SFDA Nutrition Label Requirements for Saudi Arabia (2026)
If you manufacture, import, or distribute packaged food products in Saudi Arabia, your nutrition labels must comply with the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) requirements under GSO 2233 — the GCC unified standard for nutrition labelling of prepackaged food. Non-compliant labels can result in customs rejection, product recall, or fines.
This guide covers every mandatory requirement: label format, nutrients, language rules, SFDA registration, and the Nutri-Mark front-of-pack scheme — everything your food brand needs before going to market in Saudi Arabia.
Informational purposes only. This guide is for general information and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Regulations change — always verify current requirements directly with the SFDA or a qualified food regulatory consultant before going to market.
Enforcement date: Full enforcement of GSO 2233 in Saudi Arabia is mandatory for all packaged food products sold in the Kingdom. Products manufactured before the transition deadline may be sold until stock runs out, but new production runs require the updated format.
1. The Standard — GSO 2233
Saudi Arabia's nutrition labelling requirements are defined by Gulf Standard GSO 2233, adopted and enforced by the SFDA. This replaced the older GSO 9/2013 standard and introduced a stricter, more detailed nutrition panel format aligned with international best practice.
Key differences from the old standard:
- Mandatory Added Sugar declaration (separate from Total Sugars)
- Mandatory % Daily Value (%DV) column for most nutrients
- Mandatory per-serving AND per-100g dual-column format
- Stricter Arabic translation requirements for all label elements
- Updated reference values for %DV calculations
2. Required Label Format
The SFDA/GSO 2233 nutrition panel must follow a three-column table:
- Nutrient name — in both English and Arabic
- Per serving — based on a declared serving size
- Per 100g / 100ml — mandatory second column
A fourth %DV column is required for most nutrients. The %DV reference values are set by the SFDA and differ from US FDA values — use the GCC-specific reference amounts.
Serving size rules: Serving sizes must be declared in metric units (grams or millilitres). SFDA does not mandate RACC (Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed) as the US does — but the serving size must be realistic and consistent across your product range.
3. Mandatory Nutrients
The following nutrients must appear on every SFDA-compliant nutrition panel. Optional nutrients may also be declared if they are present in meaningful amounts or if a claim is made about them.
| Nutrient | Arabic name | Unit | %DV required | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | الطاقة | kcal + kJ | Yes | Required |
| Total Fat | الدهون الكلية | g | Yes | Required |
| Saturated Fat | الدهون المشبعة | g | Yes | Required |
| Trans Fat | الدهون المتحولة | g | No | Required |
| Monounsaturated Fat | الدهون الأحادية غير المشبعة | g | No | Optional |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | الدهون المتعددة غير المشبعة | g | No | Optional |
| Cholesterol | الكولسترول | mg | Yes | Required |
| Total Carbohydrate | إجمالي الكربوهيدرات | g | Yes | Required |
| Dietary Fibre | الألياف الغذائية | g | Yes | Required |
| Total Sugars | السكريات الكلية | g | No | Required |
| Added Sugars | السكريات المضافة | g | Yes | Required |
| Protein | البروتين | g | Yes | Required |
| Sodium | الصوديوم | mg | Yes | Required |
| Vitamin D | فيتامين د | µg | Yes | Required |
| Calcium | الكالسيوم | mg | Yes | Required |
| Iron | الحديد | mg | Yes | Required |
| Potassium | البوتاسيوم | mg | Yes | Required |
Added Sugars vs Total Sugars: This is a common compliance mistake. Total Sugars includes all sugars naturally present and added. Added Sugars is only sugars added during processing or preparation — not the natural sugars in fruit, dairy, or vegetables. Both must appear on the SFDA label, with Added Sugars indented under Total Sugars.
4. Bilingual Arabic/English Requirements
All text on the nutrition label — including nutrient names, footnotes, and serving size declarations — must appear in both Arabic and English. Arabic is the primary language and must be equal or greater in prominence to English.
Key rules:
- Arabic text must read right-to-left (RTL)
- If the label uses a horizontal layout, Arabic section is on the right
- Arabic typeface must be legible — decorative scripts are not acceptable
- Nutrient names cannot be abbreviated in Arabic
- The footnote (daily value basis statement) must appear in both languages
Common rejection reason: Machine-translated Arabic that reads unnaturally or uses incorrect scientific terminology is grounds for SFDA rejection. Have your Arabic label text reviewed by a qualified food science translator familiar with GSO 2233 terminology.
5. SFDA Product Registration Number
Most packaged food products sold in Saudi Arabia require an SFDA food product registration number before they can be imported or sold. This is separate from your company registration — it is issued per-product by the SFDA.
Who needs a registration number?
- Importers of packaged food into KSA — required for customs clearance
- Manufacturers producing food for the Saudi market
- Private-label brands sourcing from third-party manufacturers
Who is generally exempt?
- Restaurants, cafes, and on-site food service operations
- Catering companies preparing food for immediate consumption
- Fresh produce not in pre-packaged form
How to register:
Create a business account on the SFDA Food Portal (ghiza.sfda.gov.sa)
Submit a product dossier including ingredients list, nutritional analysis (lab-certified), label artwork, and manufacturer information
Pay the registration fee (varies by product category and number of products)
SFDA review typically takes 30–90 days for straightforward products
Upon approval, you receive an SFDA registration number to print on the label
The SFDA registration number appears on the label — typically below the manufacturer/distributor line — formatted as an alphanumeric code. It proves to retailers and Saudi customs that the product has been cleared. NutriQuant Pro includes a dedicated "SFDA registration number" field in the label editor that prints this code in the correct position.
6. Nutri-Mark — Saudi Arabia's Front-of-Pack Scheme
Nutri-Mark is Saudi Arabia's voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme, developed by the SFDA. It uses a traffic-light system to indicate whether a product is low, medium, or high in energy, total fat, saturated fat, total sugar, and sodium.
Why it matters:
- Major Saudi retailers increasingly prefer products carrying Nutri-Mark
- It is currently voluntary, but SFDA has signalled it may become mandatory
- Products without Nutri-Mark may face listing disadvantages in chain supermarkets
- The mark is a positive marketing signal for health-conscious consumers
How Nutri-Mark ratings work:
- Green — low level of the nutrient (positive signal)
- Amber — medium level (neutral signal)
- Red — high level (negative signal)
The thresholds for each colour band are published by the SFDA and are based on per-100g values. You calculate a Nutri-Mark rating separately for each of the five nutrients.
7. The 7 Most Common SFDA Label Compliance Mistakes
- Missing Added Sugars — declaring Total Sugars only, not breaking out Added Sugars separately
- Wrong %DV reference values — using US FDA reference values instead of GCC/SFDA values
- Missing per-100g column — only showing per-serving without the required per-100g comparison
- Arabic text not RTL — placing Arabic text in a left-to-right context or using LTR formatting
- Trans fat not declared — leaving trans fat off the panel (even if the value is 0g, it must be declared)
- Missing SFDA registration number — for products that require registration, omitting the number causes customs rejection
- Inaccurate nutrient values — using database estimates that differ from lab-certified analysis by more than SFDA tolerance limits
8. SFDA Label Compliance Checklist
Before finalising your label artwork, confirm every item:
- ☐ Three-column format: Nutrient | Per Serving | Per 100g
- ☐ %DV column with GCC reference values
- ☐ All 17 mandatory nutrients declared
- ☐ Added Sugars indented below Total Sugars
- ☐ Energy in both kcal and kJ
- ☐ Full bilingual Arabic/English with Arabic as primary
- ☐ Arabic text displays right-to-left
- ☐ SFDA registration number (if product registration is required)
- ☐ Country of origin declared
- ☐ Manufacturer/importer name and address (Arabic + English)
- ☐ Best before / expiry date format compliant
- ☐ Allergen declarations following GSO allergen standard
- ☐ Nutri-Mark calculated and placed on front of pack (if used)