Saudi Arabia is one of the world's major food importers and, for European industry, a high-margin market with demanding requirements. Halal certification is the entry door, but not the only condition.
Two filters that get confused
A Saudi file is decided on two separate levels:
- Halal conformity, attested by the recognised certification body.
- Health and labelling conformity, which depends on the food and drug authority and follows its own rules: language, nutritional information, shelf life, establishment registration.
Meeting one does not exempt you from the other. Correctly halal-certified goods held over a labelling issue is a common sight, and the reverse too.
Recognition of the body
As elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia does not accept just any certificate. The Saudi Halal Center maintains recognition of the entities authorised to issue certificates valid for the country. Before contracting certification, check that the body is recognised for your product category.
Common critical points
Meat and derivatives. The most controlled category: animal origin, slaughter method, supervision, and traceability down to the batch. Requirements on stunning and on the person performing the slaughter are a frequent cause of rejection.
Gelatine and collagen. Present in confectionery, capsules, desserts and fining agents. Their origin must be documented without ambiguity.
Residual alcohol. In flavourings, extracts and coatings. Best analysed before the audit, not after.
Shelf life. Several Gulf markets require the product to arrive with a minimum percentage of remaining shelf life. A flawless certificate does not save a shipment that arrives too close to its date.
One practical recommendation
Treat halal certification and regulatory conformity as a single project on one timeline. When they run separately — halal in quality, labelling in sales — that is when surprises appear at the destination port.