In its continuous commitment to the protection of intellectual property rights, Saudi Arabia recently released Maroof, an online platform that was developed by the Ministry of Commerce and Investment to enhance the e-commerce experience of online shoppers and to combat the sale of counterfeit products in the country.
Through an online portal and a dedicated smartphone application, Maroof allows shoppers to search for and shop on local online stores conveniently and securely. Maroof enables customers to share their experiences and views, as well as evaluate and rate vendors, through the platform. By allowing consumers to rate their transactions with merchants and the quality of merchandise they purchase online, Maroof aims to create a reliable database that can be accessed and reviewed by customers, merchants, and even the local authorities concerned should any complaints or issues arise. The service provided by Maroof is free of charge and does not require any commercial registration. However, vendors who choose to include their commercial registration are awarded a golden certificate that is included on their profiles—a status that is comparable to receiving a verified badge on popular social media platforms. Ultimately, the goal of Maroof is to reduce the permeation of fake goods being sold online and to protect the rights consumers and brand owners.
By way of background, Maroof is an initiative of the National Transformation Program 2020, which is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
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