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Doha, Qatar:The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has raised consumer rights awareness about protection rights of individuals.
In a recent post on its X platform regarding ‘Know Your Rights’, MoCI stated, “To protect your rights as a consumer, always make sure to obtain a detailed invoice when making a purchase. It is your main guarantee.”
Ensure the invoice includes store name, address and invoice date; product or service type and specifications; price in Qatari riyal; quantity or number of units; product condition (new or used); serial number (if applicable); delivery date; and store signature or official stamp. The invoice is your right and the key reference for exchange, return or submitting a complaint, it added.
The Ministry has also issued a public awareness message underscoring the legal rights of consumers in Qatar to replace or return purchased goods under specific circumstances. This aims to strengthen consumer protection and encourage more informed shopping behaviour in the local market.
According to the ministry’s guidance, consumers are entitled to request a replacement or return when products are delivered in a condition that does not match its original state and specifications at the time of purchase.
This includes situations if the supplier does not provide the consumer with the opportunity to inspect or try the product, whenever its nature requires it.
These rights are grounded in Qatar’s consumer protection framework, which obligates suppliers to deliver goods that conform to agreed standards and performance expectations. When these standards are not met, consumers may exercise their legal right to have the goods replaced or refunded.
The platform allows consumers to lodge complaints and track the status of their cases efficiently, further facilitating enforcement of consumer rights.
Consumer rights advocacy forms an integral part of MoCI’s broader strategy to enhance transparency and accountability within Qatar’s commercial sector. By boosting awareness of these protections and providing accessible reporting channels, the ministry seeks not only to safeguard individual buyers but also to promote a more equitable and trustworthy marketplace.
The consumer protection sector is focused on consumer protection and strengthening market confidence through a smart and effective regulatory system.
In last year the achievements include increased readiness of the supply system, growth in the number of food and feed distributors, handling complaints within targeted timeframes and activating digital channels for consumer services, a notable increase in inspection operations, and enhancing competition by introducing voluntary review services for mergers and acquisitions and accepting economic concentration applications.
The Ministry’s application provides many electronic services, including following up on transactions, accessing guidelines, the chat feature with ‘Saif’, the virtual assistant, reporting complaints and submitting comments, in addition to accessing the Ministry’s news and initiatives.
The service aims to make information about patents more understandable and user-friendly, particularly for individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may be unfamiliar with intellectual property law.
Patents confer exclusive legal rights to inventors for new and useful inventions, protecting them against unauthorised use by others. Qatar’s legal framework and administrative processes for intellectual property, administered by MoCI’s Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department, cover patent registration, protection, and enforcement mechanisms that align with international norms.
