Cosmetic Compliance in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Cosmetic compliance for the GCC (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) under the harmonised GSO standards, with the national registration and Arabic-labelling requirements that differ between member states.
Regulatory framework
- Regulator
- GSO and national authorities (SFDA, MoIAT and others)
- Primary regulation
- GSO 1943:2016 (safety), GSO 2528:2016 (claims), GSO ISO 22716 (GMP)
- Notification
- National registration per member state (GHAD, Montaji and others)
- Region
- Middle East & Africa
The GCC framework
The six Gulf Cooperation Council states (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) share a harmonised technical baseline set by the GSO Standardization Organization. The central standard is GSO 1943:2016, the Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products, which carries the prohibited, restricted, preservative, UV filter and colorant lists in the same structure as the EU annexes. Claims are governed by GSO 2528:2016 on the same common principles the EU applies (legal compliance, truthfulness, evidential support, honesty, fairness and informed decision-making), and Good Manufacturing Practice follows GSO ISO 22716.
The harmonised standard is only the baseline. Each member state has its own competent authority and requires a separate registration or notification for each product, and each requires a local representative. Labelling must be in Arabic, and must not carry imagery or wording inconsistent with the social and religious values of the region.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is the sole regulator, working from the Implementing Regulation of the Cosmetic Products Law. Products are notified through the unified electronic system, GHAD, which replaced the earlier eCosma platform, and a Certificate of Conformity is obtained through the FASEH clearance system before a consignment reaches the port. A Responsible Person accountable for compliance must be appointed, and the Product Information File is held for inspection.
United Arab Emirates
In the UAE a product is registered through the Montaji system administered by the municipality of the relevant emirate, and a Conformity Certificate is issued by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). The national framework sits under Cabinet Decision No. 18 of 2014. Registration runs for five years and is handled emirate by emirate.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar
The remaining members each operate national registration on the GSO baseline, through their own health or standards authorities. The safety and claims rules are largely common; the administrative route to approval differs in each.
How Oxford Biosciences helps
A product assessed for the EU or UK already meets most of the GSO 1943 substance and safety requirements. The work is to map the existing evidence onto the GSO framework, prepare the Arabic labelling and the GCC annex to the Product Information File, and support the national registration in each market of sale. GCC engagements are quoted on application.
Our services for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Global Markets
From £149
Cosmetic regulatory documentation for markets beyond the EU and UK: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN, the GCC and Latin America, prepared from the same evidence base by the assessor who signs our CPSRs.
Learn more →CPSR
From £70 · 2 to 3 days
The Cosmetic Product Safety Report is the safety assessment required under Article 10 and Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 before a cosmetic product may be placed on the UK or EU market. Prepared and signed by a qualified safety assessor.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
Which international markets does Oxford Biosciences cover?
Beyond the EU and UK, Oxford Biosciences prepares the United States MoCRA Toxicological Risk Assessment (£395), the Canadian Health Canada Cosmetic Notification (£395), the Australian AICIS Compliance Statement (£149), the New Zealand EPA Group Standard Compliance Statement (£179), and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive Documentation Package (£249), with GCC and Latin American markets (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile) quoted on application. Where markets share an evidence base, a single Product Information File carries the jurisdiction-specific annexes rather than requiring a separate dossier for each.