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 1943:2024 (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, the Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products, now in its 2024 edition, approved on 1 May 2024, 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.
Lead and heavy metals
In the GCC, GSO 1943 sets a maximum of 10 ppm for lead as an impurity in a finished cosmetic. The figure appears at item 12.4 of the 2021 edition, alongside limits for arsenic, cadmium, mercury and antimony. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority tests products on the market and recalls those that go over these limits. Our lead limits page sets the Gulf figure beside those of other markets, each with a link to its primary source, and our heavy metals testing service reports results against it.
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
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, the Canadian Health Canada Cosmetic Notification, the Australian AICIS Compliance Statement, the New Zealand EPA Group Standard Compliance Statement, and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive Documentation Package, each quoted per product, 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.
What are the lead limits for cosmetics in the Gulf, Eurasia and East Africa?
Gulf technical regulation GSO 1943 sets 10 ppm for lead as an impurity in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Eurasian Economic Union sets 5.0 mg/kg for products that contain more than 1% of raw material of natural plant or mineral origin. East African Standards for individual product types, such as shaving cream and face powder, set a maximum of 10 mg/kg.
Can Oxford Biosciences test cosmetics for lead?
Yes. We measure lead in finished cosmetics and in raw materials by ICP-MS in our own analytical laboratory, with results in 5 working days from receipt of the sample. The report sets each result against the lead figure for every market you sell in, and the result goes straight to the assessor who writes your CPSR.