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Selling toys in the UAE

In the UAE, toys for children under 14 fall under the Gulf Technical Regulation for children's toys, adopted by Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2015. Manufacturers meet its safety requirements, keep a technical file for ten years, issue a declaration of conformity, fix the Gulf conformity mark and give warnings in Arabic. Dubai also checks toys at import.

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

Main text
Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2015
Scope
Toys for play by children under 14
Mark
Gulf conformity mark
Records
Technical file and declaration kept for 10 years
Language
Warnings and instructions in Arabic
Dubai import
EN 71 certificate or lab report at clearance

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product a toy for children under 14, and not one of the excluded products? Read more
  2. 2Does it meet the safety requirements, including the chemical limits? Read more
  3. 3Is there a technical file, a declaration of conformity and the Gulf conformity mark? Read more
  4. 4Does the toy carry its traceability details and Arabic warnings? Read more
  5. 5Who is the importer or authorised representative, and what do they check? Read more
  6. 6If sold in Dubai, what does the consignment carry at clearance? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Scope

What counts as a toy under the regulation.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2015 (قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 22 لسنة 2015) adopts the second version of the Gulf Technical Regulation for children's toys, updating BD07070502 of 27 November 2007.
  • It applies to products designed or intended, exclusively or not, for use in play by children under 14 years of age.
  • It does not apply to playground equipment for public use, automatic coin-operated playing machines, toy vehicles with combustion engines, toy steam engines, or slings and catapults.

How we help: Compliant Always records whether each product is a toy under the regulation, with the reasons, kept with the product. Ask about this

Safety requirements

What the toy itself must meet.

  • Toys meet the essential safety requirements in Article 10 and Annex 2 of the regulation, through their foreseeable use and with children's behaviour in mind.
  • The regulation sets requirements on chemicals, including substances classed as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, and on allergenic fragrances.
  • It sets lower limits for toys intended for children under 36 months or to be put in the mouth, and requirements for toys that come into contact with food.
  • It sets noise limits, and requires the manufacturer to analyse the chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene and radioactivity hazards of the toy.

How we help: Compliant Always reads lab reports against the regulation's limits and keeps them with the toy and its batch. Ask about this

Technical file, declaration and mark

What the manufacturer prepares before sale.

  • The manufacturer prepares the technical documentation set out in Article 20 and carries out the conformity assessment in Article 18 before placing the toy on the market.
  • Once conformity is shown, the manufacturer draws up a declaration of conformity and fixes the Gulf conformity mark.
  • The technical file and declaration are kept for 10 years after the toy is placed on the market.
  • MoIAT attests conformity certificates issued by the GCC Standardization Organization for products under Gulf technical regulations.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the technical file, declaration and certificates together for each toy, with their dates, for the ten years the regulation sets. Ask about this

Marking and warnings

What the toy or its packaging carries.

  • The toy carries a type, batch or serial number or another element that identifies it, or, where its size or nature does not allow, on the packaging or an accompanying document.
  • The manufacturer's name, registered trade name or mark, and contact address appear on the toy or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or an accompanying document.
  • Instructions and safety information are given in Arabic.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your artwork for the identification details and the Arabic warnings, and keeps the reading with each label version. Ask about this

Importers, representatives and corrective action

Duties along the supply chain.

  • A manufacturer may appoint an authorised representative by written mandate.
  • Where a manufacturer has reason to think a toy does not conform, it takes corrective action, withdraws or recalls the toy as needed, and informs the authorities.
  • On request, documentation is given in Arabic, or in English where the authority agrees.
  • Non-conforming toys are withdrawn, re-exported or destroyed; the regulation gives a 90-day period to comply.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each toy's documents to its batch, so a question from the authorities is answered from the record. Ask about this

Dubai import checks

What Dubai Municipality asks for at clearance.

  • Dubai Municipality defines toys as products designed or intended for play by children under 14.
  • At clearance, toy consignments carry an EN 71 certificate or a lab test report.
  • Dubai Municipality publishes a list of non-complying toys.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the EN 71 reports with each consignment and watches the non-complying list for your toys. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSafety, the technical file, declaration of conformity, mark and Arabic warnings.The toy file kept together, dated, for ten years.
Authorised representativeThe tasks in its written mandate from the manufacturer.The mandate and the documents behind it in one place.
ImporterClearance documents, including test reports at the Dubai port.Consignment documents read and dated before shipment.
RetailerSelling only toys that conform, and acting on a withdrawal.Certificates ready to show for each toy 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 toys in the UAE?
Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2015, which adopts the Gulf Technical Regulation for children's toys, alongside the general duty in Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety.
What counts as a toy in the UAE?
A product designed or intended, exclusively or not, for use in play by children under 14 years of age.
Which products are excluded from the UAE toy regulation?
Public playground equipment, automatic coin-operated playing machines, toy vehicles with combustion engines, toy steam engines, and slings and catapults.
Do toys need a mark in the UAE?
Yes. Once conformity is shown, the manufacturer draws up a declaration of conformity and fixes the Gulf conformity mark.
How long must toy technical files be kept?
The technical file and declaration of conformity are kept for 10 years after the toy is placed on the market.
Do toy warnings have to be in Arabic?
Yes. Instructions and safety information are given in Arabic under the Gulf Technical Regulation for children's toys.
Are there chemical limits for toys in the UAE?
Yes. The regulation sets requirements on chemicals, including CMR substances and allergenic fragrances, with lower limits for toys for children under 36 months or meant for the mouth.
What does Dubai ask for when toys are imported?
An EN 71 certificate or a lab test report at clearance. Dubai Municipality also publishes a list of non-complying toys.
What happens to non-conforming toys in the UAE?
They are withdrawn, re-exported or destroyed. The manufacturer takes corrective action and informs the authorities when it has reason to think a toy does not conform.
Can a foreign toy maker appoint someone in the UAE?
Yes. A manufacturer may appoint an authorised representative by written mandate to carry out tasks on its behalf.
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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