Arabic Food Label & GSO 9: Requirements and Compliant Label Printing in the UAE
A GSO 9 Arabic food label is the label every prepackaged food sold in the UAE must carry: the mandatory particulars — product name, ingredients, allergens, net content, dates, origin and importer — in Arabic, laid out to the Gulf standard GSO 9 as adopted by the UAE (UAE.S GSO 9). Without it, Dubai Municipality will not register the product, and imported consignments can be held.
What is GSO 9? The law behind every Arabic food label
GSO 9 is the Gulf Standardization Organization standard for the labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs. The UAE adopts it as a mandatory national standard (UAE.S GSO 9), and every food product registered with Dubai Municipality, ADAFSA or the federal ZAD system is checked against it.
Every prepackaged food must show, in Arabic:
- Product name — the true name of the food, not only the brand
- List of ingredients in descending order of weight, with additives named by function and INS/E number
- Allergen declaration (gluten-containing cereals, milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame, sulphites)
- Net content in metric units (g, kg, ml, L)
- Country of origin
- Name and address of the manufacturer or packer, and of the importer in the UAE
- Production and expiry dates, printed on the pack by the manufacturer
- Storage conditions and, where needed, instructions for use
- Lot or batch identification
- Nutritional declaration per 100 g or 100 ml
Other languages may be added alongside the Arabic, provided they carry the same information.
Oat & Honey Cookies 200 g
بسكويت الشوفان والعسل 200 غ
Ingredients
wheat flour, oat flakes 22%, sugar, butter (milk), honey 6%, egg, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate E500), salt.
المكوّنات
دقيق قمح، رقائق شوفان 22%، سكر، زبدة (حليب)، عسل 6%، بيض، عامل رفع (بيكربونات الصوديوم E500)، ملح.
Nutrition facts
الحقائق الغذائية
| Nutrient | Per 100 gلكل 100 غ | العنصر |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 470 kcal / 1970 kJ | الطاقة |
| Fat | 20 g | الدهون |
| of which saturates | 11 g | منها مشبعة |
| Carbohydrate | 65 g | الكربوهيدرات |
| of which sugars | 25 g | منها سكريات |
| Protein | 6 g | البروتين |
| Salt | 0.6 g | الملح |
GSO 9 compliance checklist
Use this table to audit an existing label before filing: each row is one mandatory particular, what the standard expects and the format the authorities accept.
| Item | Requirement | Allowed format |
|---|---|---|
| Language | All mandatory particulars in Arabic | Arabic only, or Arabic + English with identical information |
| Product name | True descriptive name of the food | Legal or common name next to the brand, in both languages |
| Ingredients | Full list, descending by weight; additives by functional class + INS/E number | "Ingredients: sugar, water, acidity regulator (citric acid E330) …" |
| Allergens | Declared in the ingredients list and/or a "Contains" statement | "Contains: milk, soy" / «يحتوي على: حليب، صويا» |
| Net content | Metric units | g, kg, ml, L — e.g. 500 g / 500 غ |
| Country of origin | Country where the food was produced | "Product of Turkey" / «منتج تركيا» |
| Manufacturer & importer | Name and address of manufacturer or packer; name and address of the UAE importer | Text block; the importer line may sit on the over-sticker |
| Dates | Production and expiry (or best-before) dates | Printed or embossed by the manufacturer on the pack, unambiguous day/month/year — not on a sticker |
| Storage | Conditions that keep the food safe through its shelf life | "Store in a cool, dry place" / «يُحفظ في مكان بارد وجاف» |
| Lot / batch | Identification of the production lot | Code printed on the pack ("Lot", "L", batch no.) |
| Nutrition | Nutritional declaration | Table per 100 g or 100 ml (energy, fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, salt) |
| Legibility | Clear, indelible, not hidden by other text or graphics | Arabic particulars at least as prominent as the same information in any other language |
The translation and localization trap
A literal or machine translation of an English label is the most common reason a food label fails registration in the UAE. The Arabic text must use the regulatory terminology the authority expects — not a dictionary equivalent.
- Additives: an E number alone is not enough. The functional class (preservative, acidity regulator, emulsifier) must appear in Arabic with the number, using the standard Arabic names.
- Allergens: the declaration follows a fixed pattern ("Contains …" / "May contain traces of …"). Paraphrases and untranslated English allergen names are rejected.
- Product name: translating the brand slogan instead of the true name of the food leaves the mandatory name missing.
- Units and dates: metric abbreviations and unambiguous date wording (production date / expiry date) — not "best by" transliterated.
- Claims: "natural", "sugar-free", "halal" and "organic" each carry their own conditions. Translating a claim does not authorise it.
- Layout: Arabic reads right-to-left. A label built in a left-to-right template mixes lines and separates values from their headings.
Register first, then print — how Crate helps
Crate routes your product to the correct UAE registration path and gets the label right before a single sticker is printed — so you print once.
Arabic food label printing service
Crate prints compliant Arabic food labels: over-stickers for imported goods and full labels for local packers, cut to fit your existing packaging, on laminated vinyl that holds up on the shelf and in the fridge.
A compliant Arabic sticker applied over or beside the original label, covering nothing mandatory and leaving the manufacturer’s dates visible.
Laminated PVC vinyl, matte or glossy. The lamination protects the print from scratches, moisture and oil, on the shelf and in chilled storage.
Mandatory sections in Arabic and English, legible sizes, right-to-left set correctly — from the same engine as our free pre-check.
Cut to size for jars, bottles, pouches and cartons. Small runs and volume orders alike, priced by printed area.
Short-run digital production with rush handling for consignments held at customs. Turnaround is confirmed on your quote.
A PDF proof of the label to attach to the FIRS or Montaji submission — so you print only after the label is accepted.
How it works
Four steps from your current label to compliant printed labels in hand.
- 1Send artwork or product details
A photo of the current label, the ingredient list, nutrition data and the importer details.
- 2Compliance check and Arabic translation
We run the UAE.S 9 pre-check, translate with regulatory terminology and return a proof.
- 3Register with the proof (optional)
File with Dubai Municipality, ZAD or ADAFSA using the proof; print only after acceptance.
- 4Print production and delivery
Digital short-run production, cut to size, delivered in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put an Arabic sticker over the original packaging?
Yes, when it is firmly affixed, legible and covers no mandatory information on the original pack. The manufacturer’s production and expiry dates must stay visible and may not be replaced by a sticker.
What happens if the allergens are not in Arabic?
The label is non-compliant. Allergen declaration is a mandatory GSO 9 particular and must appear in Arabic; registration fails until it is corrected, and consignments can be held at the port of entry.
Is GSO 9 valid across the GCC?
GSO 9 is a Gulf standard adopted by the GCC member states, each through its own national adoption (UAE.S GSO 9 in the UAE). Additional national rules can apply in each country, so check the destination market’s adoption as well.
Does the Arabic text have to be as large as the English?
Arabic is the mandatory language; other languages are optional. The Arabic particulars must be clearly legible and not less prominent than the same information in another language.
Is a nutrition table mandatory?
Yes. Prepackaged foods sold in the UAE carry a nutritional declaration expressed per 100 g or 100 ml; per-serving values may be added. Our nutrition calculator produces a submission-ready table.
Should I print the labels before or after registration?
After. Registration is assessed on the label artwork, so print once the label is accepted and a correction never costs a reprint.
Can Crate translate an existing English label?
Yes. We translate and re-set the label with regulatory terminology, then run it through the same pre-check built on the authority’s requirements.
What is the minimum order, and how fast is delivery?
There is a small minimum order by printed area; the order page shows the price and how many labels it covers. Turnaround is confirmed with your order, and rush production is available for consignments waiting at customs.
Get your Arabic food label right the first time
Send us the label or product data you have and we return a compliant proof and a printing quote. Registration support is available for products not yet filed.
- GSO — Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO 9, labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs)
- MoIAT — Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (UAE standards, formerly ESMA)
- Dubai Municipality — food import and registration (FIRS)
- ADAFSA — Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
- MOCCAE — Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (ZAD food registration)
Crate is an independent platform, not a government body. The adopted text of the standard and the competent authority (Dubai Municipality, ADAFSA, MoIAT) are the final reference. Our methodology