To export halal food to the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, a manufacturer needs a halal certificate from a certification body that the importing country recognizes. In the United Arab Emirates that means a body registered with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; in Saudi Arabia, one accepted by the Saudi Halal Center. Meat and poultry shipments also need a halal slaughter certificate.
This article was first published in September 2021. It has been updated with the current halal requirements of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the role of the GCC Accreditation Center, a step-by-step export process and official fees.
Reviewed by Hafiz Maqsood Ahmed.
The Gulf is one of the most valuable destinations for halal exporters, and one of the strictest. The UAE and Saudi Arabia ranked second and third, behind Malaysia, in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator of the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2025/26, produced by DinarStandard. Both accept halal certificates only from certifiers on their own approved lists. For an exporter, choosing the wrong certifier can mean goods held at the port.
The short answer: certificate, certifier and shipment documents
Three things decide whether a halal product clears customs in the Gulf: a valid halal certificate naming the product and the plant, a certification body on the importing country’s approved list, and, for meat, poultry and some animal-derived ingredients, a halal slaughter or shipment certificate for each consignment. Certification is a business decision for most packaged foods, but a legal requirement for meat.
For a general explanation of audits, standards and marks, see our guide to what it means to be halal certified.
The Gulf standard: GSO 2055
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) publishes the region’s halal standards, which member states adopt as national standards. Two parts matter most to exporters:
- GSO 2055-1, Halal Food, Part 1: General Requirements, sets the rules for the food itself. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) lists it, as SFDA.FD/GSO 2055-1, among the specifications that apply to imported food, according to the SFDA’s conditions and requirements for food clearance.
- GSO 2055-2:2021 sets the requirements that halal certification bodies must meet. The GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) accredits halal certification bodies against this standard.
In practice, an exporter’s certifier needs accreditation to GSO 2055-2, from GAC or another accreditation body the importing country accepts, and then registration or recognition in each Gulf market it serves.
Requirements country by country
The GCC shares standards, but each country keeps its own list of accepted certifiers and its own import procedures. The table below summarizes what the regulators publish.
| Country | Halal authority | What exporters need |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) | A certificate from a halal certification body registered with MoIAT under Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2014 on the UAE Halal Products Control System. The body must be accredited by an accreditation body MoIAT approves. |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Halal Center, part of the SFDA | A halal certificate from a halal center designated by the Saudi Halal Center for products that require one, and a halal slaughter certificate from an accredited center for meat, poultry and raw gelatin intended for food. |
| Qatar | Ministry of Public Health | A halal certificate from a body on the ministry’s Authorized List of Halal Bodies, under its 2022 import guideline. |
| Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain | National food safety and standards authorities | GSO halal standards apply. |
United Arab Emirates
MoIAT registers halal certification bodies and gives “official recognition from the ministry for Halal certificates issued by registered Halal Certification Authorities,” according to the ministry’s registration service. It charges certifiers 1,000 dirhams (about $272) per domain and 1,000 dirhams for the registration certificate, plus assessors’ travel costs, and says the process takes 10 working days.
Before registering, a certifier must be accredited by one of the bodies on MoIAT’s list of approved accreditation bodies for halal. The list includes the Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC), the GCC Accreditation Center, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), among others. MoIAT publishes the names of registered certifiers, country by country, on its website.
Saudi Arabia
The SFDA’s food clearance rules require a copy of the halal certificate for products that need one, issued by “Halal centres designated by the Saudi Halal Center,” and a halal slaughter certificate “for meat, poultry, and raw gelatine intended for food,” issued by recognized halal centers accredited by the Saudi Halal Center. Any halal logo or claim on a label must be backed by proof, according to the SFDA document.
The Saudi Halal Center is also moving certification records online. Its Halal Mark Track platform, built with the Public Investment Fund’s Halal Product Development Company and the government services firm THIQAH, was reported in December 2025, as we described in our coverage of Saudi Arabia’s Halal Mark Track platform.
Qatar
Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health accepts halal certificates only from bodies on its Authorized List of Halal Bodies, which it publishes online. The list changes: in August 2026, the ministry added Kazakhstan’s KazStandart, as The Halal Times reported on Qatar’s authorized list of halal bodies.
How to get halal certified for GCC export: step by step
- Identify the target markets. List each Gulf country you plan to sell in and download its current list of accepted certifiers. A certifier recognized in the UAE is not automatically recognized in Saudi Arabia or Qatar.
- Choose a certifier that covers all of them. Ask for proof of GSO 2055-2 accreditation, the accreditation body’s name and the certifier’s registration or recognition in each target country, including the scope (food, slaughterhouses, cosmetics).
- Prepare your documents. Certifiers usually ask for a product list, full ingredient specifications, supplier halal certificates for animal-derived and high-risk ingredients, process flow charts and cleaning procedures.
- Pass the audit. An auditor inspects the plant, checks raw materials and segregation from non-halal products, and reviews records. Slaughterhouses face extra checks on the slaughter method and the slaughterers.
- Receive the certificate. The certificate should name each product and the manufacturing site, and state its validity dates. Our guide explains how to read a halal certificate line by line.
- Add shipment documents. For meat and poultry, arrange a halal slaughter certificate for every consignment, alongside the health certificate the importing country requires.
- Register the product with the importer. Gulf importers register products and labels with national food authorities before shipment. Confirm label wording and any halal logo with them in advance.
- Keep it current. Renew the certificate before it expires and recheck the approved lists each year, because certifiers can be added, suspended or removed.
What it costs and how long it takes
There is no single price. Certification fees depend on the certifier, the number of products and plants, and how complex the ingredients are. Exporters pay the certifier for the application, audit and annual license; the government fees above are paid by certifiers, not by manufacturers.
Plan for several weeks to a few months between application and certificate, longer if ingredient suppliers lack halal documentation. Meat processors should allow extra time for slaughter audits.
Common reasons shipments are held
- The certificate comes from a body that is not on the importing country’s approved list, or whose registration has lapsed.
- The product or plant on the label is not named on the certificate.
- A meat or poultry consignment lacks its halal slaughter certificate.
- A halal logo on the label cannot be backed by a valid certificate.
- The certificate has expired by the time the goods arrive.
Many of these problems come from the patchwork of national recognition rules, which governments are trying to reduce through mutual recognition between certifiers.
Frequently asked questions
Is one halal certificate valid in all GCC countries?
Not automatically. Each country decides which certifiers it accepts. Choose a certifier that is registered or recognized in every Gulf market you plan to enter.
Is halal certification mandatory for exports to the Gulf?
For meat, poultry and raw gelatin for food, Saudi Arabia requires a halal slaughter certificate, according to the SFDA. For other foods, a certificate is required when the product falls under halal rules or carries a halal claim or logo.
Can a certifier in my country issue certificates accepted in the UAE?
Yes, if it is accredited by a MoIAT-approved accreditation body and registered with MoIAT. The ministry publishes the registered certifiers by country.
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