Food retailers and restaurants have been warned against hiking prices and imposing illegal services charges.

“Hiking the prices of essential commodities to boost undue profitability violates government agency laws,” said Prince Mishal bin Miteb, assistant director of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA), on Friday.

“The CPA will ensure that prices are not increased arbitrarily on any occasion,” the prince told Arab News.

He renewed the commitment of the CPA to implement a foolproof price control mechanism to regulate prices.

He also urged retail outlets to prevent “price manipulation, especially before or during the holy month of Ramadan.”

Government agencies will publish warnings in English and Arabic against exploiting the festive occasion after local retailers increased food prices by 10 to 30 percent during Ramadan last year.

The CPA is tasked with reining in prices on the advent of Ramadan, which begins on June 28.

Prince Mishal said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has already “issued a decision to ban all eateries from levying service charges.”

“I call on all customers to approach the CPA if any restaurant dishes out service charges to its customers,” he said.

“Restaurants are aware that it is illegal to inflate food bills in any way, shape or form by collecting services charges,” said the CPA deputy chief.

In fact, the industry is growing faster in Saudi Arabia than anywhere else in the Middle East, with prices ranging from as low as $1 and going up to $75 per head at a high-end restaurant.