ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL6.GCP/2025/TP.7
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Information material
Cluster: Governance and Conflict Prevention
Focus Area: Governance & enabling environment, Trade & regional connectivity
Initiatives: Enhancing competition and consumer protection laws and policies
SDGs: Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption
Keywords: Arab countries, Behavioural sciences, Comparative analysis, Consumer protection, Electronic commerce, Laws and regulations, Recommendations, Risk assessment, Safety regulations
Strengthening consumer protection in e-commerce across the Arab region: Addressing behavioural biases and dark patterns
November 2025
The rapid expansion of e-commerce in the Arab region presents both opportunities for growth and significant challenges for consumer protection. While online retail is transforming market dynamics, consumers remain exposed to manipulative platform designs, hidden fees, and limited avenues for redress. The present paper provides a region-wide evidence-based assessment of consumer protection in Arab e-commerce, covering 22 countries and applying 11 internationally benchmarked indicators. It integrates legal analysis with behavioural science to highlight vulnerabilities created by cognitive biases and dark patterns in digital marketplaces.
The overall assessment shows that while Arab high-income and middle-income countries perform at a moderate level, conflict-affected and low-income countries remain at a weak level, highlighting significant disparities in the strength of consumer protection frameworks across the region. The present paper proposes a set of strategic recommendations that include modernizing consumer protection laws, embedding behaviourally informed safeguards, enhancing institutional capacity, and establishing a regional framework for cross-border enforcement. It also recommends leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen complaints analysis and enforcement support, thus providing policymakers with a practical strategy to strengthen consumer trust and foster more resilient, inclusive and fair e-commerce ecosystems across the Arab region.
Related content
Governance & enabling environment, Trade & regional connectivity
The rapid expansion of e-commerce in the Arab region presents both opportunities for growth and significant challenges for consumer protection. While online retail is transforming market dynamics, consumers remain exposed to manipulative platform designs, hidden fees, and limited avenues for redress. The present paper provides a region-wide evidence-based assessment of consumer protection in Arab e-commerce, covering 22 countries and applying 11 internationally benchmarked indicators. It integrates legal analysis with behavioural science to highlight vulnerabilities created by cognitive biases and dark patterns in digital marketplaces.
The overall assessment shows that while Arab high-income and middle-income countries perform at a moderate level, conflict-affected and low-income countries remain at a weak level, highlighting significant disparities in the strength of consumer protection frameworks across the region. The present paper proposes a set of strategic recommendations that include modernizing consumer protection laws, embedding behaviourally informed safeguards, enhancing institutional capacity, and establishing a regional framework for cross-border enforcement. It also recommends leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen complaints analysis and enforcement support, thus providing policymakers with a practical strategy to strengthen consumer trust and foster more resilient, inclusive and fair e-commerce ecosystems across the Arab region.
