ABU DHABI // Tourist hotels and restaurants have won the right to continue selling Pepsi and Coca-Cola in smaller-sized 300ml cans.
The decision ends a week of confusion during which one hypermarket chain, LuLu, cleared its shelves of Coca-Cola cans because it thought it might be breaking the law.
The result, after the personal intervention of the Minister of Economy, Sultan Al Mansouri, is that regulation of the sale of soft drinks has returned to where it was a week ago.
The dispute began when consumer-protection officials at the ministry said they had received complaints from the public, and accused soft-drinks distributors of reducing the size of the cans to 300ml while continuing to charge the fixed price of Dh1.50.
The Consumer Protection Division also said the 300ml cans lacked both a printed price-tag and a label in Arabic listing ingredients, which are required by the consumer protection law.
The distributors protested that the 300ml cans were for sale only in hotels, restaurants and leisure establishments, and were exempt from the Dh1.50 fixed price.
Dubai Refreshments, Abu Dhabi Refreshments and Al Ahlia Gulf Line said ordinary retail outlets were supplied only with 355ml cans of Pepsi and 330ml cans of Coca-Cola, and that any shop selling 300ml cans must have obtained them improperly.
Nevertheless, the ministry ordered that all the smaller-sized cans be withdrawn from sale everywhere, including hotels and restaurants, and gave the distributors a month to comply.
At the LuLu hypermarket chain, executives said the order was unclear as to whether only 355ml cans were legal, and began clearing 330ml Coca-Cola cans from the shelves as a precaution.
"Based on this decision by the Ministry of Economy, we are removing Coca-Cola cans of 330ml from our shelves pending a final decision from the Government," said V. Nanadakumar, spokesman for the group.
The decision to reverse the ban on 300ml cans followed a meeting on Thursday between distributors and the ministry.
The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) and Sharjah Department of Economic Development (SDED) said the minister, Sultan Al Mansouri, had intervened to settle the issue.
In hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores, Pepsi will continue be sold in cans of 355ml and 330ml for Coca-Cola. Both cans will continue to display the price, which remains Dh1.5.
In hotels, restaurants and leisure establishments, where drinks are always sold for more than Dh1.5, the cans will continue to be sold in 300ml sizes.
"The use of 300ml cans in hotels is necessary due to their different standards of storage and distribution," said Omar Bushahab, chief executive of the commercial compliance and consumer protection division at the DED.
"Hotels rely on international standards and their pricing is also different from other outlets that are not subject to the 10 per cent municipality fees as in the case of hotels."
Mr Bushahab said that if hotels were forced to use cans of a different size, they would need to rearrange their distribution mechanism and change their systems, which would require time and investment.
The ministry said it was "likely" some 300ml cans earmarked for export had been leaked into the retail market.
Khalifa Misbah Al Ketbi, director of the control and protection of trade department at the SDED, said a label saying "for export only" should be printed on 300ml cans to avoid confusion and clearly display that they should be sold only in hotels and restaurants and for export.
"It will give authorities better control over the markets and ensure that products meant for exports are not diverted to local retailers and department stores," he said.
Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola increased their retail prices in January last year for the first time in 20 years, from Dh1 to Dh1.50 for a can.
The distributors applied to the Ministry of Economy to raise prices in response to inflation, rising petrol and salary costs, and a steep rise in sugar prices.
rjones@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
WISH
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
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The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
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“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph