Wading into troubled waters

Saudi Arabia recently blamed the UAE over counterfeit products which flooded their markets.

Officials at Riyadh's Ministry of Economy said that they have contacted the UAE Ministry of Economy several times in order to reach a solution for the influx of fake products into the Saudi Arabian market but they did not receive a response.

According to Saudi Arabian officials, counterfeit products are from various categories of branded perfumes, sunglasses, auto parts and accessories, watches and cosmetic products.

However, the UAE has stressed that it did not ignore the Saudi Arabian calls.

Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Saleh, Undersecretary of Ministry of Economy for Planning Sector, told Gulf News that the UAE had received letters of objections from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Economy.

"We received some complaints from the Saudi Arabian side saying that some counterfeit products are entering their market through the UAE [border]. Our ministry is dealing with those complaints with high priority," he said.

Al Saleh said that the ministry was examining the complaints, and collecting information. Once complete, a feedback will be sent to the Saudi Arabian authority.

"The UAE has set strict regulations and severe penalties on importing, bringing in, buying from unlicensed vendors, or selling of counterfeit goods in the market," Al Saleh added.

The UAE authorities have seized hundreds of fake products which subsequently were destroyed, and people selling them have faced public prosecution.

He said the UAE government implemented the Trademark Law which protects direct manufacturers from having their brands copied or reproduced by other manufacturers.

Waleed Omair, a Saudi Arabian national, said fake branded consumer products have a ready market in Saudi Arabia and people are always willing to buy them.

"Some people no longer care if they have fake Christian Dior sunglasses or fake Longines watch as long as they have the 'branded' product for which they need to pay a fraction of the original price."

Customers from the UAE said such fake branded goods are available in the market here and easy to obtain.

For example, Murad Ahmad Ali said that he went for such products, which he could buy even from a well-known shopping mall in Dubai, as they were very cheap and no one could differentiate them from the originals.

According to chapter 6 of the trade regulations, customs, and Membership in Free Trade Arrangements, the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) confer special trade and investment privileges within those countries.

The GCC implemented a Customs Union on January 1, 2003 which stipulates free movement of local goods within member states.