The UAE Government has first introduced the regulatory system called Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) in 2004, and it became mandatory in 2015. In 2016, the it was announced through Cabinet Resolution No. 35 that the ECAS program would be entrusted to third-party Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABS). These CABS would be responsible for overseeing the conformity assessment procedure and granting certifications for product safety.
With ECAS, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT) ensures compliance with UAE standards for goods (both imported and domestic) to be sold in the country. ECAS applies to all types of regulated products in the UAE including textiles and building materials and agricultural products such as dairy and juice products etc. The former regulator of ECAS, Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), has been merged into the structure of newly created MOIAT in 2020. MOIAT appoints Notified Bodies to issue ECAS certificates on its behalf.
Main approval programs in UAE
ECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme
ECAS provides quality and safety standards for products including:
- Low-voltage equipment,
- Household electric devices,
- Industrial and enterprise electronics,
- Cables and wires,
- Petroleum products,
- Auto parts,
- Personal protective equipment (PPE),
- Baby care products,
- Food products,
- Materials in contact with food and water,
- Perfumes and cosmetics,
- Detergents, paints, oils,
- Tobacco and electronic cigarettes,
- Antiseptics, disinfectants,
- Measuring devices.
All regulated products must meet the requirements for safety and quality specified in the Technical Regulations adopted by the UAE government. Suppliers must register the products and obtain Certificate of Conformity prior to selling inside the UAE.
An ECAS certificate is a document that demonstrates that a product has been officially approved by the Government of UAE through the MOIAT. This certificate is required when clearing shipments from ports and customs authorities..
The validity of the ECAS certificate is one year and can be renewed, the application for renewal should be submitted not later than one month prior to renewal.
Local testing may often be substituted by the existing proof, such as test reports of an ISO 17025 accredited testing lab. The lead time to issue the certificate this way is often under 2 weeks. In some cases the local testing may be requested by the authorities, even after the submission of the registration dossier.
For certain products, the procedure also requires a factory inspection, however in most cases documentary work is sufficient.
On of the other important aspects is the necessity to apply for the certificate from the name of a local applicant. For overseas manufacturer without a local representative it is often best to use a 3rd party applicant for the sake of making the process the most straightforward and not depend on the single distributor.
Application Requirements
- Valid UAE Trade / Industry license,
- Declaration of conformity (we can assist),
- User manual (with a at least the safety statements in Arabic, the rest can be in English),
- CB certificate and CB test reports (including legacy versions) for LVE and RoHS,
- Product label (brand, model, serial number, technical details) in English,
- Photos,
- Other documents may be requested in addition.
G-Mark (Gulf Mark)
The G-Mark system is designed to create a unified market within the member countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), enabling the unrestricted movement of products within the region. The G-mark allows for the import and sale of products in the following GCC member states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates — and Yemen, as a GCC candidate.
G Mark is a mandatory requirement for low-voltage electrical products and children’s toys exported to the GCC Countries.
Low Voltage Technical Regulation BD142004-01
The G-Mark applies to various types of common household products, such as:
- Domestic electrical fans,
- Refrigerators / freezers,
- Dryers and clothes washing machines,
- Food grinders and mixers, fruit or vegetable juice extractors,
- Ovens, cookers, grillers, roasters and toasters,
- Electro-thermic hair-dressing apparatus and hand dryers,
- Domestic electric heating apparatus,
- Electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters
- Electric irons,
- Plugs, socket outlets, plug adaptors, cord extension sets and chargers,
- Air conditioners.
Certification requirements under G-Mark for LVE products include:
- Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test reports from an accredited laboratory,
- Manufacturer’s Declaration of Conformity,
- Risk assessment report detailing evidence of risk analysis conducted by either the manufacturer or a notified body,
- Product photos,
- Rating and warning labels in Arabic or both Arabic and English,
- Instruction manual either in Arabic or both Arabic and English,
- Plug certification for appliances where the plugs are not described in the equipment test report,
- Additional technical documents like conceptual designs, schematic drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials may be requested.
Children Toys Technical Regulation BD-131704-01
The regulation covers toys defined as “products designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age”, including specific toys such as:
- Functional toys,
- Aquatic toys,
- Activity toys,
- Chemical toys,
- Cosmetic toy kits,
- Gustative games,
- Olfactory board games.
Excluded from the scope of the Technical Regulation
- Products listed in Annex I (items not considered toys in the terminology of the Regulation),
- Playground equipment intended for public use,
- Automatic playing machines, whether coin operated or not, intended for public use,
- Toy vehicles equipped with combustion engines,
- Toy steam engines,
- Slings and catapults.
The list of requirements to certify toy products
- Test reports from an accredited laboratory,
- Manufacturer’s Declaration of Conformity
- Risk assessment report detailing evidence of risk analysis conducted by either the manufacturer or a notified body,
- Safety data reports on the chemicals used,
- Safety assessment from a notified body,
- Photos of the toys,
- Rating and warning labels in Arabic or both Arabic and English,
- Instruction manual either in Arabic or both Arabic and English,
- Plug certification for toys where the plugs are not described in the main product test report,
- Additional technical documents like conceptual designs, schematic drawings, technical specifications, and the list of components/materials.
G-Mark Document requirements
- HS Code,
- Declaration for a Notified Body,
- Manufacturer's DoC,
- Product identity declaration (in case of change in model number or trademark / brand name),
- Product Image (to be reflected in the certificate - brand name to be clearly visible),
- Product rating label,
- Packaging label / box of applied products (artwork is acceptable for new applications; for renewal, an actual photo is required),
- Instruction manual, in Arabic or both Arabic and English,
- Valid CB certificate with CB test report,
- Valid EMC reports,
- Risk Assessment Report,
- Product dimensions in cm.
There main steps to process the G-Mark registration:
- Document Review — verification of all the requirements if satisfactory to proceed with the certification,
- MoIAT Portal Process — MoIAT online application; Applicant should have an active MoIAT account for application registration including settlement of application fees - thru MoIAT portal is the only option to settle the application fees),
- GSO Portal Process — GSO Portal registration including the approval of final G-mark certificate by GSO.
EQM — Emirates Quality Mark
Emirates Quality Mark (EQM) may be a mandatory requirement or a voluntary opportunity, depending on the type of product. Obtaining EQM certification in the UAE is mandatory for products such as bottled drinking water, natural mineral water, most juices and beverages and certain milk and dairy products. However, the EQM is optional for other products regulated in the UAE, and cannot be obtained for products like tobacco.
EQM is a rather expensive process, which is most cost-efficient in cases when multiple product models of the same manufacturer need to be covered by a single approval.
The certificate will be valid for three years. An on-site audit might be necessary, but in many cases, based for example on product type or country of production, only a document review is necessary for the certification. If an on-site audit is necessary, it is subject to yearly on-site surveillance audits.
EQM may be granted to products that comply with relevant UAE National Standards, Regional and/or International Standards and are manufactured by an organization implementing an effective Quality Management System to ensure continuous compliance. The process to obtain a license to use the EQM includes a comprehensive evaluation both of the product and the quality management system of the manufacturer, by auditing, testing and inspection.
The EQM mark can be displayed on the certified products to show compliance with the national standards. The EQM Certificate is mandatory for shipment clearance by Port and Customs Authorities, and can be used in place of the ECAS Certificate of Conformity to clear shipments with customs for regulated products. This is especially useful for products with a high volume of shipments into the region.
