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Selling consumer products in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) registers and regulates food, drinks, baby food, health products, cosmetics and animal feed. The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) sets technical regulations for toys, electrical goods, textiles, detergents, kitchenware and other products, with certificates registered in its SABER platform. Labels are in Arabic.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food, cosmetics, health products, feed
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)
Other consumer products
SASO technical regulations
Product certificates
Registered in SABER
Clearance
Through the Fasah platform
Radio and telecoms devices
SASO regulation with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission
Label language
Arabic; other languages may be added

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in Saudi Arabia.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the product regulated by SFDA, or by a SASO technical regulation? Read more
  2. 2If SFDA, which registration or notification does it need? Read more
  3. 3If SASO, which certificate, and is it registered in SABER? Read more
  4. 4Is the label in Arabic, with the particulars the rules require? Read more
  5. 5Which documents does clearance need? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Who regulates what

The two main authorities for consumer products, and where each guide sits.

  • SFDA administers the Food Law and its Implementing Regulation, the Cosmetic Products Law (Royal Decree M/49) and the Feed Act and Regulation, and registers health products through its drug sector.
  • SFDA classifies products at the border between food, health products, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, and publishes guidance and a Product Classification System e-service.
  • SASO develops Saudi standards, issues conformity assessment regulations, and applies technical regulations with the relevant authorities.
  • SASO's regulation for communications and IT devices rests on an agreement with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the product against both authorities' rules, so the route it falls under is on record before anything is filed. Ask about this

SFDA registration and notification

How food, drinks, baby food, supplements, cosmetics and feed reach the market.

  • Food establishments and food products are registered with SFDA; importers register both on the Ghad platform before importing.
  • Some foods, including food supplements, energy drinks and infant food, go through SFDA's pre-registration evaluation.
  • A cosmetic may not be imported or traded until it is listed with SFDA, by notification in its Unified Electronic System (GHAD).
  • Feed, including pet food, is registered with SFDA, and importers are licensed in its National Feed Registration System (AFNR).
  • Health products, including some supplements, are registered through SFDA's Saudi Drug Registration system.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each registration or notification with the documents behind it, dated, and shows what is missing or expiring. Ask about this

SASO technical regulations and SABER

How regulated and unregulated consumer products are certified and registered.

  • Each SASO technical regulation sets the conformity model, such as Type 1a or Type 3 under ISO/IEC 17067, and the certificate comes from a SASO-accepted body.
  • SABER is the platform for registering products and their certificates and issuing a shipment certificate for each consignment; it has been linked to Fasah since 1 July 2020.
  • Products outside any SASO technical regulation are still registered in SABER, with a self-declaration and a shipment certificate.
  • From 1 October 2026, products under ten listed regulations carry the supplier's name and commercial registration, under a circular citing the Product Safety Law.
  • Some products must carry the Saudi Quality Mark, which SASO licenses.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps product and shipment certificates with the product and lot, and shows which are due to expire. Ask about this

Arabic labelling

The language rule that runs across product types.

  • Food labels follow SFDA.FD/GSO 9: Arabic, with any other language alongside and identical to it.
  • SFDA specifies the data written in Arabic on cosmetics.
  • SASO's regulations for textiles and for communications and IT devices require labels in Arabic, to which another language may be added, with the Arabic prevailing.
  • Toy and electrical regulations require instructions, safety information and warnings in Arabic.
  • Several regulations prohibit images and phrases that breach public order, public morals or the Islamic values prevailing in the Kingdom.

How we help: Upload the label and Compliant Always reads it against the particulars for its product type, and sets the Arabic beside the other languages. Ask about this

Import and clearance

How goods are cleared, and what customs prohibits.

  • Food clearance requests go through the Fasah platform, with certificates of origin, invoices, bills of lading and health certificates; importers keep the originals for five years.
  • Imported food is released only with SFDA's consent (Article 7, Food Law); feed imports need an import licence and registered products.
  • The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) publishes the items prohibited for travellers, which include intoxicants, and pills, creams and tonics not registered with SFDA.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificates each shipment needs with the product and lot, and shows what is missing before it leaves. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ImporterRegistration on SFDA's platforms or in SABER, clearance documents, and records for five years where SFDA requires it.Certificates and registrations kept with each lot, with expiry dates shown.
ManufacturerProducts that meet the technical regulations, with the declarations, test reports and certificates behind them.Documents kept together and ready for an importer's questionnaire.
Notifier or registrantThe SFDA notification or registration, and reporting problems to SFDA.The file behind each notification kept current.
Supplier under SASO regulationsThe certificate of conformity, the technical file, and its name on the product where required.Certificates read and dated, with gaps shown.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates consumer products in Saudi Arabia?
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) for food, drinks, baby food, health products, cosmetics and feed. The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) for toys, electrical goods, textiles, detergents, kitchenware and other products.
What is SABER?
SASO's electronic platform, within the Saudi Product Safety Program, where establishments register consumer products and their certificates and obtain a shipment certificate for clearance.
Do product labels have to be in Arabic in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, across product types. Food labels follow SFDA.FD/GSO 9, and SASO's regulations require Arabic labels, instructions or warnings; another language may usually be added.
Do I need to register food or cosmetics in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Food establishments and products are registered with SFDA, and a cosmetic may not be imported or traded until it is listed with SFDA through notification in GHAD.
What if my product is not covered by a SASO technical regulation?
It is still registered in SABER, with a self-declaration and a shipment certificate, before clearance.
Who regulates radio equipment in Saudi Arabia?
SASO's Technical Regulation for Communications and IT Devices, made under an agreement with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), whose device licensing requirements suppliers must meet.
Can alcohol be sold in Saudi Arabia?
ZATCA's list of items prohibited for travellers includes intoxicants, and the Food Law treats non-halal components as a breach of Islamic law. See the alcohol guide for the sources.
How are goods cleared through Saudi customs?
Through the Fasah platform. Food needs SFDA's consent and documents; consumer products need their SABER certificates, which have been linked to Fasah since 1 July 2020.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Saudi Arabia?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including SFDA and SASO requirements. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Saudi Arabia and what your paperwork needs to show.

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