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Selling other packaged consumer goods in the UAE

In the UAE, packaged non-food goods fall under Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety, free zones included. Products under a technical regulation need a MoIAT conformity certificate; others can get one on request. Prepackages declare their quantity in Arabic, and suppliers withdraw and recall unsafe products.

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

Main law
Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety
Regulation
Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2021
Quantity label
Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024, in Arabic
Certificates
ECAS, for regulated goods; on request for others
Fines
AED 500,000 to AED 3,000,000 for non-conforming products

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product safe, and can you show it against a regulation, a standard or a risk assessment? Read more
  2. 2Is it under a technical regulation, so a conformity certificate is needed? Read more
  3. 3Does the pack declare its quantity correctly, in Arabic? Read more
  4. 4Can you trace, withdraw and recall it? Read more
  5. 5Will it be sold online or imported through Dubai? Read more

The rules, by area

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

General product safety

The duty that applies to products placed on the UAE market.

  • Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety (قانون اتحادي رقم 10 لسنة 2018 في شأن سلامة المنتجات) applies to products placed on the UAE market, free zones and electronic markets included. Medicines, vaccines and sera, antiques, and used products needing repair are excluded.
  • A product is safe if it meets the laws and technical regulations, or the approved or accepted standards; otherwise the supplier relies on a risk assessment from an accepted body.
  • A risk assessment covers the product's characteristics, labelling and instructions, and consumers at risk such as children and the elderly; label information and manuals are then in at least Arabic and English.
  • "Supplier" includes the UAE manufacturer, the agent or importer where the manufacturer is abroad, and others in the supply chain.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the standard, test report or risk assessment behind each product, and shows which products have none. Ask about this

Conformity certificates

MoIAT certificates for regulated and unregulated goods.

  • Products subject to a technical regulation need a UAE conformity certificate from MoIAT, through ECAS, before they are traded.
  • Products not subject to a technical regulation can be certified on request.
  • A product status statement lets a regulated product without a certificate clear customs, but it cannot be traded until certified, or must be re-exported within six months.
  • MoIAT licenses national marks, including the Emirates Quality Mark, the Eco-label and Made in the UAE.
  • For specific classes, see the toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware guides.

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

Prepackages and quantity

How the quantity of a prepacked product is declared.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024 applies to prepackages of constant or variable nominal quantity, imported or made locally; professional-only, military and educational products and medicines are excluded.
  • The label is fixed indelibly on the main display panel and gives the product name, information to trace it, the nominal quantity and the unit, in Arabic; other languages may be added.
  • Words such as "minimum", "not less than", "average", "approximately" and "about" may not qualify the nominal quantity, which is in decimals, not fractions, to no more than three decimal places.
  • Packs that look fuller than they are (slack fill) are treated as misleading.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your pack artwork against the prepackages regulation and keeps the reading with each version. Ask about this

Withdrawal, recall and penalties

What happens when a product is unsafe.

  • Suppliers keep products safe through normal and foreseeable use, track them on the market, and take preventive and corrective measures.
  • Unsafe products, including those with design defects, missing or fake marks or energy labels, are withdrawn or recalled, and the authority can order a recall.
  • Placing non-conforming products or continuing after a recall decision carries prison and/or a fine of AED 500,000 to AED 3,000,000; failing to monitor, cooperate or recall carries AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000.
  • Customs stop unsafe products, and a supplier can raise a grievance within 10 working days.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each certificate and test report to its lot, so a recall question is answered from the record. Ask about this

Online selling and Dubai

The eCommerce law and Dubai's import checks.

  • Federal Decree by Law No. 14 of 2023 covers goods sold through websites, apps, social media and marketplaces; sellers sell only permitted products and obtain approvals for regulated ones.
  • Selling online on the mainland needs a licence that includes eCommerce activity (u.ae).
  • In Dubai, regulated consumer products are registered in Montaji before sale, and Local Order No. 11 of 2003 sets fines, such as AED 1,000 for unregistered or expired goods.
  • Dubai Municipality publishes lists of non-complying consumer products.

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

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSafe design, the standard met and the evidence behind it.Test reports and risk assessments kept with each product.
Importer or agentSupplier duties where the manufacturer is abroad, certificates and customs clearance.Certificates read and dated before shipment.
PackerThe quantity label and fill of each prepackage.Pack artwork read against the prepackages regulation.
Online sellerSelling permitted products, with the approvals regulated ones need.Approvals on file for each product listed.

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

Which law covers general product safety in the UAE?
Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety, with its executive regulation in Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2021. It applies to products placed on the UAE market, free zones included.
How do I show a product is safe in the UAE?
By meeting the laws and technical regulations, or approved or accepted standards. Where none apply, a risk assessment report from an accepted body is used.
Do all products need a conformity certificate in the UAE?
Products subject to a technical regulation need one from MoIAT through ECAS. Products not subject to a technical regulation can be certified on request.
Can goods clear UAE customs without a certificate?
A product status statement lets a regulated product clear customs, but it cannot be traded until certified, or must be re-exported within six months.
Does the quantity label have to be in Arabic?
Yes. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024, the prepackage label is in Arabic; other languages may be added.
Can I write "approximately" or "minimum" next to the net quantity?
No. Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024 bars words such as minimum, not less than, average, approximately and about from qualifying the nominal quantity.
What are the penalties under the UAE Product Safety Law?
Placing non-conforming products or continuing after a recall decision carries prison and/or a fine of AED 500,000 to AED 3,000,000. Failing to monitor, cooperate or recall carries AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000.
Who counts as the supplier for imported goods?
Where the manufacturer is abroad, the agent or importer, alongside others in the supply chain, under Federal Law No. 10 of 2018.
Does the Product Safety Law cover online sales?
Yes. Its executive regulation defines the market to include electronic markets, and the eCommerce law requires approvals for regulated products sold online.
Where are toys, electronics and textiles covered?
Each has its own scheme. See the toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware guides for the UAE.
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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