Arabic Label Requirements in the UAE (2026): What the Authorities Actually Say, Category by Category

The UAE does not have one rule we could verify that says every product label must carry Arabic. What the authorities publish is category by category. Dubai Municipality's cosmetics guideline requires label components "in clear English and/or Arabic language". The consumer protection law separately requires invoices in Arabic and Arabic product information from e-commerce businesses. Checked October 2026. Where we could not verify a rule, this page says so.

Does a product label have to be in Arabic in the UAE?

It depends on the product and the regulator, and the public pages we read do not give a blanket rule.

The tempting shortcut is to say "Arabic is mandatory on all labels". We could not find a primary source for that, and a seller who relies on it spends money on stickers the law may not require, while one who assumes the opposite may be rejected. Treat the table as the verified floor, not the full picture.

What do cosmetics labels need in Dubai?

Dubai Municipality (DM) lists the required label components, which "must be declared in clear English and/or Arabic language": brand name, product name, manufacturer or UAE agent details, country of origin, ingredients, pack size, production and expiry dates, storage conditions, instructions for use, intended use, general warning, barcode, batch number and applicable symbols.

Two details matter for printers:

• Production and expiry dates must be printed or on non-removable stickers.
• Labels must not make medical claims about preventing, treating or curing disease, and must not use illustrations inconsistent with prevailing social customs.

The full registration process is in Montaji registration, and the cosmetics-specific view is in cosmetics registration in the UAE. The DM guideline we read is for cosmetics and personal care only, so do not apply its English-and/or-Arabic wording to food, toys or electronics.

What about food labels and halal?

MoIAT names "UAE.S GSO 9" and "Labelling of Prepackaged Food Stuffs" among the standards on its halal programme page. That page does not state an Arabic-language requirement, and the standard's text is not shown there. GSO standards may need to be bought or requested, so do not quote a blog's summary of GSO 9. Ask the food authority in your emirate, or your accredited certification body, for the language rule in writing. The food-specific view is in food label requirements in the UAE.

On halal, MoIAT says the Halal National Mark is optional, while Cabinet Decree No. 10 of 2014 requires the establishment to obtain a halal certificate for its final products and raw materials from registered certification bodies. Do not treat the optional mark and the certificate as the same thing. See halal certificates for UAE sellers.

What does the consumer protection law require in Arabic?

The UAE government's consumer protection page, which describes Federal Decree Law No. 5 of 2023 amending Federal Law No. 15 of 2020, says "the invoice must be in Arabic and the provider may add any other language". For e-commerce it says businesses must give consumers and UAE authorities information in Arabic about the product or service, with specifications, contract terms, payment and warranty details.

For an online seller this reads as an obligation about the information you present, which includes your product page and invoice, rather than a rule about the pack. The page also says suppliers who fail to provide clear information and labelling face imprisonment of up to two years and a fine not exceeding AED 2 million, but it names no language for labels.

The practical effect: if you sell on your own website or a marketplace, have Arabic product information ready. noon's Arabic listing rules cover how the marketplace treats Arabic fields.

Do the product certificates say anything about label language?

Not on the service pages we read. MoIAT's ECAS page lists a trade license, an accredited-lab test report and an online declaration of conformity as requirements, and none of them is a label-language rule. TDRA's type approval page lists a data sheet, test reports, an IMSI certificate and samples, and likewise no label-language rule. That is not proof that no language rule exists in the underlying technical regulation. Certification bodies may ask for labels and manuals as supporting documents, and some publish Arabic and English as their expectation, but we did not open a primary source for that. Ask the body what it will check, and read the ECAS certificate guide for the process.

The lesson for sellers is to keep three layers separate. The product regulation sets what the pack must say. The consumer law sets what you must tell the buyer and in what language, which includes your invoice and your online product information. The marketplace sets what its listing form requires, and those rules change, so read the current seller guide before you upload.

How should a seller handle Arabic on packaging?

Until the regulator for your category confirms otherwise in writing, use this order:

1. Identify the regulator. Cosmetics go to Dubai Municipality, regulated products to MoIAT, telecom devices to TDRA (TDRA type approval).
2. Get the labelling text. Cosmetics: the DM guideline. Food: the standard named by MoIAT. Others: ask the authority.
3. Ask the exact question in writing: "Must the label carry Arabic, and which fields?" Keep the answer.
4. Choose the format. Bilingual packaging costs more at print but works in every category. An Arabic sticker applied before the goods leave the warehouse is a common alternative. We did not verify whether any authority accepts stickers for a specific category, so confirm that too.
5. Keep proofs. For a registered cosmetic, DM says any later change to the registered particulars must be notified to or approved by DM, so ask whether your label change counts before you print.

FAQ

Is Arabic mandatory on all product labels in the UAE? We could not verify a blanket rule. Dubai Municipality accepts English and/or Arabic for cosmetics label components. The consumer protection law requires Arabic invoices and Arabic product information for e-commerce. Other categories depend on the regulator, so ask for the rule in writing.

Do I need an Arabic label to sell cosmetics in Dubai? The DM guideline version 2.1 says label components must be declared in clear English and/or Arabic. It does not make Arabic mandatory on its own. You still need Montaji registration before selling.

Do invoices have to be in Arabic? Yes. The UAE government's consumer protection page says the invoice must be in Arabic and the provider may add any other language.

Do my online product pages need Arabic? The consumer protection page says e-commerce businesses must give consumers and UAE authorities information in Arabic about the product or service. On marketplaces, see noon's own Arabic listing rules too.

Can I use an Arabic sticker instead of reprinting? We did not find a primary source that approves or rejects stickers across categories. For cosmetics, DM requires production and expiry dates to be non-removable, so a sticker for those fields must be non-removable. Ask the regulator before you apply stickers at scale.

Where is the food labelling standard? MoIAT lists it as UAE.S GSO 9, Labelling of Prepackaged Food Stuffs. The page we read does not reproduce the text, so request the standard itself.

What to do next

Write down your product category, find its regulator, and get the label rule in writing before you print. When labels and registrations are settled, Blooprint can build Arabic and English listings and run advertising through its noon account management. General information only; confirm requirements with the relevant UAE authority.