Manama:Authorities in Qatar have named and shamed eight seafood restaurants after it shut them down for gross violations.
The decision to take action against the outlets was taken following field inspections to ensure full compliance with the rules and regulations, the ministry of business and trade said.
The violations included misleading customers by presenting imported white filet as the much prized local hamour (grouper).
Under local rules, deceiving and cheating customers by providing them with the wrong information warrants legal action, local Arabic daily Al Arab reported on Wednesday.
The eight restaurants shut down by the ministry were located in different areas in or near the capital, Doha.
The authorities said that they had recorded 82 commercial violations during the month of July. The sale of fake makeup products and the non-provision of details about services topped the list of the abuses.
Decisions to name and shame restaurants or shops for violations are a rare occurrence in the Gulf countries where discretion is seen as a virtue.
However, official policies to maintain high living standards and the proliferation of social networks in the Gulf countries that allowed people to post their shopping and eating experiences and views have put pressure on shops and restaurants to comply with the rules to protect customers and to offer better services.
