The delivery app will cease its service for a week following the ministry’s closure announcement on Wednesday.

Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has imposed a week-long closure on the food delivery platform Talabat.

“The decision was made due to repeated violations and multiple substantiated complaints against the company,” the ministry said in a statement published on X.

Talabat appeared to be out of service starting early Wednesday, with its online application failing to load.

The violations include displaying and describing goods with misleading or false information on the platform, the ministry said.

The company was charged for “deceiving consumers and obtaining their money unlawfully,” under Articles (7) and (11) of Law No. (8) of 2008 on Consumer Protection and its executive regulations.

Article 7 of the said law prohibits any supplier from describing, advertising or displaying products “in a manner that involves false or deceptive information”.

Suppliers are required to refund the consumer or correctly repeat the service if the advertised “service does not conform to the guarantee” under Article 11.

A Reddit user said that they had complained with screenshots of allegedly misleading offers and prices and had received a phone call from the ministry during the follow-up. Several had decided to report the “misleading offers,” the users added.

“These practices constitute an infringement of consumer rights and a breach of the applicable laws and regulations in Qatar,” the ministry added in its statement announcing the temporary closure.

In response to the decision, Talabat Holding plc acknowledged the one-week administrative closure imposed by the ministry, effective today.

“The Company is working closely with authorities to address their concerns and resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Concurrently, an internal review has been initiated to assess the situation, including any potential financial implications,” Khaled Al Fakesh, the company’s Chief Finance Officer said in a statement to Dubai Financial Market.

“Talabat is also implementing measures to minimise disruption for its customers, partners, and riders, and will issue further updates as new information becomes available,” the statement added.

Founded in Kuwait in 2004, Talabat is currently the market leader in Qatar, mirroring its presence as the leading platform for everyday deliveries in the region.