Abu Dhabi: The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has said that the Essential Goods Prices Platform, launched in April 2026, has significantly strengthened market oversight across the UAE by enhancing the monitoring of essential goods prices and supporting more effective decision-making through advanced data analysis.According to the ministry, the platform complements traditional inspection and market control mechanisms by providing accurate data, real-time indicators and detailed analyses of price trends across retail outlets nationwide.The platform has enabled the creation of a comprehensive digital database for monitoring market activity and analysing price movements, while strengthening integration between digital oversight systems and field inspections. This supports more proactive, accurate and data-driven regulatory decisions.Through the platform, the ministry conducts regular analyses to monitor price fluctuations and identify factors influencing changes in pricing across the retail sector.Safeya Al Safi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Control and Commercial Governance Sector at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, said protecting consumers and ensuring the availability of essential goods remain key national priorities.She noted that retail outlets across the UAE continue to maintain sufficient supplies of a broad range of products to meet consumer demand while offering a variety of alternatives and choices."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," Al Safi said."It enables continuous monitoring of market developments, analysis of emerging trends, and identification of patterns or changes that require further review and verification."She added that the platform has strengthened the ministry's ability to respond efficiently to market developments and changes affecting pricing dynamics.The ministry is also utilising data generated through the platform to further enhance consumer protection measures and support smarter shopping experiences for consumers.By leveraging advanced analytics and precise market indicators, the platform helps improve transparency, boost monitoring efficiency and provide consumers with reliable information to make informed purchasing decisions.Currently, the platform includes pricing data for 8,343 products across 13 major retail chains, covering a total of 525 stores throughout the UAE.The ministry said the next phase of development will focus on expanding the number of products and participating retail outlets.The expansion forms part of broader efforts to accelerate digital transformation across the consumer protection and market oversight ecosystem, while strengthening the use of data and analytics in policy development and pricing decisions.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.
