidence while promoting transparency and accountability within the retail and commercial sectors.
The key consumer protection performance indicators show that its initiatives have delivered significant results across complaint resolution, financial restitution, and market monitoring, underscoring continued efforts to ensure a fair and transparent marketplace for consumers in Qatar.
Recently, MoCI urged consumers to be aware of their rights when shopping during promotional campaigns, emphasising the importance of transparency and fair commercial practices as retailers continue to offer discounts and special deals.
To enhance consumer awareness and protect shoppers, the Ministry outlined several key rights that consumers should keep in mind before making purchases during promotional offers. These measures were aimed at ensuring that discounts are genuine and that customers are provided with accurate information to make informed buying decisions.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, within the Consumer Affairs Sector, 1,897 specialised licenses were issued. The sector also received 6,895 complaints during the same period, representing an increase of 323% compared to the first quarter of 2025.
These included 5,640 consumer protection complaints, 631 specialised licensing complaints, 622 supply-related complaints, and two competition-related complaints. Complaints were addressed within specified timeframes, with consumer protection complaints closed within eight days.
