Abdul Aziz Gazzawi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has directed commercial firms not to make purchasing a precondition for customers to take part in their promotional offers and prize draws. In a directive, the ministry instructed companies, establishments and factories not to deposit any promotion coupons inside goods or increase the prices of goods labeled with promotion offers. The ministry said: “All commercial establishment shall secure a license to conduct any promotion offers or draws in line with the provisions of the anti-commercial fraud law. Payment of any amount of money by customers or setting the condition of purchasing a commodity in order to take part in a draw will be considered a lottery, which is banned in the Kingdom.” Meanwhile, legal action is being taken against four commercial companies that allegedly advertised prize draws and set the condition of purchasing their products in order to take part. Publishing of the advertisements has already been stopped and the ministry has summoned the officials of the companies as part of legal proceedings. Earlier, the ministry fined some companies and published their names in the local press for violating rules governing promotions. The ministry sources said businesses that want to conduct promotions should approach their local chamber of commerce and industry with a completed application for a license from the ministry 30 days before the date of the promotion. The number of the license issued by the ministry should be included in any advertisement published about the promotion. There shall be a panel, headed by a representative of the ministry or chamber, to select winners of the contest. The names and details of the winners should be published at least once in the media featuring the initial advertisement about the promotion, according to anti-commercial fraud law. The ministry urged consumers to contact the information center at the ministry (number 1900) if they find any firms violating the terms and conditions set by the ministry for holding promotions.
