Morocco Requires Arabic on All Business Labels — With Fines Up to 1M Dirhams

The Short Answer

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.

The Full Story

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. 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. The law reflects both cultural nationalism and practical consumer protection: Morocco has significant Arabic-speaking populations who could be disadvantaged by French-only commercial signage. Yet 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. 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.

Common Misconceptions

The claim as popularly stated implies businesses must display prices specifically 'in Arabic only' or that Arabic must appear instead of other languages. In reality, the law requires Arabic to be present on mandatory labeling and consumer documents, but French (and other languages) may appear alongside it — and in practice, French-Arabic bilingual labeling is ubiquitous in Moroccan commerce. Additionally, the price-display obligation focuses on showing prices in Moroccan Dirhams (not in foreign currencies), rather than mandating Arabic script for the price numerals themselves. Enforcement is also acknowledged to be weak relative to the scale of the retail sector.

Actual Legal Text

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.