Saudi Arabia Cosmetics Labelling Requirements: A Pre-Shipment Checklist for UAE Exporters

When a cosmetics shipment from the UAE fails its SFDA inspection, the cause is very often not the product. It's the label. A label that's fine for shelves in Dubai can still fail in Saudi Arabia because of an abbreviated country name, a missing importer address, a peeling Arabic sticker or one ambitious claim.

Labels are checked twice: first when the Saudi importer notifies the product in GHAD (photos of every side of the pack are uploaded), and again during the pre-shipment inspection for the SFDA Certificate of Conformity, when the inspector compares the physical goods with the standard and the notification. A label problem found at that point means relabelling, re-inspection and a missed delivery date.

This checklist sets out the main Saudi Arabia cosmetics labelling requirements UAE exporters should check before they ship. It isn't a legal text. The full requirements are in GSO 1943 (the Gulf standard for cosmetic safety) and SFDA's technical regulations. But it covers the points that cause most of the trouble in practice.

The legal basis in brief

• Saudi Cosmetic Products Law (Royal Decree M/49) and its Implementing Regulation
• GSO 1943, Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products. Labelling must meet this standard at minimum. The standard has been revised over time, with a 2024 edition in force, so make sure your regulatory adviser works from the current version
• GSO 2528 for cosmetic claims
• SFDA circulars and national requirements, which add Saudi-specific rules on top of the Gulf standard

The core label checklist

Use this as a working checklist for each SKU. Tick every line before you send label photos to your importer or book an inspection.

1. Product identity

• Product name and brand/trade name on the label
• Function of the product stated, unless obvious from the presentation (for example, "moisturising body lotion")
• Product name shown in Arabic, alone or together with English

2. Country of origin ("Made in…")

• Marked on each product. On very small items, the direct packaging may be accepted, case by case
• Written in full, not abbreviated: "Made in China" or "Made in the People's Republic of China", not "Made in PRC"
• Uses "Made in…", never "Assembled in…", "Packed in…" or "Filled in…" as the origin marking

These national deviations are listed by SFDA-approved conformity bodies, and they are a very common reason for non-conformity on UAE re-exports of Asian and European goods.

3. Manufacturer and Saudi importer

• Manufacturer's name and address
• Name and address of the importer or agent in Saudi Arabia. This must match the importer who notified the product in GHAD

If you change distributors, the label and the GHAD notification both change. SFDA treats a change of importer as a new notification, not an update.

4. Contents

• Net content by weight or volume in metric units
• Ingredient list using INCI names, in descending order of weight, with ingredients under 1% allowed in any order after those above 1%, and colourants as the standard allows
• The ingredient list matches exactly what the importer entered in GHAD (names and roles. Concentrations are submitted to SFDA, not printed)

5. Batch and dates

• Batch or lot number on every unit, and the same batch number on the commercial invoice
• Production and/or expiry date as required by GSO 1943 for the product type
• Dates are legible, not smudged and not covered by stickers

6. Use, warnings and storage

• Directions for use where needed for safe use
• Warnings and precautions, including those required for restricted ingredients (for example, hair dyes, certain preservatives, products for children)
• Storage conditions in Arabic, alone or with English

7. Barcode

• Each product has its own barcode, entered in GHAD per size and colour/shade. A lipstick range in 12 shades needs 12 barcodes

8. Physical quality of the label

• Labels are legible, firmly attached and not easy to remove
• Arabic stickers applied over the original are permanent, straight and don't hide mandatory information such as the batch number
• Multi-language labels don't contradict each other

9. Claims

• No medical or therapeutic claims: no "treats", "cures", "heals", "prevents disease", "stops hair loss" or "anti-inflammatory" in a medical sense
• Claims follow GSO 2528, are supported by evidence held in the Product Information File, and match what was notified
• "Whitening", "clinically proven", "dermatologist tested" and "organic" claims can be backed up if SFDA asks

SFDA treats claims as one of the factors that decide whether a product is a cosmetic at all, and that includes claims on outer packaging, leaflets, posters and advertising. A medical claim can push a product into the drug category, which follows a different, much longer route.

10. Imagery and cultural fit

• No images or text offensive to Islamic traditions or Saudi social values
• Marketing inserts, gift boxes and promotional leaflets checked as well as the primary pack

Not sure what was entered at notification? Our guide to GHAD and FASEH explains how products are listed.

Common labelling failures we see on UAE shipments

Labels are only one cause of border holds. See 12 reasons cosmetics shipments get held at the Saudi border for the full list.

Relabelling in the UAE: possible, but plan it

Relabelling with Arabic stickers before export is common and often the fastest route for re-exported goods. A few rules of thumb:

• Relabel before you book the inspection, not on the day
• Use stickers that are durable and tamper-evident. If they peel during transit, the cargo can still fail at the border
• Keep a photo record of relabelled units for the importer's PIF and GHAD update
• Check whether the change counts as an update (label design, logo) or needs a new notification (product name, trade name, ingredients)
• Relabel in a controlled warehouse environment, batch by batch, so quantities stay reconcilable with the invoice

Relabelling, packing and repacking can be planned before dispatch at our UAE warehousing facilities.

How JW Marine & Freight helps

We're a freight forwarder, not a label printer or regulatory consultant, but we see the labels before the inspector does. For our SFDA cosmetics customers we:

• Run a label pre-check against the common failure points above when goods arrive at our UAE warehouse
• Flag problems before the conformity body visit, so you can fix them in time
• Coordinate controlled relabelling at our warehouse where needed, with batch-by-batch quantity checks
• Then host the inspection, witnessed loading and sealing, and move the cargo to Saudi Arabia by road, sea or air

Perfume and oud labels come with extra transport rules; see how to ship perfume and oud from Dubai to Saudi Arabia.

Labelling is one part of the SFDA process. Our complete guide to shipping cosmetics from the UAE to Saudi Arabia covers the rest.