Exporting to Saudi Arabia and the UAE: SABER, Conformity and Labels

Two countries, two systems

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have separate import systems, and an approval in one does not carry over to the other: a UAE registration does not cover the other GCC countries. Saudi Arabia checks product conformity through SABER, the online platform of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), and clears goods through the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) and its FASAH platform. In the UAE, cosmetics need a conformity certificate under the federal scheme of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), and the emirates have their own local authorities: products for Dubai must also be registered in Dubai Municipality's Montaji system.

In both countries a local company holds the approvals. The Saudi importer applies in its own SABER account; in the UAE a company with a UAE trade licence applies, for Dubai one with a Dubai licence covering cosmetics. The exporter supplies the technical file, test reports, labels and matching shipping documents. This note was checked in October 2026 and brings together Triplicate's more detailed notes; the rules change often, so confirm current requirements with the importer or its customs broker before each new product. The main differences:

• Conformity: in Saudi Arabia a SABER product certificate (PCoC) or self-declaration plus a shipment certificate for each consignment; for UAE cosmetics a MoIAT certificate and, in Dubai, Montaji registration.
• Food and cosmetics: the SFDA in Saudi Arabia; in the UAE, MoIAT and the local authority for ordinary cosmetics, and the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) only for cosmetics with a medical effect.
• Customs: a FASAH declaration at least 48 hours before arrival in Saudi Arabia; in Dubai, a Montaji import request and a Dubai Customs declaration.
• Labels: set by each SASO technical regulation in Saudi Arabia, in Arabic or Arabic and English; for UAE cosmetics, key items in Arabic and English under GSO 1943.
• Inside the UAE: Montaji is Dubai Municipality's system and other emirates have their own local authorities, so confirm where the goods will be sold.

Saudi Arabia: SABER product and shipment certificates

SABER (saber.sa) registers products and issues conformity certificates for goods sold in Saudi Arabia. Its users are importers, local manufacturers, individuals and government entities, so for commercial goods the Saudi importer makes the requests; the exporter supplies the product data, test reports and technical file and deals with the conformity assessment body (CAB) on testing or audits. SABER publishes the technical regulations, the list of products not covered by any regulation, the approved CABs and an HS code lookup.

A product covered by a SASO technical regulation is regulated and needs a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), issued through SABER by a SASO-approved CAB. The US International Trade Administration (ITA) describes it as valid for one year and tied to the product description, HS code, manufacturer and country of origin; check the dates on each certificate. A product that no regulation covers is non-regulated, and the importer issues a self-declaration in SABER instead. Either way, every consignment needs a Shipment Certificate (SCoC), which SABER says is valid for 90 days.

SABER charges SAR 500 to register a product certificate and SAR 350 to issue a shipment certificate, both before VAT; the ITA notes that a factory audit, where the regulation requires one, costs extra. Certain electrical and electronic products, such as mobile phones, power banks, lighting fixtures, kitchen appliances and laptops, also need a SASO IECEE Recognition Certificate from a Saudi National Certification Body, based on an IECEE (CB scheme) certificate and test reports. For detail, see Triplicate's note on the SABER certificate for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia: FASAH clearance and the SFDA for food and cosmetics

ZATCA's import instructions list a commercial invoice, a bill of lading and a certificate of origin, which ZATCA says is unnecessary when the country of origin is clearly established, plus an IECEE certificate and product registrations with the relevant authorities where the goods need them. The importer, directly or through a customs broker, submits the documents and the customs declaration in FASAH at least 48 hours before the shipment arrives at the port of entry. SABER and FASAH are integrated, so the shipment certificate has to exist in SABER before the declaration is filed.

The SFDA regulates food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, animal feed, public health pesticides and tobacco products, and publishes a classification guidance for deciding whether a product falls under it; check it before planning a SABER route. Food importers register their establishment and the food products on SFDA's Ghad platform and submit the certificate of origin, commercial invoice, bill of lading and health certificate through FASAH. Food labels must be in Arabic, though manufacturers importing for their own production can commit to English-only labels. For cosmetics, Ghad handles cosmetics warehouse licences and the listing of cosmetic products, so check with your importer that each product is listed before you ship.

UAE: MoIAT certificate, Montaji registration and Dubai clearance

Ordinary cosmetics fall under MoIAT's UAE Scheme to Control Cosmetics and Personal Care Products (Cabinet Decision No. 18 of 2014): before sale they must be registered under the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) or hold a conformity certificate, and meet UAE.S GSO 1943. A company with a UAE industry or trade licence applies, and a MoIAT notified body reviews the documents. MoIAT's regulation card lists AED 670 for the certificate and AED 620 for the review, with one brand, one country of origin and one category, and at most 25 SKUs, per certificate; test reports from an accredited laboratory are valid for 3 years. The card does not state how long the certificate lasts; certification bodies such as Intertek say one year.

Dubai Municipality (DM) also requires every cosmetic imported, sold or distributed in Dubai to be registered in Montaji, by a company incorporated in Dubai or with a warehouse there that holds a Dubai trade licence with cosmetics activities. Registration is valid for 5 years and needs a free sale certificate from the authority in the country of origin, an ingredient report with CAS numbers and amounts, and accredited test reports; DM publishes no fee or processing time. Goods for re-export are listed, not registered, and must leave within 6 months. The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) deals only with cosmetics that have a medical effect, and claims to prevent or cure disease move a product onto the medicines route.

To clear goods into Dubai, the importer needs a Dubai Customs business code, an importer code from Dubai Trade and a Montaji account, and for goods going to the local market files an import request in Montaji with the bill of entry, transport document, purchase invoice, packing list and delivery order. DM charges AED 50 per container and may inspect or sample at the port. Goods from outside the GCC pay the common customs duty of 5% of the CIF value, plus 5% VAT. Other emirates have their own local authorities, so confirm the route with your importer; see Triplicate's note on exporting cosmetics to the UAE.

Labels and origin marking: Arabic, English and the 1 October 2026 rule

In Saudi Arabia, label content is set in each SASO technical regulation. The footwear regulation, for example, requires the information in Arabic or in Arabic and English, including brand name and country of origin, on a label that is difficult to remove. From 1 October 2026 SABER requires the supplier's name (the importer or local manufacturer) and its commercial registration number on the product for 10 technical regulations named on SABER, so get these details from your importer before printing. The Swiss export agency S-GE (March 2026) also says imported products must carry a country of origin mark that cannot be removed, applied by engraving, sewing, printing or pressing, and Saudi customs procedure rules ask for a certificate of origin for goods that cannot easily carry an origin indication.

For UAE cosmetics, GSO 1943 requires at least the product name, function or instructions for use, warnings and storage instructions in both Arabic and English. DM's guideline accepts English and/or Arabic but lists more items: brand and product name, manufacturer or UAE agent, country of origin, INCI ingredient names, pack size, production and expiry dates, storage, use, warnings, barcode and batch number. A label with every item in Arabic and English meets both. Claims follow the GCC regulation GSO 2528:2024, and DM asks for a valid halal certificate from a recognised Islamic body whenever the label carries a halal logo.

In both countries, show the same origin on the goods, the commercial invoice and packing list, and any certificate of origin (see Triplicate's note on country of origin marking).

Invoice, certificate of origin and other Middle East and Africa checks

Make the commercial invoice and packing list from one data set. For Saudi Arabia, S-GE lists what the invoice should show: HS code and country of origin; transport details such as the vessel name or flight number and departure date; the number and type of packages; a precise description with net and gross weights; freight and insurance shown separately on CIF sales; and the exporter's signature. Importers often also ask for a declaration naming the manufacturer. For the UAE, Dubai Customs asks for the invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and permits from the controlling authority, and since 1 February 2023 import invoices of AED 10,000 or more have had to be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs for AED 150 each, which the importer arranges. Use product names that match the registrations.

A non-preferential certificate of origin usually comes from a chamber of commerce in the exporting country. For Saudi Arabia, the ITA (May 2026) and S-GE (March 2026) say a chamber should certify the invoice and certificate of origin, and S-GE adds that consular (embassy) legalisation is not needed, but ZATCA's own instructions describe no certification. For the UAE, the ITA lists a certificate of origin approved by a chamber in the country of origin. UK chambers issue Arab-British certificates of origin, and some Middle East buyers of US goods ask for the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. An apostille replaces legalisation only where the destination accepts one, as the Apostille Convention excludes commercial and customs documents. Confirm what is needed with the importer's broker for each shipment (see Triplicate's note on certificates of origin).

Other destinations nearby run checks of their own:

• Iraq: a certificate of conformity (CoC) for each shipment of regulated products, such as food, toys, electrical goods, cosmetics and textiles, from an inspection company licensed by Iraq's Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC).
• Kuwait: the ITA's guide (April 2026) says the certificate of origin should be legalised by a local chamber or the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
• Egypt: not a CoC program; Advance Cargo Information needs an ACID number, which the importer obtains on Nafeza, on the invoice and shipping documents, and the exporter registers on CargoX.
• Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Côte d'Ivoire: pre-shipment CoC programs; Kenya's partners also cover goods shipped from the Gulf, including the UAE (see Triplicate's note on pre-shipment inspection).
• Perfume and sprays, to any destination: dangerous goods (UN1266, UN1950) that cannot go by international mail (see Triplicate's note on shipping perfume, aerosols and nail polish).