UAE Adds Amazon to Its Essential Goods Prices Platform, the First Online Retailer on the List
Amazon.ae is now part of the UAE's Essential Goods Prices Platform, the first online retailer to join the government price comparison tool, which covers 33 product categories across 12 physical retailers.
The UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism has brought Amazon.ae onto its Essential Goods Prices Platform, making the online retailer the first e-commerce company on the government price comparison tool. We cover the move as the platform’s first step beyond physical shops and into online shopping.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry’s headquarters in Dubai, in the presence of Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. Abdulla Ahmed Al Saleh, the Ministry’s Undersecretary, signed for the Ministry, and Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East, Africa and Türkiye, signed for Amazon.
What the platform does
The Essential Goods Prices Platform launched in April 2026 to help shoppers compare the cost of everyday products across retailers. It covers 33 product categories, made up of 17 essential consumer goods and 16 other key commodities.
Prices are monitored in real time across 12 major physical retail outlets, and Amazon.ae now joins them as the first online retailer. The platform shows the minimum and maximum price for each product at each outlet, so shoppers can compare across branches.
Shoppers can also build a customised grocery basket, and the platform points them to the cheapest option for that basket. Amazon’s product price records are already live for customers to use.
| Platform detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Product categories | 33 |
| Essential consumer goods | 17 |
| Other key commodities | 16 |
| Physical retail outlets | 12 |
| Online retailers | 1 (Amazon.ae) |
| Launched | April 2026 |
“Digital transformation and innovation are two key pillars of the UAE’s vision to build a knowledge-based economic model in line with global best practices. The new collaboration with Amazon represents a transformative step forward in this direction by enhancing digital connectivity between government and e-commerce retailers.”
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism
“We are proud that Amazon.ae is now integrated onto the Essential Goods Prices Platform as the first e-commerce retailer, and look forward to continuing to support the UAE’s vision of a digitally connected, consumer-centric economy.”
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President, Amazon Middle East, Africa and Türkiye
More online retailers to come
The Ministry said it plans similar arrangements with other local and international e-commerce companies. Amazon will supply pricing data with regular updates under approved technical standards, with governance, data security and cybersecurity requirements applying.
The government is now watching online prices too
The point here is that the UAE’s price monitoring has moved from the supermarket shelf to the online basket. Until now the platform only tracked physical shops, so an online price could sit outside the comparison entirely.
Bringing Amazon in first makes sense because it is the largest online retailer in the country, and it sets the template for the other e-commerce companies the Ministry wants to add. For shoppers, the real test will be whether the basket comparison includes delivery charges and promotions, which the announcement does not spell out.
