“Morocco Requires Arabic on All Business Labels — With Fines Up to 1M Dirhams”
Morocco's Law No. 31-08 on Consumer Protection requires that all mandatory product labels, instructions, and consumer information be written in Arabic as the primary language, with foreign languages permitted only additionally. Businesses that fail to comply face criminal fines.
Roots in post-independence Arabization
Morocco's Arabic-first labeling requirement is rooted in the country's post-independence 'Arabization' policy, a decades-long effort to reassert Arabic as the official language of state and commerce after 44 years of French and Spanish colonial rule. When France withdrew in 1956, Moroccan authorities began systematically replacing French in official life — but French persisted stubbornly in business, education, and government.
Law No. 31-08 formalizes the requirement
By 2011, Law No. 31-08 formalized consumer protection standards, enshrining Arabic as the mandatory language for product labeling, user manuals, warranty documents, and consumer contracts.
Enforcement remains inconsistent
Enforcement has historically been patchy — one consumer protection advocate noted that only around 4,000 infractions are registered annually against more than 800,000 commercial points of sale. Critics also note that the widespread coexistence of French in Moroccan commerce (especially in urban centers like Casablanca and Rabat) means that bilingual Arabic-French displays are the norm, not Arabic-only.
2020 amendment and current status
The law was amended in 2020 by Law No. 78-20, primarily adjusting jurisdictional competence for consumer disputes. The Arabic-first labeling requirement remains squarely in force today.
Where the story gets it wrong
Some assume the law requires prices or labels to appear 'in Arabic only,' with Arabic replacing other languages. In fact, Arabic must be present on mandatory labeling and consumer documents, but French and other languages may appear alongside it — bilingual Arabic-French labeling is standard practice in Moroccan commerce.
Another misconception holds that price numerals themselves must be written in Arabic script. The price-display requirement actually concerns showing prices in Moroccan Dirhams rather than foreign currencies, not the language or script used for the numerals. Enforcement of these rules is also acknowledged to be weak relative to the size of the retail sector.
Under Law No. 31-08 (2011) and its implementing decrees, mandatory information on product labels must be written in Arabic ('langue arabe'), visibly, legibly, and indelibly, with foreign languages permitted alongside but not instead. Article 206 further requires that any consumer-facing document written in a foreign language must be accompanied by an Arabic translation. Price display is obligatory in the national currency (Moroccan Dirham). Infractions are punishable by fines of MAD 1,200–25,000 for individuals and MAD 50,000–1,000,000 for corporate persons.
- Current status
- Rarely Enforced
- Enacted
- February 18, 2011
- Penalty
- Individuals: MAD 1,200–25,000 fine; Corporate entities: MAD 50,000–1,000,000 fineFine: MAD1,200 – MAD1,000,000
- Jurisdiction
- National law applicable across the Kingdom of Morocco