Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling clothing and textiles in the UAE

In the UAE, clothing, fabrics and indoor textiles fall under Cabinet Resolution No. 54 of 2019. Products meet flammability and hazardous substance requirements, carry care and fibre content labels, and are registered under ECAS where the scheme applies, with a test report under three years old. Dubai publishes a list of non-complying textiles.

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

Main text
Cabinet Resolution No. 54 of 2019
Scope
Clothing, fabrics, indoor textiles, products at least 80% textile
Labels
Care label and fibre content
Test report
ISO 17025 laboratory, under three years old
Marks
Emirates Quality Mark accepted

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product within the scheme, and not one of the excluded textiles? Read more
  2. 2Does it meet the flammability and hazardous substance requirements? Read more
  3. 3Does it carry a care label and fibre content? Read more
  4. 4Is there a recent test report and ECAS registration where needed? Read more
  5. 5Is it on Dubai's non-complying list? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Scope

Which textile products the scheme covers.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 54 of 2019 on the UAE scheme for the control of textile products (قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 54 لسنة 2019 بشأن النظام الإماراتي للرقابة على المنسوجات) covers textile products made from the components in its Annex 2.
  • These include new ready-to-wear clothing, fabrics for tailoring, indoor textiles such as furnishings, curtains, carpets and mattresses, and any product at least 80% textile by weight.
  • It excludes yarns and textiles given to home workers, made-to-measure items from tailors, single-use textiles, outdoor textiles, and leather, rubber and plastic products.

How we help: Compliant Always records whether each product falls under the scheme, with the reasons, kept with the product. Ask about this

Flammability and hazardous substances

What the textile itself must meet.

  • The scheme sets flammability requirements for children's and adults' textiles.
  • It restricts hazardous substances and heavy metals in textile products.
  • It also sets environmental requirements for textile products.
  • The general duty in Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety also applies: a supplier may not place unsafe products on the market.

How we help: Compliant Always reads lab reports against the flammability and substance limits and keeps them with the product and lot. Ask about this

Care and fibre labels

What a textile product's label shows.

  • Products carry a care label and a statement of fibre content.
  • The scheme also sets rules on how textile products are described in advertising.
  • MoIAT asks for the product label when the product is registered.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your care and fibre labels against the scheme and keeps the reading with each label version. Ask about this

Test reports and registration

What MoIAT asks for under ECAS.

  • Products are registered under ECAS where the scheme applies.
  • MoIAT asks for a test report from an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, issued less than three years before, and the label.
  • A product holding the Emirates Quality Mark is accepted as meeting the scheme.
  • Suppliers hold the licences required to trade in the UAE.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each test report with the product it covers and shows when a report passes three years. Ask about this

Dubai

Dubai Municipality's published list.

  • Dubai Municipality publishes a list of non-complying textile products.
  • Dubai Municipality's consumer product guidelines set the documents it checks for consumer products imported into Dubai.

How we help: Compliant Always watches Dubai's non-complying list and shows you when a product you sell appears. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerFlammability, substance limits and the fibre content stated.Test reports kept with each style and lot.
Importer or brand ownerCare and fibre labels, the test report and ECAS registration.Labels and reports read and dated before shipment.
RetailerSelling products that meet the scheme and are not on Dubai's list.Reports 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

Which law covers textiles in the UAE?
Cabinet Resolution No. 54 of 2019 on the UAE scheme for the control of textile products, alongside Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety.
Which products does the UAE textile scheme cover?
New ready-to-wear clothing, fabrics for tailoring, indoor textiles such as curtains, carpets and mattresses, and any product at least 80% textile by weight.
Which textiles are excluded?
Yarns given to home workers, made-to-measure items from tailors, single-use textiles, outdoor textiles, and leather, rubber and plastic products.
Do clothes need a care label in the UAE?
Yes. The textile scheme requires a care label and a statement of fibre content.
Are there flammability rules for clothing in the UAE?
Yes. The scheme sets flammability requirements for children's and adults' textiles.
Does the UAE restrict chemicals in textiles?
Yes. The scheme restricts hazardous substances and heavy metals in textile products.
How old can a textile test report be?
MoIAT asks for a test report from an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory issued less than three years before.
Does the Emirates Quality Mark count for textiles?
Yes. A product holding the Emirates Quality Mark is accepted as meeting the textile scheme.
Does Dubai publish non-complying textiles?
Yes. Dubai Municipality publishes a list of non-complying textile products.
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.

Get in touch