Who sets the rules
There is no single page that settles it, which is why labels go wrong. Expect to deal with three layers:
- Gulf standards. GSO 9 covers prepackaged food labelling. Our Saudi checklist explains how those standards shape a layout.
- Federal bodies. MOIAT runs the national conformity marks. Its public database shows categories from juices and dairy to food contact materials.
- The emirate. Dubai Municipality publishes its Food Code and guidance for food traders. Abu Dhabi has its own quality and food-safety bodies.
The checklist, panel by panel
1. Arabic panel
Plan the mandatory information in Arabic, and confirm the final wording with your importer or agent. Set Arabic at a real size in your layout before approving the front. Have a native speaker proofread it, and check that the letters still join after export.
2. Product name and ingredients
The name should say what the food is, not only the brand name. Ingredients usually run in descending order of weight, in both languages, so they take about twice the space you first expect.
3. Allergens
Make allergens easy to spot in both scripts. Bold works in Latin text. Check the Arabic weight too, as many Arabic fonts have a weak bold.
4. Dates and batch
Ask your importer or agent how dates may be applied. Plan for printed or coded dates, and leave a clear uncoated area that suits your printer's coding method.
5. Nutrition panel
Draw the table early with realistic data from your lab report. Dual-language tables are wide, which is often what decides the size of a small pack.
6. Front-of-pack: Nutri-Mark
Abu Dhabi announced Nutri-Mark in 2024. A 1 June 2025 mandatory date was widely reported and then postponed. The National reported in January 2026 that producers were using it voluntarily, across five packaged categories, with a mandatory stage planned but no date set. If Abu Dhabi is in your distribution plan, reserve the space and ask your agent for the current position.
7. Materials
Food contact materials and rPET for food and beverage packaging are listed categories in the MOIAT database. Ask your packaging supplier for documents before you fix the structure.
Two Dubai cases people miss
- Cafés and restaurants. Dubai Municipality publishes separate calorie labelling material, including declaration sheets, for food service. That concerns menus as well as packs, so it can affect your café brand.
- Home businesses. Its traders page also lists a manual, in Arabic only, for products prepared at home and sold through electronic channels. Read that before printing labels for a home kitchen.
Designer's order of work
- Collect lab data and the target emirates.
- Write the full bilingual label text.
- Set the back panel at true size.
- Design the front in the remaining space.
- Send final artwork to your agent, then print.
This is a design guide, not legal or regulatory advice. Rules change and differ by product and emirate, so confirm your final label with your UAE importer, registration agent or an accredited lab before printing. Checked 5 November 2026.
Need this built into a pack? See food packaging design for the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
Do food labels in the UAE have to be in Arabic?
Plan on yes for the mandatory information. English can appear alongside it. Confirm the final wording with your importer or registration agent.
Is Nutri-Mark mandatory across the UAE?
Not on the sources we checked. Abu Dhabi's scheme was reported as voluntary in January 2026, with no mandatory date set. Confirm the current position for your SKU and emirate.
Can I put the expiry date on a sticker?
Check first. We could not confirm one UAE rule that covers every case, so ask your importer or agent, and plan printed or coded dates unless they advise otherwise.
Who checks my label before it is sold?
That depends on the product and emirate. Your importer or registration agent is the right first contact, and they should see the artwork before you print.