The visual media is often guilty of misleading viewers, according to Saleh Kamel, the president of Dallah Al-Baraka company, who spoke during the third day of the Jeddah Commercial Forum on Wednesday. During a session entitled, “The media and commercial security”, Kamel indicated that the media's advertisement of products based on questionable research is the reason for the spread of false information. He said that the advertisement of products should be credible and ethical. “Unfortunately, there is no credibility in the content of advertisements which often feature an exaggerated description of products which sometimes borders on cheating. These advertisements should be controlled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Culture and Information by outlining specific rules for the Arabic advertising market in the promotion of certain products,” said Kamel. He added that the moral side of the advertising market especially for the Saudi TV audience is characterized by certain criteria in the production of ethical ads. “Saudi ads are presented in such a way so as not to offend the nation's culture and traditions, which is a good achievement. But we must also control the false information that is given about some of the products which are advertised,” he explained. In a session on “Commercial law and justice” speakers emphasized that there was a need to find a way to remove certain obstacles from the judicial environment. Dr. Majed Qaroob, a lawyer and legal consultant, said that administrative judges often face difficulties which result in legal decisions, especially on commercial matters, taking a long time to be issued. “We have to create an integrated environment in which judges can accelerate the resolution of conflicts for companies. This is especially important in commercial justice,” he added. “Creating a comprehensive rehabilitation of the legislative and judicial system is necessary to achieve Saudi business goals. This will require the support of members of the Shoura Council, judges, legal experts and leaders in the public and private sectors,” Qaroob said. “Around 80 percent of international products are fake, and customers need to be aware of this and avoid these products,” said Dr. Khadija Qashqari, professor of home economics and art in the Faculty of Education at King Abdul Aziz University. “All customers should be made aware of how to protect themselves from fake products. Certificates of quality should be used to identify those products which are genuine,” she added. Rania Salama, a chief executive of Arabic International magazine, said that electronic commerce has contributed to providing customers with alternatives products which can be found on websites. “I think that electronic commerce is of benefit to both the customer and business owner. The businessman has the opportunity to expand his business without having to open commercial offices. However, there is clearly a need to control websites and the information about commercial products that they are providing to the public,” said Salama.
