Saudi Arabia’s new consumer protection law could reshape everyday transactions across the Kingdom by promising greater transparency, safeguards against harmful business practices, and easier access to redress.
However, its real test will lie in whether effective enforcement and swift complaint resolution can translate legal guarantees into tangible protection for consumers.
Lawyer and legal consultant Dr. Tael bin Fahm told Asharq Al-Awsat that the law could strengthen relations between consumers and businesses by making transactions more transparent and clarifying the rights and obligations of both parties. This, he said, would create a more reliable and consistent shopping and service experience.
For consumers, the biggest change would be a shift from seeking redress after suffering harm to preventing it in the first place, he explained. This would require clear information on products, services, prices, warranties, contract terms, and complaint procedures.
Making Consumer Rights Easier to Enforce
Consumers have long faced obstacles in asserting their rights, from difficulties proving violations and navigating multiple authorities to lengthy disputes, particularly over warranties and defective products, Bin Fahm said.
For some consumers, the cost of pursuing a complaint outweighs the damage suffered, discouraging them from seeking compensation.
The solution, he said, lies in simpler complaint procedures, faster decisions, clearer escalation channels, and digital tools that allow consumers to track their cases.
Recognizing consumer rights is not enough, he added; consumers must also be able to exercise them effectively.
Stronger legal protections could also encourage businesses to improve service quality, ensure credible advertising, strengthen after-sales support, and resolve customer complaints more quickly, Bin Fahm said.
Beyond addressing violations, he noted, the law could bolster consumer confidence and foster a more competitive market in which respect for consumer rights becomes a core measure of business performance.
Enforcement Holds Key
The law presents an opportunity to strengthen consumer protection as Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce sector expands and the range of goods and services grows. However, Bin Fahm cautioned that its impact will depend on enforcement, not merely on enactment.
Legislation lays the groundwork, he said, but effective oversight, enforcement procedures, and public awareness are what turn legal protections into reality.
He identified clear implementing regulations, effective market oversight, swift complaint resolution, meaningful penalties, and accessible compensation for valid claims as critical to the law’s success. Greater awareness of rights and responsibilities among both consumers and businesses would also be essential.
To assess whether the law is delivering results, Bin Fahm called for measurable benchmarks, including average complaint resolution times, dispute settlement rates, consumer satisfaction, and reductions in repeat violations.
Ultimately, he said, success will not be measured by the number of legal provisions or penalties, but by whether consumers feel safe and confident in everyday transactions and can secure their rights without complicated procedures or costs disproportionate to the harm suffered.
The goal, he added, is a market in which consumer rights are respected as a matter of course and fair business practices become the rule, not the exception.
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