JEDDAH: Businesses in the Kingdom have been urged to use Arabic language in all their bills, rate lists, advertisements, contracts, promotional offers, guarantee cards and publications along with English or face punitive action including closure.
In a statement yesterday, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said supermarkets, shops and other businesses that fail to abide by the rule would be fined SR 100,000, which could be doubled and the business closed for a year if the same violation repeated.
“The ministry calls upon all commercial establishments, markets and shops to abide by the rule immediately by using Arabic in all their price tags as the basic language, as well as in all their commercial documents including bills and contracts that are presented to consumers,” the statement said.
The ministry said the new rule was imposed on the basis of commercial regulations, which insist that consumers should have full knowledge about the products and services that are offered to them in their basic language.
Use of Arabic in businesses made mandatory
