GCC Pulse Import Regulations 2026

The GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) issued updated food labelling guidelines that took effect across all six Gulf Cooperation Council member states in Q1 2026. For pulse importers and food distributors supplying GCC retail and food service, the changes introduce new mandatory fields that were not required under the previous GSO 9/2013 framework.

What Changed

The 2026 update introduces three material changes for pulse and spice importers:

• Country of origin declaration in Arabic: Previously, English-language origin declarations were accepted at most GCC ports. The 2026 update requires the country of origin to appear in Arabic script on primary packaging — not only on the outer carton.
• Allergen declarations in Arabic: All 14 major allergens as defined under the GSO framework must be declared in Arabic. For pulses, the primary concern is cross-contamination declarations — particularly for sesame, gluten, and peanut. "Produced in a facility that also processes" statements must now appear in Arabic on primary packaging.
• SFDA and ESMA registration numbers on primary packaging: Saudi Arabia's SFDA and UAE's ESMA now require the importer's food establishment registration number to appear on primary packaging, not only on the customs declaration. This affects products imported under private label arrangements specifically — the registrant's number must appear, not the manufacturer's.

What This Means for Your Packaging

If you are importing Indian pulses under your own brand label for GCC retail distribution, your packaging files need to be reviewed against the 2026 requirements before your next container order. Specifically:

• The "Product of India" declaration must appear in Arabic: بنت الهند or منتج الهند depending on your brand's preferred transliteration.
• The allergen statement must be in Arabic on the primary pack face — not relegated to the back panel in a font smaller than the minimum 1.5mm height requirement.
• Your importer registration number (SFDA or ESMA) must be visible on the pack — not only on your outer carton or commercial invoice.

How BillionBird's Private Label Programme Handles This

BillionBird produces private label packaging for GCC buyers as part of its standard service. The label design process includes a compliance review against current SFDA and ESMA requirements before print approval. Our packaging team works with your brand guidelines and produces a label proof that we verify against the current GSO and national regulatory requirements before requesting your approval.

Since the 2026 update, we have revised our standard label template to include Arabic country of origin on the primary face, and we have updated our allergen declaration language to meet the Arabic requirement on all variants.

Timeline for Existing Stock

GSO members have indicated a 12-month transition period for existing stock already in distribution at the time of the guideline effective date. New import shipments arriving after Q1 2026 are subject to the new requirements at first customs examination. If you have containers booked for GCC arrival in Q2 2026 or beyond, your packaging should already comply.

The Practical Risk

GCC customs examination for food products is not universal — most shipments pass on documentation review. But when examination is triggered (by the commodity type, the port of origin flag, or the importer's inspection history), the physical packaging is inspected against the current labelling standard. A non-compliant Arabic declaration results in a hold notice, not a pass-through. The cost of a port hold — demurrage, potential destruction of the shipment if re-labelling is not permitted — significantly exceeds the cost of getting the packaging right before the container loads.