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Selling consumer products in the UAE

In the UAE, product rules are federal. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) sets technical regulations and certifies regulated products under ECAS; food safety follows Federal Law No. 10 of 2015, enforced by each emirate; and the Product Safety Law covers products generally. Dubai also registers many consumer products in Montaji.

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

Standards and certificates
MoIAT, which took over ESMA in July 2020
Certification scheme
Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS)
Food law
Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety
Product safety
Federal Law No. 10 of 2018, free zones included
Dubai registration
Montaji, run by Dubai Municipality
Telecom equipment
TDRA

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in the UAE.

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Which product class is it, and which scheme sets its rules? Read more
  2. 2Does it need a MoIAT conformity certificate before it is traded? Read more
  3. 3Is it food, registered and checked by federal and emirate authorities? Read more
  4. 4Will it be sold in Dubai or online? Read more

The rules, by area

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

How UAE product rules work

Who writes the rules, and which text covers which product.

  • MoIAT was set up in July 2020, merging the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) with other bodies; it handles standards, technical regulations, metrology, conformity assessment, market surveillance and recalls.
  • Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety applies to products placed on the UAE market, free zones included, with an executive regulation in Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2021.
  • Cosmetics, detergents, toys, textiles, food contact materials, child care articles and electrical products each have their own MoIAT scheme, adopted by Cabinet Resolution.
  • Many of these texts are published in Arabic only; Gulf (GSO) standards adopted in the UAE are written "UAE.S GSO".

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. Ask about this

Conformity certificates and marks

How MoIAT certifies products before they are traded.

  • Products subject to technical regulations need a UAE conformity certificate through ECAS; other products can be certified on request.
  • A product status statement lets a regulated product clear customs without a certificate, but it cannot be traded until certified, or is re-exported within six months.
  • MoIAT licenses national marks, including the Emirates Quality Mark, the Halal National Mark, the Eco-label and Made in the UAE, and attests GSO conformity certificates.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each certificate with the product it covers and shows what expires first. Ask about this

Food

The federal food law and who enforces it.

  • Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety sets food safety and quality standards across the UAE; food is registered in the ZAD system before it is traded.
  • Mandatory food standards, including labelling, are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020.
  • Enforcement is local: the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, and the municipalities in Dubai and Sharjah.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps registrations, certificates and label versions together for each food product, dated. Ask about this

Dubai and online selling

Dubai's registration and the eCommerce law.

  • Dubai Municipality registers regulated consumer products, such as cosmetics, detergents, supplements and toys, in Montaji before they are placed on the Dubai market, and publishes non-complying lists.
  • Federal Decree by Law No. 14 of 2023 covers online selling: sellers sell only permitted products and obtain approvals for regulated ones.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the registrations and approvals behind each listing, ready for a marketplace that asks. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerMaking the product to the scheme, and the evidence that it was.Specifications, test reports and certificates ready for each customer's form.
Importer or local agentSupplier duties where the manufacturer is abroad, certificates and registrations.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Brand ownerThe Arabic label and what the product claims.Label versions read against the rules that apply.
RetailerSelling only products that are registered or certified.Certificates ready to show for each product on sale.

Emirates

Federal law and MoIAT's technical regulations apply across the seven emirates. The Product Safety Law applies to products placed on the market in the UAE, free zones included.

Food safety is enforced locally: the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority in Abu Dhabi, and the municipal authorities in Dubai and Sharjah (u.ae).

Dubai Municipality also requires regulated consumer products, such as cosmetics, detergents, health supplements and toys, to be registered in its Montaji system before they are placed on the Dubai market.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates consumer products in the UAE?
MoIAT sets technical regulations and certifies products under ECAS. Food is regulated under Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 and enforced by each emirate. TDRA approves telecom equipment.
Is ESMA still the UAE standards body?
No. MoIAT was set up in July 2020 and took over the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).
What is ECAS?
The Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme, through which MoIAT certifies products subject to technical regulations before they are traded.
Do UAE rules apply in free zones?
Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety applies to products placed on the UAE market, free zones included.
Do I need to register products separately in Dubai?
Many consumer products, including cosmetics, detergents, supplements and toys, are registered in Dubai Municipality's Montaji system before they are placed on the Dubai market.
Are UAE regulations published in English?
Many MoIAT instruments are published in Arabic only. Service pages and guidance are often in English.
Which rules apply to food in the UAE?
Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety, with mandatory food standards under Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020 and registration in ZAD before trading.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the UAE?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the federal schemes and the emirate-level registrations. 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 the UAE and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

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