Saudi Arabia: the 7-day right to cancel
Saudi Arabia's E-Commerce Law was issued by Royal Decree No. M/126 in July 2019. Article 13 gives you the right to cancel ("rescind") an online purchase within 7 days of receiving the product, or of the contract date for a service.
The conditions, from the official English translation:
- You must not have used the product, received the service, or benefited from either.
- You pay the cost of cancelling (usually return shipping) unless the store agreed otherwise.
- The right sits alongside any warranty. It does not replace it.
Article 14 adds a second right. If the store delivers more than 15 days after the contract date or the agreed date, you can cancel and ask for your money back plus any costs caused by the delay, unless the delay is due to force majeure. The store must also tell you about expected delays.
What you cannot return under Saudi law
Article 13(2) of the law lists cases where the 7-day right does not apply:
- Custom-made products, unless they are defective or do not match the agreed specifications.
- Used videotapes, records, CDs or computer software.
- Newspapers, magazines, books and other publications.
- Defects caused by your own mishandling.
- Accommodation, transport and catering services.
- Downloaded software, unless it is faulty, will not download, or does not match the description.
Article 11 of the Implementing Regulations adds more exceptions, which apply unless the store agrees otherwise:
- Products that can spoil during the cancellation period.
- Products that cannot be resold for health reasons.
- Products made of parts that were combined and cannot be returned to their original state.
- Hotel bookings, travel tickets, car rental, transport and event services.
- Products designed and made specially to your specifications.
- Items bought at a public auction.
- Goods whose price moves with a volatile market the store does not control, such as gold and silver.
UAE: what the Consumer Protection Law covers
The UAE's main law is Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection, amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023. Its Executive Regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 66 of 2023) took effect on 14 October 2023. According to the UAE government portal:
- Suppliers must repair or replace defective goods. Failing to do so free of charge is an offence.
- You have a right to fair compensation for damage caused by defective goods or poor services.
- Contract terms that harm consumers, or that exempt the supplier from its legal duties, are void.
- You must get a dated invoice in Arabic showing the trade name, address, item, price and quantity.
- Online stores must give you their licensing details, product information in Arabic and warranty terms.
The portal also says the law covers e-commerce platforms registered in the UAE. It does not apply to purchases from e-commerce businesses registered outside the UAE.
We could not find a general "change of mind" return period in the federal law on the official pages we could read. For a non-defective item, the store's own return policy usually decides whether you can send it back.
Refunds: how and when you get your money back
Saudi Arabia. The law entitles you to a refund when you cancel because of a delivery delay of more than 15 days (Article 14). For a 7-day cancellation, we could not confirm a fixed number of days for paying the refund in the official texts we read. Check the store's stated refund time and keep proof of when you returned the item.
UAE. Law firm Clyde & Co summarises the regulations this way: for defective goods, the supplier must replace them at its own cost, or repair them and refund the price. It also says that if a store starts a promotion within one week of your purchase without telling you, you can claim the price difference. We could not read the official text of the regulations, so we cannot give a fixed refund deadline.
In both countries, refunds for cash-on-delivery orders are often paid as store credit. Card refunds go back to the card, and banks can take several working days to show them.
Store policies are often more generous than the law
The law sets a minimum. Many stores offer more, and their policy becomes part of your deal with them. At the time of writing (October 2026):
| Store | Return window (from the store's own pages) |
|---|---|
| noon | 15 days from delivery; in Saudi Arabia, 7 days for refurbished items and electronics must be sealed |
| Amazon.ae / Amazon.sa | Most items within 15 days of receipt, except items marked non-returnable (help page) |
| Namshi | Free returns within 14 days, one free size exchange |
| Nike | Free, within 30 days; underwear, swimwear and socks excluded (returns page) |
| Jarir (Saudi) | 7 days for online orders; books, electronics, software and games only if defective (policy) |
Store policies change. Check the current page before you buy, especially for sale items, beauty products and underwear, which are often excluded.
How to complain if the store refuses
Start with the store. Write to customer service, keep the order number, invoice, photos and chat screenshots, and note the dates.
UAE. The Ministry of Economy consumer complaints service takes complaints online. Its call centre is 800 1222, and the ministry also lists WhatsApp on +971 800 1222. Each emirate's economic department handles local businesses too; the u.ae portal links Dubai's complaint form and those of the other emirates.
Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Commerce takes complaints about online stores through the "بلاغ تجاري" (Commercial Report) app, after you sign in with Nafath. The service page says it is free and takes 7 working days. You can also call the unified number 1900 or email cs@mc.gov.sa. The Ministry has warned about fake sites that claim to file complaints for you; it never asks for card numbers, passwords or verification codes.
This is general information, not legal advice.