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Selling cleaning products and detergents in the UAE

In the UAE, detergents fall under Cabinet Resolution No. 96 of 2024. The supplier provides a safety data sheet, ingredient statement and artwork, labels in Arabic and English, meets phosphorus limits, and holds a MoIAT conformity certificate under ECAS before sale. In Dubai, detergents and biocides such as disinfectants are also registered in Montaji.

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

Main text
Cabinet Resolution No. 96 of 2024
Certificate
MoIAT conformity certificate under ECAS
Warnings
In Arabic and English
Phosphorus
0.3 g per dose (dishwasher); 0.5 g per dose (laundry)
Dubai registration
Montaji, for detergents and biocides

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product a detergent listed in the resolution's annex, or a biocide? Read more
  2. 2Are the SDS, ingredient statement and manufacturer's analysis certificate ready? Read more
  3. 3Does the label carry the particulars, with warnings in Arabic and English? Read more
  4. 4Does the formula meet the phosphorus limits, and is it certified under ECAS? Read more
  5. 5If sold in Dubai, is it registered in Montaji? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Scope

Which products the detergents scheme covers.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 96 of 2024 on the UAE scheme for the control of detergents (قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 96 لسنة 2024 بشأن النظام الإماراتي للرقابة على المنظفات) covers the detergent types in the technical regulation in its Annex 1.
  • It also covers bulk detergents imported for repacking in the UAE, and detergents placed on the UAE market, free zones included, or made for export.
  • Dubai Municipality defines detergents as substances or preparations containing soaps or surfactants for cleaning and washing, in any form, for domestic or industrial use.
  • Dubai Municipality treats biocides, including disinfectants, antiseptics, hand sanitisers and insect repellents, as a separate regulated category.

How we help: Compliant Always records which scheme each product falls under, and keeps the reasoning with the product. Ask about this

Supplier obligations

The documents a supplier gives the authorities.

  • The supplier, at any stage of supply, gives the competent authorities a safety data sheet (SDS), an ingredient data sheet (IDS), an internal analysis certificate from the manufacturer, and the product artwork.
  • The SDS names ingredients by IUPAC, CAS or INCI name or the European Pharmacopoeia, in descending order of weight, in bands from 10% or more down to under 0.1%.
  • An SDS for public view leaves out the permitted range of percentages, perfume and essential oil components, and colourants.
  • The supplier meets ISO 9001 quality management and good manufacturing practice that MoIAT accepts, when registering for the conformity certificate.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the SDS, IDS and analysis certificate with each formula version, and shows when a reformulation leaves them out of date. Ask about this

Labelling

What a detergent pack shows.

  • The supplier's trade name, address and trade mark; a production code (the production date, or a batch code that traces the product); and the country of origin.
  • The ingredients as Annex 2 of the resolution sets out, including allergenic fragrance substances, the net weight or volume, the purpose, and instructions for use and storage.
  • The validity: production and expiry dates, a period after opening (PAO), or a production date with the period for use.
  • Warnings are written in Arabic and English; other information may be in Arabic, English or both, clearly and hard to remove. The rule also covers imported detergents repacked in the UAE.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your artwork against the label particulars, including the Arabic and English warnings, and keeps the reading with each label version. Ask about this

Conformity certificate and phosphorus

What a detergent needs for its certificate.

  • The certificate requires a conformity assessment body under Cabinet Resolution No. 35 of 2015, MoIAT's forms, the technical regulation in Annex 1, and ECAS conformity assessment Model 8.
  • The quantity in the pack meets UAE.S GSO OIML R87 on prepackages.
  • Adding phosphates is prohibited, and phosphorus traces are limited to 0.3 g per recommended dose in automatic dishwasher detergents and 0.5 g per recommended dose in laundry powders and liquids.
  • Retail outlets may not offer or sell detergents unless they are registered under ECAS or hold a conformity certificate.

How we help: Compliant Always reads lab reports against the phosphorus limits and keeps the ECAS certificate with the formula it covers. Ask about this

Dubai registration and enforcement

Dubai Municipality's registration and published lists.

  • Detergents and biocides imported for the Dubai market are registered in Montaji by the importer or local agent.
  • Dubai Municipality publishes lists of non-complying detergents and non-complying biocides.
  • Where a detergent does not comply, the authority may require the supplier to withdraw it from the market to correct it, or to re-export or destroy it, at the supplier's cost.

How we help: Compliant Always watches the published non-complying lists and shows you when a product you sell appears. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
SupplierSDS, IDS and artwork, the label and the conformity certificate.The detergent file kept with each formula, dated.
ManufacturerThe formula, internal analysis certificate, ISO 9001 and GMP.Manufacturer documents collected once and reused for each customer.
Importer or repackerLabels on imported or repacked detergents, and Dubai registration.Labels and registrations read and dated before 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

Do detergents need a conformity certificate in the UAE?
Yes. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 96 of 2024, retail outlets may not offer or sell detergents unless they are registered under ECAS or hold a MoIAT conformity certificate.
What documents does a detergent supplier provide in the UAE?
A safety data sheet, an ingredient data sheet, an internal analysis certificate from the manufacturer, and the product artwork, under Cabinet Resolution No. 96 of 2024.
Do detergent labels have to be in Arabic in the UAE?
Warnings are written in Arabic and English. Other label information may be in Arabic, English or both.
Are phosphates allowed in detergents in the UAE?
Adding phosphates is prohibited. Phosphorus traces are limited to 0.3 g per recommended dose in automatic dishwasher detergents and 0.5 g per dose in laundry powders and liquids.
Does the detergent scheme cover products for export?
Yes. It covers detergents placed on the UAE market, free zones included, and those made for export, and bulk detergents imported for repacking.
What must a detergent label show in the UAE?
The supplier's name and address, a production or batch code, origin, ingredients including allergenic fragrances, net quantity, purpose, use and storage instructions, validity, and warnings in Arabic and English.
Are disinfectants regulated in Dubai?
Yes. Dubai Municipality treats biocides, including disinfectants, antiseptics and hand sanitisers, as a regulated consumer product registered in Montaji.
What happens to a non-compliant detergent?
The authority may require the supplier to withdraw it to correct it, or to re-export or destroy it, at the supplier's cost, and may cancel its conformity certificate.
Do I need to register detergents in Dubai?
Yes. Detergents imported for the Dubai market are registered in Montaji by the importer or local agent before they are placed on the market.
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.

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