GazetteRecord
Saudi Arabia seizes 1.3 million noncompliant products in Q3 2026
Ministry of Commerce conducted 144,000 inspection visits and processed 210,901 consumer complaints during the quarter.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce seized 1,399,251 products that breached the Commercial Data Law and Anti-Commercial Fraud Law during Q3 2026, according to the ministry's Consumer Protection Bulletin published 18 October 2026. The seizures occurred during 11,141 inspection visits conducted in cooperation with joint security campaigns, and violating establishments were referred to the Public Prosecution.
Inspection visits and compliance rate#
The ministry carried out 144,000 visits to inspect establishments for commercial fraud and breaches of sales regulations during the quarter, recording a 92 percent compliance rate among establishments. The ministry processed 210,901 consumer complaints during Q3 2026, with an average processing time of 1.5 days. E-commerce stores generated 101,657 of the complaints received. A further 31,402 complaints related to exchange and refund policy non-compliance, while 24,496 concerned disputes over contracts under consumer protection regulations.
Vehicle recalls and automotive sector enforcement#
The ministry conducted 30 recall campaigns covering 191,920 vehicles and 40 products during the quarter, addressing defects in instrument clusters, exhaust gas recirculation, control unit software and automatic transmission systems. A vehicle dealership received fines totaling more than SR8 million after the ministry identified 175 after-sales service violations. The dealership must compensate affected consumers and may no longer import vehicles, and the ministry initiated steps to transfer the brand to a different authorized dealer.
Commercial concealment and AI-powered complaint classification#
The ministry carried out 12,292 inspection visits related to commercial concealment, finding 475 preliminary suspicions and 58 market regulation violations. Anti-commercial concealment fines reached SR2,141,820 during Q3 2026. The ministry deployed an AI-powered tool within its Commercial Report application that assists consumers in categorizing their complaints. The AI assistant handled 82,294 complaints, equal to 29.2 percent of the quarter's total, and correctly classified 70 percent of those complaints.
Sources1 source across 1 domain
- saudigazette.com.saSaudi GazetteMinistry of Commerce seized 1,399,251 noncompliant products, conducted 144,000 inspection visits, processed 210,901 consumer complaints, conducted 30 recall campaigns covering 191,920 vehicles, imposed fines exceeding SR8 million on a vehicle dealership, carried out 12,292 commercial concealment ins
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