Essential Goods Prices Platform strengthens market oversight: ‘Ministry of Economy’

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism said that the Essential Goods Prices Platform, launched in April this year, has strengthened the market oversight ecosystem across retail outlets in the UAE by continuously monitoring the prices of essential goods and providing accurate analyses that enhance monitoring and decision-making mechanisms.

The platform has also reinforced conventional inspection and oversight practices using the latest data and precise indicators, contributing to greater efficiency in the continuous monitoring of markets.

The platform has successfully established an advanced digital database for market monitoring and price trend analysis, while strengthening integration between digital oversight systems and field inspections. This supports more accurate, proactive, and data-driven decision-making.

Through the platform, the ministry conducts periodic analyses to monitor price fluctuations across retail outlets in the UAE and assess the factors influencing price movements.

Safeya Al Safi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Control and Commercial Governance Sector at the Ministry, said that ensuring the availability of essential goods and protecting consumer rights in the UAE remain national priorities, in line with the directives of the wise leadership.

She noted that retail outlets across the local market continue to maintain sufficient supplies of a wide range of goods and products to meet consumer demand, while offering diverse choices and alternatives in goods and services, reflecting the resilience of UAE markets and their ability to respond effectively to consumer needs.

“As part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen market oversight, the Essential Goods Prices Platform provides an advanced digital tool for monitoring prices and tracking changes in price levels and market movements with greater consistency and accuracy,” she said. “It enables continuous monitoring of market developments, analysis of emerging trends, and identification of patterns or changes that require further review and verification. The platform has also enhanced the Ministry’s ability to respond efficiently to any developments or changes affecting market dynamics.”

Al Safi further explained that the ministry is leveraging the data and statistics available through the platform to further enhance the consumer protection framework and deliver smarter shopping experiences.

By harnessing advanced analytics and precise market indicators, the platform supports decision-making and enhances the efficiency of market monitoring, while promoting greater transparency and empowering consumers with accurate information to make more informed purchasing decisions.

She added that the ministry conducts regular analyses through the platform to monitor market developments and track price fluctuations.

The Essential Goods Prices Platform currently provides pricing data for 8,343 products across 13 major retailers, comprising a total of 525 outlets.

In the next phase, the ministry will continue expanding the platform by increasing the number of products and the participating retail outlets.

This expansion forms part of the ministry’s broader efforts to accelerate digital transformation across the consumer protection and market oversight ecosystem, while leveraging data and analytics to enhance transparency, improve the efficiency of market monitoring, and support the development of policies and decisions related to markets and pricing.

Since its launch, the platform has attracted approximately 143,720 visitors between mid-April and July 2026, with an average of more than 1,451 visits per day.