The decision was taken at a joint meeting held on Saturday in Jeddah between the consumer protection organizations of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi team was headed by Chairman of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) Mohammed Al-Hamad while his Yemeni counterpart Fadhel Mansour led the visiting team at the talks.

Following the meeting, Al-Hamad said the two sides agreed to sign an accord pertaining to rationalization of consumption as well as fighting products that do not conform to required specifications and standards.

“Such an agreement between the two neighboring countries is overdue since we have to protect consumers and ensure they get the right goods in their hands. We must also ban items that do not conform to standard specifications since they damage the security, safety and health of consumers,” Al-Hamad said.

He pointed out that Saturday’s talks with his Yemeni counterpart had further strengthened bilateral cooperation and helped the two organizations exchange experience in the field of consumer protection.

“The discussions also helped us in the fight against counterfeit consumer goods that are being smuggled into the country across the border with Yemen and which are injurious to human health,” he said.

The two countries share a porous and long common border in the southern part of the Kingdom.

Mansour, who also attended the recently held Saudi-Yemeni Joint Council in Jeddah, said the proposed agreement would be signed shortly and would intensify cooperation between the two countries in protecting the interests of consumers.

The visiting team was briefed on the activities of the Kingdom’s CPA since its establishment in 2007.

The Saudi CPA was established on a decision made by the Council of Ministers in June 2007. It is an independent organization dedicated to defending the rights of consumers, taking up their complaints and concerns with relevant public and private authorities, protecting them from fraud and counterfeit products and services, and enhancing consumer awareness. It has a general assembly comprising citizens.

Counterfeit products and services are rampant in Saudi Arabia. As a result, Saudi companies as well as consumers suffer heavy losses. According to one expert at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saudi companies incur losses of nearly SR50 billion annually as a result of fraudulent trade practices.

A recent survey confirmed that Saudi Arabia loses more than SR41 billion ($10.9 billion) annually as a result of commercial fraud. In the first half of 2010, eight million counterfeit items were confiscated. Thousands of traffic deaths each year are caused by counterfeit car accessories and spare parts, such as tires and brakes that enter the country after customs clearance.