Private label cosmetics for Saudi Arabia, made in India

In Saudi Arabia, a cosmetic product cannot be imported or traded until it is listed with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The listing is held by a notifier, a business registered in the Kingdom that lists the product in its own name. As the manufacturer in India, we make the product and supply the information the notifier enters and keeps on file: the full ingredient list with concentrations and roles, label artwork, the manufacturer's authorisation letter and the product information file content.

Who is legally responsible when you sell cosmetics in Saudi Arabia?

SFDA regulates cosmetics under the Cosmetic Products Law and its Implementing Regulation. The responsible party is the notifier, also called the lister: the natural or legal person who lists the cosmetic product in its name with SFDA. To open an account in SFDA's unified electronic system, GHAD, a business needs a Saudi commercial registration that covers cosmetics activities. Foreign and mixed companies also need a Ministry of Investment licence. The person who submits requests needs a notarised authorisation from the Chamber of Commerce.

The manufacturer authorises the notifier to represent it with SFDA through a certified letter of authorisation. SFDA's guidance makes the notifier responsible for:

• the safety of the product under normal conditions of use, following the label directions;
• telling SFDA straight away about harm, a manufacturing error or a recall in any country;
• keeping a product information file and providing it on request;
• reporting changes to the product and keeping records of wholesale sales;
• providing test results on request that show the product meets specifications.

Your notifier is your Saudi importer, distributor or your own Saudi company. We do not list products with SFDA and hold no Saudi listing for your products.

What has to happen before products go on sale?

The pre-market step is notification, meaning the product is listed in SFDA's cosmetic products records through GHAD. SFDA records the notification once the request is submitted. It relies on the notifier's commitment that the product meets the technical regulations and standards, and it checks products after they reach the market through data review, sampling and testing. A notification needs:

1. A notarised authorisation letter from the manufacturer or the exporting entity. It goes on the authorising company's letterhead, stamped and signed, and names both companies with their registration details.
2. Label artwork showing all label information, inner and outer, plus any leaflet.
3. A product picture suitable for publication on SFDA's website.
4. The ingredient list with every ingredient's concentration and role, entered in GHAD or uploaded with SFDA's ingredient template.

The product must meet SFDA's technical regulations. These include the safety requirements for cosmetics and personal care products (SFDA.CO/GSO 1943) and the technical regulation on cosmetic claims (SFDA.CO/GSO 2528). SFDA publishes lists of prohibited and restricted substances, permitted preservatives and colourants, and circulars, so your notifier will check the formula against them. If an ingredient is missing from GHAD's database, the notifier asks SFDA to add it using its INCI name, role and CAS number.

Under the Implementing Regulation, the warehouse used for storing, distributing and trading cosmetics must be licensed by SFDA. SFDA also publishes the documents needed for customs clearance. Your importer will confirm both.

What must a Saudi cosmetics label show?

The Implementing Regulation lists the label information, and SFDA specifies which of it must appear in Arabic. Designing a bilingual Arabic and English label from the start avoids relabelling later. The label typically carries:

• Product name and trade name.
• Manufacturer and factory names and addresses.
• Function and directions for use, unless obvious from the product.
• Full ingredient list.
• Production date and/or batch number, plus the expiry or validity date.
• Net content by size or weight.
• Country of origin, for example "Made in India".
• Storage instructions, and any warnings or precautions, including for professional use.

SFDA's notification guidance adds three practical points. Each size, colour or variant needs its own unique barcode. The label should not mention the SFDA notification. Claims must stay within the claims regulation, because some claims can stop a product being treated as a cosmetic. Advertising must be in Arabic, and other languages may be added if they match the Arabic. Our custom packaging service prints bilingual artwork on the pack.

Which documents will your importer ask us for?

• Manufacturer's authorisation letter naming your notifier, prepared on our letterhead for notarisation as SFDA requires.
• Full formula disclosure for notification. Every ingredient with INCI name, concentration and role, and CAS numbers where needed.
• Label artwork and product images for GHAD.
• Product information file content. Specifications, stability and compatibility information, safety information and test reports.
• Certificate of analysis for each batch shipped.
• Safety data sheet (SDS) for transport and storage.
• Manufacturing information. SFDA may verify the manufacturing practices of an overseas manufacturer when needed. Our facility is ISO certified and GMP-compliant, with Halal certification. These are facts about the facility, not Saudi approvals.
• Trade documents. Commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin, plus any clearance documents your importer specifies.

Our testing and documents service assembles this set. Because the notifier enters exact concentrations, agree confidentiality terms with your notifier before we release the full formula.

Which ranges suit Saudi Arabia?

Choose clearly cosmetic products whose formulas are easy to check against SFDA's ingredient lists. Then grow the line.

• Moisturisers and cleansers form a simple core skincare line.
• Hair care, including shampoos, conditioners and hair masks, lends itself to bilingual packs and multi-size ranges.
• Body butters and lotions suit gifting and retail sets.
• Lip care works as an entry point to colour cosmetics. Each shade needs its own barcode.

Keep all claims cosmetic. Avoid wording that implies a product acts on health.

How does an order to Saudi Arabia work with us?

1. Brief. Tell us the products, sizes and shades, and who your notifier is. Our how it works page explains our steps.
2. Formula check. Your notifier reviews the ingredient list against SFDA's lists and circulars before you approve samples.
3. Documents and artwork. We issue the authorisation letter and the technical data. You sign off the Arabic and English label.
4. Notification. Your notifier lists each product in GHAD before the goods are shipped for sale.
5. Production. Ready formulas start from 500 units per product.
6. Shipping. Our fulfilment and export service prepares cartons, pallets and trade documents for your importer's licensed warehouse.

Our guide to exporting cosmetics from India covers the general export process.

Next step

Send your product list and your notifier's details through the Saudi Arabia inquiry form. We will confirm the document set and timing. SFDA updates its regulations and circulars, so confirm current requirements with your importer or a regulatory adviser before you notify or ship.