Arabic Labelling Requirements for Products Sold in Saudi Arabia
Labelling is one of the few compliance requirements a customs officer can check in seconds, without opening a file. It is also one of the most common reasons a technically compliant product is stopped. This is what to get right before the goods are packed.
The short version
- Arabic is the expected language for consumer-facing label information; bilingual Arabic and English is the safe default.
- The label has to agree with the certificate and the invoice — same product name, same model, same origin.
- Regulated appliances carry an energy-efficiency label in addition to the product label.
- Labels are assessed during certification, so artwork should be finalised before, not after, certification.
Why labelling stops shipments
A conformity assessment reviews label artwork as part of the product file, and Saudi customs can inspect the physical label on arrival. Those are two separate checks of the same thing, at two different points, and a label that passes the first can still fail the second if what was shipped does not match what was approved.
The practical consequence: label artwork is not a marketing afterthought to be finished while the goods are on the water. It is part of the compliance file.
What the label is generally expected to carry
Exact content requirements depend on the product and the Technical Regulation that governs it, so treat this as the common core rather than a complete list for your goods.
- Product name and description — matching the certificate and the invoice
- Model or type reference — the same string used in the test report and the certificate
- Country of origin — stated plainly, and consistent with the certificate of origin
- Manufacturer name and address — the legal manufacturer, not only a brand owner
- Technical ratings — voltage, frequency, power, pressure, capacity and similar, as relevant to the product
- Safety markings and warnings — as required by the applicable standard
- Batch, lot or serial identification — where the product type calls for traceability
- Importer details — where the regulation or retail channel requires them
Where Arabic is required
Information intended for the end user — product identity, safety warnings, instructions for use and similar — is expected in Arabic. In practice most exporters print bilingual Arabic and English labels, which satisfies the Arabic requirement while keeping the label usable for the factory, the freight chain and non-Arabic-speaking staff.
Two cautions worth stating. First, machine-translated Arabic on safety warnings is a genuine risk: a mistranslated warning is a defective warning. Have safety text checked by a competent translator. Second, the Arabic text has to say the same thing as the English — a shorter Arabic panel that omits a warning present in English is a finding waiting to happen.
Energy-efficiency labels are a separate requirement
For regulated appliances, an energy-efficiency label is required in addition to the ordinary product label, and it carries its own format, rating band and registration expectations. This applies across a range of household and commercial equipment — among them refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, televisions, dishwashers, water heaters and vacuum cleaners.
Energy labelling depends on performance test data, so it has a longer lead time than ordinary artwork. If your product is in scope, start it early.
The mistakes that cost the most
- English-only labels on consumer products. The single most common labelling finding.
- A sticker applied over the rating plate. Covering the original technical markings creates a mismatch with the test report.
- Origin that disagrees with the paperwork. Assembled in one country, labelled as another, invoiced as a third — all three have to reconcile.
- Model on the label not matching the certificate. Marketing names and engineering model codes are not interchangeable.
- Labels that do not survive the journey. Ink that rubs off or adhesive that fails in heat leaves goods effectively unlabelled on arrival.
- Artwork finalised after certification. If the approved artwork and the printed label differ, the approval does not cover what shipped.
Where labelling fits in the certification sequence
Label artwork should be ready at the point of product registration, because it forms part of the evidence reviewed for the PCoC. If artwork changes afterwards — a new importer name, a revised warning, a rebrand — the change needs to be reflected in the file rather than made quietly at the print stage.
Our documents required page lists where artwork sits alongside the rest of the file, and the checklist library has the pre-shipment version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every product sold in Saudi Arabia need an Arabic label?
Consumer-facing product information is expected in Arabic, and bilingual Arabic and English labelling is the common approach. The precise content required depends on the product and the Technical Regulation that applies to it, so the label should be checked against that regulation rather than against a generic template.
Can we apply Arabic labels after the goods arrive in Saudi Arabia?
Relabelling after arrival is not a reliable plan. The label is checked at the border, and goods that arrive without required information can be held. Where relabelling is permitted at all it is slow and costly compared with printing correctly before shipment.
Is an energy label the same as the product label?
No. For regulated appliances the energy-efficiency label is an additional, separately specified label based on performance test data. It sits alongside the ordinary product and safety markings rather than replacing them.
Who is responsible for the label, the manufacturer or the importer?
Commercially it varies, but the label has to be correct on the goods as presented at the border. In practice the manufacturer prints it and the Saudi importer carries the consequences if it is wrong, which is why both parties should approve the artwork before production.
Talk it through with us
If you would like this checked against your own product, send us the details and we will tell you what applies, what evidence you already have that can be reused, and what is missing. There is no charge for the assessment.