Regulation

GSO 9:2013 (Arabic/English): Gulf (GCC) nutrition label

Q: Is nutrition labelling mandatory in Saudi Arabia and the GCC under GSO 2233?

Yes. Clause 4.1 of GSO 2233 makes the nutrient declaration mandatory for all packaged food except the exclusions in clause 1.2, such as spices with negligible nutrients, fresh produce, uncooked fresh meat and fish, single-ingredient products like rice, tea, coffee and sugar, bottled water and packs under 25 cm². SFDA applied it as SFDA.FD 2233 with a final compliance date of 31 December 2020.

Q: Which nutrients must appear on a GCC nutrition facts panel?

Energy, protein, available carbohydrate and dietary fibre, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total sugars and added sugars, plus any nutrient that is the subject of a claim. Vitamins and minerals are declared when required by the authority or a product standard, and are not listed when below 5 percent of the NRV.

Q: Does GSO 2233 require per 100 g or per serving?

Both. Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml (or per pack for a single-serving pack) and also per serving as stated on the label, or per piece with the number of pieces shown. Percent daily values per serving must appear on the panel, calculated against a 2,000 kcal diet with the footnote stating that basis.

Q: Does the nutrition label have to be in Arabic in Saudi Arabia and the GCC?

Yes. GSO 9 requires labels and accompanying explanatory data in Arabic; other languages may be added alongside, but everything in them must match the Arabic exactly. SFDA's correction guide and Bahrain's Ministry of Health both restate the rule, and a mistranslated nutrient name such as trans fat is treated as a labelling defect.

Q: Is the Saudi traffic light label mandatory on packaged food?

No. SFDA issued the traffic light as Saudi standard SFDA.FD 42:2018 and calls it an initiative. It colours fat, saturated fat, total sugars and salt red, orange or green on the front of pack, with energy uncoloured. GSO 2233 clause 6.2 treats such supplementary information as elective and says it may never replace the nutrient declaration.

Q: What tolerance does SFDA accept between the declared and analysed nutrient values?

GSO 2233 Table 6 accepts vitamins at minus 35 to plus 50 percent and minerals at minus 35 to plus 45 percent. Carbohydrate, sugars, protein and fibre get plus or minus 2 g when the product holds over 10 g per 100 g, 20 percent between 10 g and 40 g, and 8 g above 40 g. Fat uses 1.5 g at the low band, saturates 0.8 g above 4 g, and sodium 0.15 g above 0.5 g per 100 g.

Q: Has GSO 2233:2021 been replaced, and does SFDA use GSO 9:2013 or GSO 9:2022?

GSO approved GSO 2233:2025 (edition 3) on 30 April 2025, cancelling the 2021 edition; SFDA had not published an adoption date for it at the time of review. For general labelling, SFDA adopted SFDA.FD GSO 9:2022 by decision 38/4 of 18 June 2023, in force from 1 January 2025, so GSO 9:2013 is no longer the Saudi reference.

Q: What happens at Saudi customs if my nutrition label is wrong?

SFDA clearance requires compliance with its technical regulations and lets SFDA sample and test the product at the importer's expense. Label defects can usually be corrected before release by adding missing data or removing unpermitted data with laser printing or a non-removable sticker that does not hide required information or contradict the original label, and does not carry a second date.

GSO 9:2013 (Arabic/English), the GCC nutrition label under GSO 9:2022 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs) and GSO 2233 (nutritional labelling; adopted in Saudi Arabia as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233, current GSO edition 2233:2025), 8 mandatory nutrients, per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, Arabic on pack. Generate a compliant label free.

Reviewed against GSO 9:2022 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs) and GSO 2233 (nutritional labelling; adopted in Saudi Arabia as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233, current GSO edition 2233:2025) · Page updated August 16, 2026

Jurisdiction: GCC: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
Regulation: GSO 9:2022 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs) and GSO 2233 (nutritional labelling; adopted in Saudi Arabia as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233, current GSO edition 2233:2025)
Effective: SFDA.FD 2233 compliance deadline 31 December 2020; SFDA.FD GSO 9:2022 in force in Saudi Arabia 1 January 2025; GSO 2233:2025 approved 30 April 2025
Official source: www.gso.org.sa

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Nutrition labelling requirements in the Gulf (GCC)

Packaged food sold in the Gulf (GCC) must carry a nutrition declaration under GSO 9:2022 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs) and GSO 2233 (nutritional labelling; adopted in Saudi Arabia as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233, current GSO edition 2233:2025). This page covers the GCC - GSO 9:2013 (Arabic/English) format: Bilingual Arabic/English nutrition information. A compliant GCC nutrition label declares 8 mandatory nutrients: energy (السعرات), protein (البروتين), fat (الدهون), saturated fat (الدهون المشبعة), trans fat (الدهون المتحولة), carbohydrate (الكربوهيدرات), sugars (السكريات) and sodium (الصوديوم). Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, with energy in both kcal and kJ, and sodium rather than salt. The panel is headed "[object Object]". Arabic is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. the Gulf (GCC) adopts GSO 9:2013 rather than writing its own labelling text, so a label built to that standard travels across every market that adopted it. NFL builds a print-ready GCC nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for the Gulf (GCC) automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Citation

GSO 9:2022 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs) and GSO 2233 (nutritional labelling; adopted in Saudi Arabia as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233, current GSO edition 2233:2025)

Effective

SFDA.FD 2233 compliance deadline 31 December 2020; SFDA.FD GSO 9:2022 in force in Saudi Arabia 1 January 2025; GSO 2233:2025 approved 30 April 2025

Scope

GCC: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman

Source

https://www.gso.org.sa/store/standards/GSO:948492/GSO%202233:2025?lang=en

Key facts

Language

Arabic mandatory; English almost universally paired on retail

Trans fat

Mandatory declaration since 2018

Import requirement

Local importer sticker (address, batch, expiry) on every SKU

One standard, 5 markets

GCC (Saudi Arabia / UAE / Qatar / Kuwait / Bahrain / Oman) applies GSO 9:2013, a harmonised standard adopted in full by 4 other markets. A label built to this standard is accepted in all of them, subject to each market's own language rules and its own enforcement body. The sibling markets are Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen.

What GSO 2233 makes mandatory and which nutrients it lists

Clause 4.1 of the GSO 2233 text Saudi Arabia notified to the WTO in 2018 makes the nutrient declaration mandatory for all packaged food except the clause 1.2 exclusions: foods whose energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, saturates, salt and sugars can all be written as zero (spices), fresh fruit and vegetables without additions, uncooked and unseasoned fresh meat, poultry and fish, food served where it is prepared, single-ingredient products such as rice, tea, coffee and sugar, bottled water, packs under 25 cm², food additives, bulk product for further processing, and foods for special dietary uses. SFDA's FAQ confirms the single-ingredient exemption under item 5/2/1 of SFDA.FD/GSO 2233.

Clause 4.2.1 requires, plus any nutrient that is the subject of a claim:

energy;
protein, available carbohydrate and dietary fibre;
total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol;
sodium;
total sugars and added sugars.

Clause 4.4.7 fixes the fat block: total fat, then saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in grams, then cholesterol in milligrams. Vitamins and minerals are optional unless a product standard or the authority requires them, and are omitted below 5 percent of the NRV per 100 g, 100 ml or serving. Table 2's model panel is a United States style Nutrition Facts box, which SFDA's consumer guide reproduces in Arabic as الحقائق التغذوية.

Source: GSO 05/FDS 2233, Saudi TBT notification attachment (WTO); SFDA FAQ on single-ingredient products; SFDA nutrition label guide (Arabic).

Per 100 g, per serving and the 2,000 kcal daily-need percentage

Clauses 4.4.2 and 4.4.3 set the basis. Energy in kcal and protein, carbohydrate and fat in grams are declared per 100 g or 100 ml (or per pack for a single-serving pack) and also per serving as stated on the label, or per piece with the number of pieces shown. SFDA's guide uses the combined heading "amount per serving or 100 ml or 100 g".

Energy uses the Table 1 factors: 4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram of carbohydrate and of protein, 9 kcal (37 kJ) per gram of fat, 3 kcal (13 kJ) per gram of organic acid. Protein is Kjeldahl nitrogen multiplied by 6.25.

Percentages are compulsory. Clause 4.4.5 requires the daily-need value as a percentage for all information on the label, and clause 4.4.9 fixes the basis at a 2,000 kcal diet with the footnote "Percent daily values are based on a 2000-calorie diet" and per-serving percentages at the bottom of the panel. Table 3 supplies the NRVs; illustrative values are energy 2,000 kcal, total fat 70 g, saturates 20 g, carbohydrate 260 g, sugars 50 g, fibre 28 g, protein 50 g, cholesterol 300 mg and salt 6 g, followed by 13 vitamins and 11 minerals. Clause 4.4.8 permits an optional line converting each macronutrient to calories.

Source: GSO 05/FDS 2233, clauses 4.3 to 4.4 and Table 3 (WTO); SFDA nutrition label guide (Arabic).

Rounding and tolerance rules in GSO 2233

Table 5 (clause 4.4.11) rounds energy to the nearest 1 kcal or kJ, no decimals. Fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, fibre, polyols and starch round to 1 g at 10 g or more per 100 g or ml, to 0.1 g between 0.5 g and 10 g, and may be shown as "0 g" or "<0.5 g" at 0.5 g or below. Saturates and the unsaturated fractions use the same steps with a 0.1 g floor. Sodium rounds to 0.1 g at 1 g or more and to 0.01 g below, with zero allowed at 0.005 g or less; salt's cut-off is 0.0125 g. Vitamins and minerals take two or three significant figures.

Clause 4.5 sets tolerances. Declared values must be the average of representative analyses. Table 6 accepts vitamins at minus 35 to plus 50 percent and minerals at minus 35 to plus 45 percent. Carbohydrate, sugars, protein and fibre get plus or minus 2 g when the product holds over 10 g per 100 g, 20 percent between 10 g and 40 g, and 8 g above 40 g; fat uses the same bands with 1.5 g at the low end. Saturates and unsaturates get 0.8 g above 4 g per 100 g and 20 percent below; sodium gets 0.15 g above 0.5 g and 20 percent below.

Source: GSO 05/FDS 2233, clauses 4.4.10 to 4.5 and Tables 5 and 6 (WTO).

GSO 9:2022, the Arabic rule and the SFDA adoption dates

Clause 5.1 of GSO 2233 imports the legibility rules of GSO 9. GSO 9:2013 was replaced by GSO 9:2022, approved 19 October 2022; SFDA adopted it as SFDA.FD GSO 9:2022 by Board decision 38/4 of 18 June 2023, in force 1 January 2025. Amendment 1, approved 22 April 2025, tightens clause 4.1 on confusing descriptions and adds clause 7.1.7, allowing label data to be repeated in an electronic code as an addition, never a substitute.

The Arabic rule sits in GSO 9 and SFDA restates it in its label-correction guide: labels and accompanying explanatory data must be in Arabic, and any other language used alongside must match the Arabic exactly. Bahrain's Ministry of Health cites the same rule and a typical rejection: trans fat rendered as دهون غير مشبعة (unsaturated fat) instead of الدهون المتحولة. An additional sticker must not hide required information, contradict the original label, peel off in normal handling, or carry a second date.

SFDA implemented SFDA.FD 2233 with a deadline that supplementary circular 2463 of 17 September 2020 extended from 30 September to 31 December 2020. GSO approved GSO 2233:2021 on 1 July 2021 and GSO 2233:2025 (edition 3) on 30 April 2025, cancelling the 2021 edition and widening the special-dietary-use exemption to weight-control foods and supplements. SFDA had not published an adoption date for the 2025 edition at the time of review.

Source: GSO 9:2022 store entry; GSO 9:2022/Amd1:2025 preview; SFDA Board decision 38/4 list; SFDA label-correction procedures; Bahrain MOH labelling requirements; SFDA circular 2463; GSO 2233:2025 preview.

SFDA issued Saudi standard SFDA.FD 42:2018, "nutritional data in the form of traffic light signals", and calls it an initiative: red, orange and green markers on the front of pack for fat, saturated fat, total sugars and salt, with energy shown uncoloured. It is a standard, not one of the three technical regulations (SFDA.FD/GSO 9, 2233 and 2333) that SFDA lists as the label requirements, and clause 6.2 of GSO 2233 makes supplementary information elective and forbids it from replacing the declaration.

SFDA required every food establishment to print calories beside each item on every permanent menu by 31 December 2018, and three more rules took effect on 1 July 2025: caffeine in mg per 100 ml or per cup with a 400 mg daily maximum statement, a salt icon on items over 5 g of salt (2,000 mg sodium), and icons giving the activity time needed to burn the calories.

At import, SFDA's clearance conditions require compliance with its technical regulations, allow sampling and testing at the importer's expense, and list GSO 9, 2233 and 2333 among the general regulations checked. Label defects go through a correction (تصويب) procedure: missing data added or unpermitted data removed by laser printing, a non-removable sticker or a sewn label for sacks. Build a GCC label with both columns in the generator.

Source: SFDA news on the traffic light standard; SFDA news on menu calories; SFDA news on the three 2025 menu regulations; SFDA food clearance conditions; SFDA label-correction procedures; SFDA FAQ on labelling requirements.

Sources

Primary documents this page was written from, checked 2026-09-16.

How NFL handles it

Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Deep dive

Rules and Guidelines · 4 min

GSO 2233 Nutrition Labeling in the GCC

Review GSO 2233 nutrition labeling requirements for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and GCC markets, including Arabic text and required nutrients.

Common questions

Is nutrition labelling mandatory in Saudi Arabia and the GCC under GSO 2233?

Yes. Clause 4.1 of GSO 2233 makes the nutrient declaration mandatory for all packaged food except the exclusions in clause 1.2, such as spices with negligible nutrients, fresh produce, uncooked fresh meat and fish, single-ingredient products like rice, tea, coffee and sugar, bottled water and packs under 25 cm². SFDA applied it as SFDA.FD 2233 with a final compliance date of 31 December 2020.

Which nutrients must appear on a GCC nutrition facts panel?

Energy, protein, available carbohydrate and dietary fibre, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total sugars and added sugars, plus any nutrient that is the subject of a claim. Vitamins and minerals are declared when required by the authority or a product standard, and are not listed when below 5 percent of the NRV.

Does GSO 2233 require per 100 g or per serving?

Both. Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml (or per pack for a single-serving pack) and also per serving as stated on the label, or per piece with the number of pieces shown. Percent daily values per serving must appear on the panel, calculated against a 2,000 kcal diet with the footnote stating that basis.

Does the nutrition label have to be in Arabic in Saudi Arabia and the GCC?

Yes. GSO 9 requires labels and accompanying explanatory data in Arabic; other languages may be added alongside, but everything in them must match the Arabic exactly. SFDA's correction guide and Bahrain's Ministry of Health both restate the rule, and a mistranslated nutrient name such as trans fat is treated as a labelling defect.

Is the Saudi traffic light label mandatory on packaged food?

No. SFDA issued the traffic light as Saudi standard SFDA.FD 42:2018 and calls it an initiative. It colours fat, saturated fat, total sugars and salt red, orange or green on the front of pack, with energy uncoloured. GSO 2233 clause 6.2 treats such supplementary information as elective and says it may never replace the nutrient declaration.

What tolerance does SFDA accept between the declared and analysed nutrient values?

GSO 2233 Table 6 accepts vitamins at minus 35 to plus 50 percent and minerals at minus 35 to plus 45 percent. Carbohydrate, sugars, protein and fibre get plus or minus 2 g when the product holds over 10 g per 100 g, 20 percent between 10 g and 40 g, and 8 g above 40 g. Fat uses 1.5 g at the low band, saturates 0.8 g above 4 g, and sodium 0.15 g above 0.5 g per 100 g.

Has GSO 2233:2021 been replaced, and does SFDA use GSO 9:2013 or GSO 9:2022?

GSO approved GSO 2233:2025 (edition 3) on 30 April 2025, cancelling the 2021 edition; SFDA had not published an adoption date for it at the time of review. For general labelling, SFDA adopted SFDA.FD GSO 9:2022 by decision 38/4 of 18 June 2023, in force from 1 January 2025, so GSO 9:2013 is no longer the Saudi reference.

What happens at Saudi customs if my nutrition label is wrong?

SFDA clearance requires compliance with its technical regulations and lets SFDA sample and test the product at the importer's expense. Label defects can usually be corrected before release by adding missing data or removing unpermitted data with laser printing or a non-removable sticker that does not hide required information or contradict the original label, and does not carry a second date.

🇮🇱 Israel - MoH (red warning circles)

Hebrew RTL with red circle warnings for high sugar / sat fat / sodium

🇹🇷 Turkey - Türk Gıda Kodeksi

EU-aligned per-100g in Turkish, kJ + kcal, salt not sodium

🇮🇷 Iran - INSO 2951 (Farsi RTL)

Persian nutrition table per Iranian National Standardization Organization

🇮🇶 Iraq - COSQC (Arabic/English)

Bilingual per COSQC, adopting GSO 9:2013

🇯🇴 Jordan - JS 1499 (Arabic/English)

Bilingual per JSMO, adopting GSO 9:2013

🇱🇧 Lebanon - NL 240 (AR/FR/EN)

Trilingual per LIBNOR / Décret 2600/2009

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