Federal Law No. 19 of 2016 in respect of Combating Commercial Fraud.

This Law comprising 25 articles aims to combat commercial fraud and applies to anyone involved in commercial fraud, including within free zones in the State. Acts of commercial fraud include the import, export, manufacture, sale, or possession of counterfeit goods, false advertising for prizes or reductions, using misleading advertisements or promotions, and offering fake commercial services. The relevant authority can require an importer to return fraudulent goods to their source within a specific timeframe. If the importer doesn't comply, the authority can decide to destroy the goods or repurpose them and importers are responsible for covering any costs incurred by the competent authority during the disposal process. Article 5 establishes the Higher Committee for Combating Commercial fraud with the following main tasks (i) propose strategies and policies for combating commercial fraud; (ii) study commercial fraud reports referred by the competent authority and take appropriate decisions thereof; (iii) identify obstacles facing implementation of the law and suggest a mechanism to tackle such obstacles; (iv) issue the necessary regulations for the work of sub-committees. The Committee shall report to the Ministry of Economy. The Law envisages penalties for offenders, and these penalties will be stricter in case the subject of the crime is human or animal food or medical drugs or agricultural crops or organic agricultural products.