Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce issued an official directive requiring all private-sector shipping and delivery companies to allow consumers to open packages, inspect their contents, and examine them in the presence of the delivery representative before completing final delivery or providing the verification code.
According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, the move is aimed at increasing transparency, strengthening consumer protection, and putting an end to inconsistent practices, and comes as Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce sector experiences record growth.
Active commercial registrations in the sector grew by 9 percent during the first quarter of this year, surpassing 45,600 commercial registrations, in line with the key objectives of the National Transformation Program supporting Vision 2030.
This advanced measure adopted by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce forms part of a broader global legal and legislative movement aimed at addressing the trust gap in the e-commerce environment, particularly during what is legally referred to as the “inspection before acceptance” stage. International practices — including the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and civil laws in countries such as Germany and France — generally hold that a buyer is not legally obligated to accept goods or make final payment until given a “reasonable opportunity to inspect” them.
The measure is also expected to resolve one of the biggest legal disputes in shipping: establishing the “condition of the product at the moment of delivery,” thereby preventing the shifting of responsibility among the retailer, the shipping company, and the consumer.
The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, Abdulrahman Al-Hussein, recently addressed the issue in a video statement, settling the debate by stressing the importance of not providing the shipment code to the delivery representative before inspecting the package. He explained that the code constitutes an official acknowledgment by the consumer that all purchased items were received properly and met standards of safety and quality.
Al-Hussein emphasized that if a product is defective or does not match the agreed specifications, the consumer has the right to refuse delivery, underscoring the importance of safeguarding rights and obligations in e-commerce transactions.
According to the information obtained, the Ministry of Commerce notified all private-sector companies that customers must be allowed to open shipments and inspect their contents in front of the delivery representative before being asked to provide the product delivery verification code.
In recent months, consumers have increasingly called for tighter regulation of package delivery procedures, particularly following repeated cases involving shipments that did not match orders, arrived damaged, or were missing items. This prompted authorities to stress the necessity of allowing customers to verify shipments before completing delivery, thereby strengthening confidence in the e-commerce market and protecting the rights of all parties.
Growth of E-Commerce
Strengthening the e-commerce business ecosystem is one of the objectives of the National Transformation Program in support of Vision 2030, given the sector’s importance and its role in boosting the national economy. Saudi Arabia ranks among the world’s top 10 fastest-growing countries in this sector.
During the first quarter of this year, the e-commerce sector recorded 9 percent growth in active commercial registrations, exceeding 45,600 registrations by the end of the quarter, compared with 41,800 during the same period in 2025.
Riyadh accounted for the highest number of these registrations, with more than 20,000, followed by Makkah Province with 11,500. The Eastern Province came next with approximately 6,800 commercial registrations.
