Importing European skincare into the UAE and Saudi Arabia

Who has to register imported skincare in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?

A locally licensed importer, before the goods arrive. The European brand supplies the documents; the registration is held in the name of the local company that brings the products in.

In Dubai, the importer responsible for registration applies through Montaji. The applicant must be a company incorporated in Dubai, or one with a Dubai warehouse, with a Dubai trade licence covering cosmetics, and the products must be registered before consignments are imported.¹ In Saudi Arabia, a cosmetic cannot be imported or circulated unless it is notified (listed) with the SFDA.² The listing is filed in the Ghad system by an account whose registered activities include cosmetics, as an "Application for Listing of Cosmetic Product (Marketing Notification)".⁷

So the first decision is commercial, not regulatory: will your own company hold the registrations, or will a licensed importer or registration agent hold them for you? Holding them yourself means the listings stay with you if you change supplier routes. Using an agent is faster for a first range.

What does the UAE require before the first shipment?

Two layers: a federal MoIAT conformity certificate, then registration in the emirate where you sell.⁶

One practical consequence: the certificate is tied to country of origin. Endless Pure is made in ISO 22716 certified GMP facilities in Latvia, France and North America, so a first UAE range built from SKUs of a single production origin fits on fewer certificates. Ask for the origin of each SKU before you finalise the list.

The formula declaration contains percentages, which brands treat as confidential. Agree at the start that it goes directly to the authority or your registration agent, not into general email circulation.

What does Saudi Arabia require?

An SFDA listing, conformity with the GCC standards, and a certificate of conformity for each consignment. Cosmetics must comply with SFDA.CO/GSO 1943 and SFDA circulars and must not carry medicinal claims.⁸ The applicable standards also include GSO 2528 for claims, GSO 2020 for GMP and GSO 2636 for the product information file.²

At the border, product information goes through the Saudi system to obtain a certificate of conformity before the consignment reaches the port; goods without one can be rejected.² Customs expects a commercial invoice, bill of lading and certificate of origin, with the declaration filed in Fasah at least 48 hours before arrival.⁹

What has to change on the label?

For Dubai, usually only a sticker check. Required items may be in clear English and/or Arabic: brand, product name, manufacturer or UAE agent, country of origin, ingredients, pack size, production and expiry dates, storage conditions, directions, batch number and barcode. Dates must be printed or on non-removable stickers.¹

For Saudi Arabia, plan an Arabic sticker. Warnings and safety instructions must be in Arabic or Arabic and English, and the SFDA may require the label in Arabic.¹⁰

Watch the claims as well. Dubai treats products claiming mental or spiritual effects as outside the cosmetic scope.¹ Present PURE CALM as care for sensitive, reactive skin, which is what it is, and never as calming for the mind.

What about halal and ingredient questions?

Halal certification is not legally mandatory for cosmetics in the UAE or Saudi Arabia.⁶² It becomes necessary only if a halal logo or claim appears: in Dubai a valid certificate from a recognised Islamic body in the country of origin is then mandatory.¹

Your staff will still be asked about alcohol and animal-derived ingredients. Answer from the INCI, product by product. The Peptide Smoothing Eye Cream, for example, is vegan. Product information is available to partners, so the counter answer is a fact, not a guess.

What does a first order cost to land?

Duty and VAT are charged on the CIF value: goods plus freight and insurance.³⁴

UAE, hypothetical figures. Registration is a one-off: budget it across the five-year validity and the number of SKUs it covers.

How does Endless Pure work with Gulf importers?

On individual terms, agreed per importer; the standard terms they start from are on the buyer fact sheet.

Product information is available to partners. Every formula except the Eye Renewal Patches, which are not COSMOS certified, is ECOCERT COSMOS certified (Natural or Organic); the products are made in ISO 22716 certified GMP facilities and comply with EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Every order is produced as a fresh batch, with production time depending on the order volume, so stock arrives with full shelf life even after customs clearance.

A Gulf first range that suits a hot climate and a pharmacy or clinic shelf: SPF50 mineral stick (tinted and untinted), Hyaluronic Double Hydration Gel, PURE CALM Light Moisturiser, Bio-Retinol Serum, Bio-Retinol Elixir Moisturiser, Organic Micellar Water and Eye Renewal Patches. Seven SKUs, one registration project.

For other non-EU markets, see French skincare wholesale for international retailers and shipping outside the EU; all pages are in Guides.