GSO standards set the regional framework, but each GCC country adopts them on its own timeline. We confirm what applies where, and build the labelling and Halal compliance your products need.
The GCC Standardization Organization, GSO, develops standards and technical regulations for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Yemen. The GCC itself is a political and economic cooperative union of these states, and GSO standards exist to further trade between member states and with other trading partners.
GSO standards cover a wide range of food-related areas: composition, additives, contaminants, packaging and food contact materials, labelling, and Halal requirements. For food businesses, the practical relevance is that GSO standards form the regional baseline that national authorities, such as Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug Authority, SFDA, or the UAE's Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, ESMA, reference and enforce.
The relationship between GSO-level standards and national enforcement is one of the most important things to understand about GCC food compliance. A GSO standard being adopted at the regional level does not mean it is automatically enforceable, in the same form, on the same timeline, in every member state. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are known to actively adopt GSO standards through national resolutions, while other member states may apply GSO standards without a formal adoption decree, and timelines vary considerably.
This means that for any specific product and target market, the practical question is rarely "does a GSO standard exist for this", but rather "has this GSO standard been adopted, in what form, and on what timeline, in the specific country I'm shipping to."
The same GSO standard can sit at different stages of adoption depending on the country.
Actively adopts GSO standards via national resolutions, enforced by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, SFDA. Often layers additional Saudi-specific standards on top, such as nutritional labelling and expiration date rules.
Actively adopts GSO standards via resolutions, enforced by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, ESMA. UAE-specific standards, such as UAE.S 2055-1 for Halal, can sit alongside the GSO version.
Some member states, such as Oman, apply GSO standards without commonly issuing a formal resolution or decree, meaning the practical enforcement position can be less clearly documented than in Saudi Arabia or the UAE.
One standard that is genuinely universal across the region is GSO 1863/2013 on plastic food contact materials, which every GCC member state has formally adopted. This is the exception, not the rule: for most other standards, including labelling and composition requirements, confirming the position in each target country individually is the only reliable approach. A product compliant for Saudi Arabia is not automatically compliant for the UAE, Oman, or Qatar, even where the underlying GSO standard is the same.
The pace of new GSO standard development also matters for planning. In March 2026, GCC member states notified the World Trade Organization of two draft technical regulations, GSO 05/DS/2211:2025 for sweetened condensed milk and GSO 05/FDS/2296:2025 for evaporated milk, setting detailed compositional, ingredient, additive, contaminant and labelling requirements for these categories, including minimum and maximum levels for milk fat, milk solids and milk protein, and a requirement to declare milk fat and protein on labels. For businesses in affected categories, this kind of WTO notification is often the earliest visible signal that a new requirement is coming, well before national adoption begins.
The core Halal general requirements standard is undergoing its first major revision since 2015.
GSO 2055-1, Halal Food, Part 1: General Requirements, sets the fundamental Sharia-based criteria food products must meet to be classified as Halal across the GCC region, covering every stage of the food chain, from production to service. On 17 February 2026, GSO released a primary draft of GSO 2055-1:2026, a significant update to the 2015 version, open for public consultation with comments due by 18 April 2026.
The draft tightens controls on prohibited substances throughout the supply chain, going beyond the scope of the 2015 version.
Halal shipment certification becomes mandatory for high-risk animal-based products, formalising a documentation requirement that previously varied by country and product.
Strict segregation, hygiene, and facility transition protocols are required between Halal and non-Halal production, addressing shared-facility operations specifically.
For businesses currently certified to GSO 2055-1:2015, or to country-specific equivalents such as UAE.S 2055-1, the draft signals that segregation and facility transition protocols deserve early attention, since these are often the most operationally significant changes when a Halal standard is tightened. The shipment certification requirement for high-risk animal-based products is also worth flagging early to supply chain partners, since it may require certification at a stage of the chain that previously did not need it.
Until the consultation closes on 18 April 2026 and a final version is adopted, GSO 2055-1:2015 and relevant country-specific Halal standards, such as UAE.S 2055-1 or OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, remain the operative requirements. The draft is a strong signal of direction, but not yet a compliance obligation.
GSO and national compliance applies to any food product sold into, or manufactured within, the GCC region.
Businesses needing to confirm GSO standard adoption status and any additional national requirements, such as SFDA's Ghad import registration.
Operations using meat, animal fats, gelatin, collagen, animal-derived rennet, or enzymes of animal origin, needing to assess Halal certification requirements under GSO 2055-1.
Operations producing both Halal and non-Halal products needing to prepare for the segregation and transition protocols proposed in the GSO 2055-1:2026 draft.
Businesses shipping to multiple GCC countries needing country-by-country adoption status confirmed instead of assuming uniform regional compliance.
Businesses affected by new GSO draft standards for sweetened condensed and evaporated milks, setting compositional, ingredient, additive and labelling requirements.
Operations needing to confirm any Halal, organic, or quality claims and logos are supported by valid certification before use on packaging.
We cover the full scope of GCC compliance, from GSO-level standards review to country-specific adoption mapping.
A review of products and labels against relevant GSO standards, covering composition, additives, labelling, and Halal requirements where applicable.
Confirmation of whether a relevant GSO standard has been adopted, and in what form, in each of your target GCC markets.
Review of products, processes and supply chains against GSO 2055-1 Halal general requirements, including the proposed 2026 revision, covering segregation, prohibited substances and shipment certification.
Review and correction of product labels against GSO 9 prepackaged food labelling requirements, plus country-specific additions such as Saudi nutritional labelling and expiration date standards.
Assessment of shared-facility operations against the segregation and facility transition protocols proposed in the GSO 2055-1:2026 draft.
Support with Saudi Arabia import registration through the Ghad e-services platform, including commercial registration and application documentation.
Confirmation of compliance with GSO 1863/2013 and related food contact material standards across target markets.
Review of Halal, organic, and quality claims and logos to confirm they are supported by valid certification before use on packaging.
Ongoing monitoring of new GSO drafts and amendments relevant to your product categories, with practical guidance issued as standards are adopted nationally.
GCC compliance depends on understanding which standards apply where, a distinction that's easy for a team to lose track of as product ranges and target markets grow. Building team understanding of GSO versus national adoption, and how to check current status before a shipment, through training reduces the risk of compliance gaps emerging between reviews. We recommend pairing this consulting programme with relevant training delivered through Confi Food, and can advise on the right approach during the initial consultation.
Compliance work follows a defined sequence. Our part of the process typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the number of target markets.
| Stage | What happens | Our role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Target market confirmation | The specific GCC countries your products will be sold in are confirmed. | We confirm target markets and applicable national authorities. | 1 day |
| 2. GSO standards review | Relevant GSO standards for composition, additives and labelling are identified for your product categories. | We identify applicable GSO standards. | 1 to 2 days |
| 3. National adoption check | Adoption status of each relevant GSO standard is checked for each target country. | We check adoption status against each target country's national position. | 2 to 3 days |
| 4. Halal assessment (if applicable) | Products containing animal-derived ingredients are assessed against GSO 2055-1 and relevant country-specific Halal standards. | We assess Halal certification needs and segregation implications. | 2 to 3 days |
| 5. Labelling correction | Labels are corrected against GSO 9 and any country-specific labelling additions. | We produce a corrected label specification per target market. | 3 to 5 days |
| 6. Import registration (if applicable) | For Saudi Arabia, SFDA Ghad registration is prepared if not already in place. | We prepare the registration documentation. | 2 to 3 days |
| 7. Halal certification (if applicable) | Where Halal certification is required, the application is submitted to a recognised Halal certification body. | We support the application preparation. | Up to the certification body |
| 8. Ongoing monitoring | New GSO drafts and national adoption changes relevant to your products are monitored. | We flag relevant changes as they develop. | Ongoing |
Our gap assessment checks both the GSO-level requirement and its actual adoption status in each of your target markets.
The assessment covers composition and additive requirements under relevant GSO standards, GSO 9 labelling and country-specific additions, GSO 2055-1 Halal requirements where animal-derived ingredients are present, and food contact material compliance under GSO 1863/2013 and related standards.
Critically, the assessment maps adoption status separately for each target country. A standard fully adopted in Saudi Arabia may be at a different stage in the UAE, and may not have a formal adoption decree at all in other member states, so the same product can need different documentation depending on destination.
We confirm target countries and identify relevant GSO standards for your product categories.
We check the adoption status of each relevant standard per target country.
We review Halal certification needs and label compliance against GSO 9 and country-specific additions.
We produce a written gap assessment with a per-country action plan.
For businesses targeting multiple GCC countries, we structure the assessment so shared GSO-level work is done once, with country-specific findings layered on top.
The same issues appear across GCC compliance reviews regardless of product category. Knowing where these gaps cluster is the most effective preparation.
Treating a GSO standard as automatically enforceable identically across all GCC countries overlooks that adoption status, and sometimes the content of national equivalents, varies by country.
Halal logos or claims used on packaging without certification from a recognised Halal certification body do not meet the requirement that such claims be supported by valid documentation.
A label that meets the general GSO 9 prepackaged labelling requirements may still be missing country-specific additions, such as Saudi Arabia's nutritional labelling or expiration date standards.
Products containing meat, animal fats, gelatin, collagen, animal-derived rennet, or enzymes of animal origin, in any proportion, can trigger Halal documentation requirements that are easy to overlook in composite products where the animal-derived component is a minor ingredient.
For Saudi Arabia, shipments dispatched before SFDA Ghad import registration is completed can face delays at the border that registration in advance would have avoided.
Facilities producing both Halal and non-Halal products without documented segregation and transition protocols may face increased scrutiny as the GSO 2055-1:2026 draft, if adopted, formalises these requirements more explicitly than the 2015 version.
For businesses trading internationally, understanding how GSO standards relate to international frameworks clarifies where alignment exists.
| GSO standards | Codex Alimentarius | EU food law | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Regional, subject to national adoption | International reference, not directly enforceable | Legally binding (EU) |
| Distinguishing feature | Halal requirements (GSO 2055-1) | Reference point for many national frameworks | Hygiene, labelling, traceability |
| Enforcement | National authorities (SFDA, ESMA, etc.) | Via adopting national frameworks | Member state competent authorities |
| Our consulting | GCC Food Safety | Codex Alimentarius | EU Food Law |
What drives the timeline and cost of a GCC compliance project. We provide a written proposal with a fixed fee after the initial consultation.
Timeline
How long our consulting work takes
Cost factors
What drives the consulting fee
A composition, labelling and Halal review for one target country, such as Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Our consulting work typically takes 3 to 5 days.
Adoption status review across multiple GCC member states for the same product range. Our consulting work typically takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on the number of countries.
Assessment of shared-facility operations against current and proposed GSO 2055-1 segregation requirements.
Preparation of Ghad platform registration documentation for businesses not yet registered to import into Saudi Arabia.
A single-product, single-category business requires less review than a multi-category range with varying Halal implications.
Businesses already Halal-certified under GSO 2055-1:2015 or a national equivalent often have documentation that can be assessed against the 2026 draft with a focused review.
A gap assessment only, a full multi-market compliance package, or an ongoing monitoring retainer each carry different fees. All scopes are defined in writing before work begins.
Fees charged by the recognised Halal certification body for certification itself are separate from our consulting fees.
Answers to the questions we hear most often from businesses exporting to or operating within the GCC region.
The GCC Standardization Organization, GSO, develops standards and technical regulations for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Yemen. GSO standards cover food composition, additives, contaminants, labelling, packaging and food contact materials, and Halal requirements, with the aim of furthering trade between GCC member states and with other trading partners.
Once a GSO standard is adopted at the GSO level, member states are expected to implement it as a national standard or technical regulation, but the route to implementation differs by country. Saudi Arabia and the UAE actively adopt GSO standards by issuing national resolutions, while other member states, such as Oman, may apply GSO standards without formally issuing a resolution or decree confirming adoption. Adoption timelines vary considerably from country to country, so confirming a GSO standard is approved in a specific target market typically requires checking with that country's national body directly.
GSO 2055-1, Halal Food, Part 1: General Requirements, sets the fundamental Sharia-based criteria food products must meet to be classified as Halal across the GCC region, covering every stage of the food chain from production to service. The previous version dates to 2015. On 17 February 2026, GSO released a primary draft of GSO 2055-1:2026, open for public consultation with comments due by 18 April 2026. The draft tightens controls on prohibited substances, mandates Halal shipment certification for high-risk animal-based products, and requires strict segregation, hygiene and facility transition protocols between Halal and non-Halal production.
Halal certificates are generally required for food products that contain, in any proportion, meat and meat products or derivatives, animal fats, gelatin, collagen, animal-derived rennet, and enzymes of animal origin, as well as any product bearing a Halal logo on its packaging. This extends beyond conventional meat and poultry products to composite food products containing animal-derived ingredients or additives at any stage of the supply chain.
GSO 9, Labelling of Prepackaged Foodstuffs, sets the general labelling requirements applicable across GCC member states. In Saudi Arabia, this is supplemented by country-specific standards such as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233:2025 on nutritional labelling requirements and SFDA.FD/GSO 150-1:2021 on mandatory expiration dates. Claims, symbols, logos, or marks related to Halal, organic status, or product quality may only be used if supported by valid documentation or certification.
Importers intending to bring food products into Saudi Arabia are required to register with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, SFDA, through the Ghad e-services platform. This involves submitting an application and registration forms, and holding a valid commercial registration that lists food trade as an activity. GSO standards, referenced and enforced by SFDA, form a significant part of these compliance requirements, alongside Saudi-specific standards.
A GCC food safety gap assessment reviews products, processes and labels against relevant GSO standards, including composition and additive requirements, GSO 9 labelling, and, where applicable, GSO 2055-1 Halal requirements. It also checks the adoption status of relevant standards in each target GCC country, since adoption can differ between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other member states, and produces a written action plan covering both GSO-level and country-specific requirements.
The most common issues are: assuming a GSO standard applies identically across all target GCC countries without checking national adoption status. Halal claims or logos used without supporting certification from a recognised Halal certification body. Labels meeting general GSO 9 requirements but missing country-specific additions, such as Saudi Arabia's nutritional labelling or expiration date standards. Products containing animal-derived ingredients, additives or processing aids without the Halal documentation these trigger. Import registration, such as SFDA's Ghad platform for Saudi Arabia, not being completed before shipments are dispatched.
Our consulting work moves fast. A label and composition review against GSO standards for a single market typically takes a few days, while a multi-country review checking adoption status across several GCC member states typically takes 1 to 2 weeks. Halal certification itself is issued by recognised Halal certification bodies and follows their own timelines, separate from our consulting work.
Yes. Gap assessments, labelling reviews, Halal requirement reviews, and country-specific adoption mapping are all available remotely. We work with businesses based in the GCC region and international businesses exporting into Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other GCC member states.
You can commission any of these on their own, with an agreed scope and a written quote, without taking on ongoing consulting. See all food safety services.
To check the whole operation against the law of each market.
Read about A regulatory compliance review →Before committing to artwork for a new market.
Read about An export market label review →To check a label against the information law of each market.
Read about A food label compliance review →Tell us about your products, your target GCC markets and your current Halal status. We will tell you exactly what applies, country by country.