Business · Companies · 1 day ago
Othaim Markets flags concerns about Saudi discount stores
Othaim Markets says it has raised concerns about discount-store practices in Saudi Arabia with regulators.
Acting CEO Abdulmalik Al Othaim said the company collected observations and evidence before reporting them.
He cited goods of unknown origin, misleading offers and unusually low prices that raise questions about pricing and selling below cost.
He also said some very cheap goods may be close to their expiry dates.
Discount stores have grown as shoppers seek lower prices, putting pressure on larger retailers to compete.
Al Othaim said low prices can benefit shoppers when businesses follow rules and standards.
Fair competition and product quality matter for consumer trust, but no regulatory response or next step was given.
Othaim Markets’ acting chief executive, Abdulmalik Al-Othaim, said the company had reported practices it believes harm fair competition in Saudi Arabia’s discount-store sector to regulators.
He cited products of unknown origin, offers he described as misleading, and some goods sold at prices that raised questions about pricing and selling below cost.
Al-Othaim said some very low-priced products may be close to their expiry dates.
He added that low prices are not necessarily a sign of wrongdoing when businesses comply with regulations and standards.
He called for a balance between competition and offering consumers affordable choices.
- Who
- Abdulmalik Al-Othaim, acting chief executive of Othaim Markets.
- What
- He raised concerns about practices in Saudi discount stores and said Othaim Markets had reported them to regulators.
- When
- He spoke in an excerpt from an episode scheduled for release the following Wednesday. The article was published on November 8, 2026.
- Where
- Saudi Arabia.
- Why
- Othaim Markets believes some practices may harm fair competition and affect consumer trust.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Othaim Markets observed practices it considered harmful to fair competition and reported them to regulators with supporting observations and evidence.
Al Eqtisadiah published an excerpt from an interview with Abdulmalik Al-Othaim.
The full podcast episode was scheduled for release.
- Company
- Othaim Markets
- Executive
- Abdulmalik Al-Othaim, acting chief executive
- Reported to
- Regulatory authorities
- Concerns cited
- Products of unknown origin, misleading offers, and very low prices that raised questions about pricing
- Outlet
- Al Eqtisadiah
What people are saying
We observed some practices that we believe harm fair competition and reported them to the regulatory authorities, supported by the observations and evidence we collected.
A decrease in prices is not necessarily an indication of a problem, as price competition and offering products at suitable prices are in the consumer’s interest when businesses comply with regulations and standards.
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