Cosmetics Certification for the UAE and Saudi Arabia
A European cosmetics manufacturer entering the Gulf needed four things: ECAS Cosmetics certificates, Dubai Municipality Montaji registration, GHAD registration in Saudi Arabia and an SFDA shipment certificate. All were obtained remotely in about a month, with no samples and no new testing.
The objective
A European cosmetics manufacturer planned to enter Middle Eastern markets, and needed every permit for legal import and sale in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
- ECAS Cosmetics certification and Dubai Municipality (Montaji) registration
- SFDA Shipment Certificate and GHAD system registration
The goal beyond the documents was practical: full compliance with local requirements, no customs delays, and products ready for regional distributors.
What did the UAE stage involve?
Three ECAS Cosmetics certificates were prepared and issued. The stages:
- Review of composition and technical documentation
- Importer registration in the MOIAT system
- Submission of applications and document uploads
- Payment of government fees and certificate issuance
No samples were required, the existing test reports were used. The process took about a week.
Five products were then registered in the Dubai Municipality Montaji system:
- Ingredient and labelling review
- Preparation of product dossiers to the regulatory requirements
- Application submission and coordination with DM inspectors
- Receipt of electronic registration certificates
The result: permanent registration and readiness for sale in the UAE.
What does the Saudi route involve?
Product registration in the GHAD system, with local representative support:
- Verification of composition under the GSO 1943 standard
- Preparation of GMP certificates, declarations and test reports
- Submission and approval, with assignment of a CPNR number
A Shipment Certificate (CoC) was then issued through SFDA, confirming the compliance of each product batch.
Total certification time across both countries: approximately one month.
Why did it go quickly?
Two things, and only one of them was project management.
The manufacturer already held test reports suitable for the compositions being registered. That single fact removed the longest and least predictable part of a cosmetics project, and it is what made a remote, sample-free, one-month timeline possible.
The other was sequencing: the UAE and Saudi tracks ran in parallel rather than one after the other, which they can, because the authorities are separate and the evidence is shared.
Sources
- MOIAT, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, ECAS Cosmetics scheme
- Dubai Municipality, Montaji product registration system
- SFDA, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, GHAD system and Shipment Certificates
- GSO 1943, GCC standard for cosmetic products
Frequently asked questions
Were samples required?
No. Existing test reports were used throughout, and the whole project ran remotely without additional testing. The ECAS stage took about a week on that basis; a manufacturer without suitable existing reports would have faced a testing programme first.
What does the Saudi route involve?
Product registration in the GHAD system with local representative support: verification of composition under GSO 1943, preparation of GMP certificates, declarations and test reports, and submission for approval with the assignment of a CPNR number. A Shipment Certificate is then issued via SFDA for each batch.
What is Montaji registration?
Dubai Municipality's product registration system. It requires an ingredient and labelling review, product dossiers prepared to the regulatory requirements, application submission and coordination with DM inspectors, and results in electronic registration certificates that are permanent.
Not sure which of these applies to your product? Send it and we will tell you
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