Applicable legislation
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The countries in this alliance share a common body that is authorized to publish the standards applicable in all of the countries: the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO). Each country then has a separate local competent authority that is responsible for enforcing the common standards.
The overall regulatory framework governing cosmetics in the region was finalized and published in 2016. There are three pieces of legislation that cover cosmetic products, each dealing with a different part of the compliance criteria:
- Safety: GSO 1943/2016: Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
- Claims: GSO 2528/2016: Cosmetic products – Technical Regulation of Cosmetic and Personal Care Product Claims
- GMP: GSO ISO 22716: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) – Guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practices.
