Certification
Standards and regulation
Halal certification works inside national law, regional standards and international rules for certification bodies. This page explains the main ones and how they relate to TGHA's work.
The UAE framework
The UAE regulates halal products through Cabinet Resolution No. (10) of 2014, the UAE System for Control of Halal Products. Under it, establishments must obtain halal certificates for their final products and for the raw materials that go into them, from certification bodies accepted by the authority. Today the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) registers halal certification bodies. To register, a body needs a valid commercial licence and a valid accreditation certificate for halal certification from an accreditation body the Ministry accepts.
The UAE publishes national halal standards, including:
- UAE.S 2055-1, general requirements for halal food
- UAE.S 2055-2, general requirements for halal certification bodies
- UAE.S 2055-4, requirements for cosmetics and personal care
- UAE.S 993, requirements for animal slaughtering according to Islamic rules
Cabinet Resolution No. (104) of 2022 made the UAE technical regulation on animal slaughter mandatory.
Gulf and international standards
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) publishes the GSO 2055 series: general requirements for halal products (Part 1), for halal certification bodies (Part 2), for halal accreditation bodies (Part 3) and for halal cosmetics and personal care (Part 4). The Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC) publishes OIC/SMIIC 1, 2 and 3 for halal food, halal certification bodies and halal accreditation bodies.
How certification bodies are held to account
A certification body should operate competently, consistently and impartially. ISO/IEC 17065 sets out requirements for bodies that certify products, processes and services, including managing impartiality, confidentiality, public information, surveillance, changes that affect certification, suspension and withdrawal, records, and complaints and appeals. Halal standards for certification bodies, such as GSO 2055-2 and OIC/SMIIC 2, build on this approach.
Before you ship
Requirements differ between markets. Before you ship, tell us your destination market and we will confirm which requirements apply.
Last checked: 16 October 2026. Regulations change, so please confirm with the authority concerned.
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