Food Label Requirements in the UAE for 2026: Dates, Arabic, Storage Wording and Label Approval Before Import

A pre-packed food sold in Dubai must carry a label with all the information Dubai Municipality's Food Control Department requires, and Dubai's Food Code says the required information must be in Arabic. If the food is imported, each item must also be registered in the Food Import and Re-export System (FIRS), and the Food Code says the label should be approved there before import. This page covers what the Food Code says about labels, what it leaves to other documents, and what to ask before you print.

What must a pre-packed food label show in Dubai?

The Food Code's labelling section sets these rules for pre-packed food:

• A food establishment must not import, sell, consign or deliver a pre-packed item if the package does not carry a label with all the required information.
• The label must be printed on or securely attached to the package in a prominent and conspicuous position.
• Required information must be in Arabic.
• Commercially made pre-packed items sold as individual units must carry production and expiry dates in the manner approved by the department.
• The date mark must not be removed, erased, altered, obscured or tampered with.
• Where the date depends on storage, the storage requirement must be stated.
• Instructions for use after opening, and cooking instructions for foods meant to be cooked, must be given where needed.

The Code does not list the full set of mandatory fields such as ingredient order, allergens or nutrition panel. It points to the department's requirements and UAE standards. MoIAT's halal page names UAE.S GSO 9, "Labelling of Prepackaged Food Stuffs", as the labelling standard. MoIAT's halal page names the standard but does not reproduce its text, so get the current edition from MoIAT and ask DM which edition it applies.

What is not allowed on a food label or pack?

The Code bars false or misleading statements, words, brands, pictures or marks about the nature, quantity, strength, purity, composition, weight, origin, age, effects or proportion of the food. It also bars illegal or unauthorised terminology, coding or pictures, including wording or imagery that is offensive to any religion, implies immoral impressions or offends the traditions and values of the country, and religious symbols.

Practical points for an online seller:

• Your listing images are a "picture displayed with the food". Use the same claims as the pack.
• Claims such as "pure" or "100% natural" need evidence behind them. The Code gives no allowed-claims list, so do not assume a claim is fine because competitors use it.

Who approves your label and when?

Importers register in DM's e-Government system and in FIRS. The Food Code says imported food items should each be registered individually in FIRS, and that the label should be approved in FIRS before the food is imported. Its stated reason is practical: approving labels first lets you fix them before the goods arrive, and avoids delays or rejection at release.

DM also lists a food item registration service titled "Apply to Register and Assess a Food Item". The service page did not publish a fee or processing time in the sources we opened.

The order that works:

1. Confirm your license covers food trading, and get your importer code. See the Dubai importer code guide.
2. Prepare the label artwork with Arabic content, dates and storage wording.
3. Register the item and submit the label for assessment.
4. Fix any comments, then print.
5. Ship, and have the import documents ready. See import clearance documents.

How does shelf life affect the label?

The Food Code makes the food establishment responsible for determining shelf life under defined conditions, taking reasonably foreseen distribution, storage and use into account. Food manufacturers and establishments such as bakeries, caterers and department stores that prepare and distribute pre-packaged high-risk or perishable foods should validate shelf life and get shelf-life approval from the Food Control Department before the label approval process.

If you only import finished goods, the Code does not say whether this step applies to you, so ask DM before you submit a chilled or perishable label. The Code also says approved shelf life must not exceed the time the department mandates, where it sets one.

A separate rule applies to consumer products generally: imported consumer products should have at least 50% of shelf life remaining and not less than six months at entry. That guideline covers non-food consumer product categories, so ask DM whether a similar threshold applies to your food.

What about halal wording and health certificates?

If you sell non-halal food, the label must show the ingredients in Arabic and English and state clearly that it is non-halal, and DM must give a prior permit. For halal products and animal-origin ingredients the certificate rules are in the halal certificate guide. Importers also submit health certificates for each consignment at the port, stating quantities and description and that the food was made in an establishment licensed and supervised by the competent authority in the country of origin.

Supplements are not treated as conventional food. They have their own label content list, covered in supplement registration in the UAE. Barcodes: see GS1 barcodes in the UAE.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with Dubai Municipality.

What should you check before you print?

Use this list on the artwork proof, and keep a copy of it with the approval record:

For example, if you import a frozen ready meal, the label needs cooking instructions that say whether to cook from frozen or thawed, and those instructions should be validated by the producer. That example comes from the Code's cooking-instruction rule, not from a DM template.

FAQ

Does a food label have to be in Arabic in the UAE? Dubai's Food Code says the required label information must be in Arabic. It does not say English is forbidden. For non-halal products the label must show ingredients in both Arabic and English. See the Arabic labels guide for layout and wording.

Do I need to approve my food label before importing? The Food Code says labelling should be approved through FIRS before importing any food item, and that each imported item should be individually registered in FIRS. The Code says approving labels first helps avoid delays or rejection at release.

What dates must appear on a pre-packed food? Production and expiry dates for pre-packed foods sold as single units, in the manner the Food Control Department approves. The date mark must not be removed, erased, altered or covered, and storage conditions must be stated where the date depends on them.

How much does food label assessment cost? We found no published fee on the Dubai Municipality pages we opened. Ask DM's food section for the current fee and processing time in writing, and do not print a full production run until the label is approved.

Can I sell food from an Instagram or Amazon.ae listing without registering it? The Food Code says establishments must not sell or deliver pre-packed food whose label lacks the required information, and imported items must be registered in FIRS. Selling channel does not change that. Marketplaces may ask for proof as well.

Where do I read UAE.S GSO 9? MoIAT's halal page lists it as the labelling standard for prepackaged food but does not reproduce the text. Request the current edition from MoIAT, and ask DM which edition it applies to your product.

Does the same label work for the UAE and Saudi Arabia? We did not research Saudi rules for this page. Treat each market separately and check the authority in each country before you share one artwork file.

What to do next

Send your label artwork to DM for assessment before printing, get the fee and timeline in writing, and line up halal and health certificates in parallel. For listings, content and advertising once the product is cleared, Blooprint manages Amazon.ae and noon accounts for brands through Amazon.ae account management.