Tax-free doesn't mean lower prices

A study by The National finds that consumers pay more out-of-pocket for products in the tax-free UAE than in countries that have sales and value-added taxes:

Prices in the UAE of consumer goods, from cosmetics to electronics, are among the highest in the world, an investigation by The National has found.

A survey of major cities reveals that shoppers in this country frequently pay significantly more than their counterparts in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong.

Read it all here.

If your motivation to visit or reside in the UAE is that you've been told it's tax free, don't buy the sales pitch that tax-free means you'll save money.

Thanks to a reader for the pointer.