| Country | Authority | Label language | Who files | WHO long-term condition | Documents certified by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), general sale route naming dietary supplements; or an emirate's food authority | Arabic for food; for supplements Arabic with English, one text, is the safer layout | EDE route: a licensed medical warehouse in the UAE | 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa | UAE embassy, as the EDE list asks | 9 October 2026 |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA): food sector or drug sector | Arabic; any other language alongside it and identical | A company in Saudi Arabia, such as your importer | 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa | Apostille available | 9 October 2026 |
| Lebanon | Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) | Imported goods in general: Arabic, English or French (US trade summary); MoPH: licence number and date on the label, no language named | Not confirmed in our sources; your importer confirms | 25 °C/60% RH, which corresponds to zone II | Not a party to the Apostille Convention; your importer confirms the route | 9 and 13 October 2026 |
WHO's stability list (update of March 2021) was written for medicines and gives conditions, not zones: for supplements it is a reference, not law, and the zone is our reading. An apostille works between two parties to the Convention, provided neither has objected to the other's accession.
Do you manufacture supplements for brands sold in the Gulf and Lebanon?
Yes. Food supplements are made for your brand as white label, from a ready-made formula, or private label, from your own. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon are the main markets of the manufacturing group behind HYPERPHARM, which exports to 42 countries; these are the group's figures, not those of HYPERPHARM OÜ, the company registered in 2019 that owns this site.
Tablets, capsules and softgels are sealed into blisters on an Uhlmann B 1240, one kind of tablet or capsule per blister, and cartoned on an IMA IC 150; standard shelf life is 24 months.
Who registers a food supplement in the UAE?
On the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) route for general sale, a licensed medical warehouse in the UAE files the application, not the manufacturer; on a food route, your importer confirms who files. The EDE sheet says the registration holder must be registered with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP).
Supplements sold as food, without medical claims, may instead go through an emirate's food authority, such as Dubai Municipality. We know that route only from secondary sources.
Documents. The EDE list includes a certificate of pharmaceutical product under the WHO scheme or a certificate of free sale from the country of origin, certified by the UAE embassy, plus the composition, the manufacturer's registration with the authority naming the production line, a sample, copies of the outer and inner pack and the leaflet, and a halal certificate from a certified body.
Label and dates. UAE food rules, as summarised by the US Department of Agriculture in November 2025, ask for Arabic with any other language identical, and accept one Arabic sticker only if it is applied before export and approved by the UAE authorities. For supplements the EDE names no language; Arabic with English, one text, is the safer layout, and your importer confirms it. Under the same food rules, production and expiry dates go on the original label or primary packaging in indelible ink, and dates printed only on stickers are not accepted; your importer confirms that a date on the carton meets this rule.
WHO's list gives the UAE 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa, not IVb; see climatic zones by country.
What does SFDA food supplement registration ask of the manufacturer?
Papers that depend on the route and the dosage form, and an Arabic label; a company in Saudi Arabia, such as your importer, submits the file, not us.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) takes supplements through its food sector, or through its drug sector as herbal and health products; the documents we read do not draw the line between the two, so your importer settles the route. Among the papers the food sector's guide (July 2024) lists:
- a free sale certificate from the country of origin;
- a stability study based on the shelf life the manufacturer proposes, which may not exceed five years;
- in its section on capsule-packed products, tablets included, a document describing the packaging material and its safety for use, where the product is sensitive to heat, humidity or sunlight;
- a leaflet for tablets, capsules and pills;
- for tablets, pills and other pharmaceutical forms, a Pharmaceutical GMP Certificate or equivalent.
The plant's GMP is for food supplements, not pharmaceutical GMP; whether and how a file can meet this is for your importer to settle.
Label and dates. The SFDA's rule: "Labelling and adjoining explanatory statements shall be in Arabic", with any other language alongside and identical in content. Under the food rules summarised by the US Department of Agriculture in July 2023, production and expiry dates are engraved, embossed or stamped on the pack or its original label, one pair only, and date stickers are not permissible; your importer confirms that a date on the carton meets this rule.
Halal and certified documents. The SFDA's food clearance requirements, uploaded in April 2025, ask for a halal certificate for food products that require one and for proof behind any halal logo. Saudi Arabia has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022, so an apostille is available; the SFDA documents we read do not say whether they accept one, so your importer confirms.
WHO's list gives Saudi Arabia 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa; the food guide names no testing condition in the parts we read. On the pack itself: blister packaging for hot and humid markets.
What does Lebanon ask for on a supplement carton?
A US trade summary names Arabic, English or French for imported goods in general; the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) asks for the number and date of its licence, issued to the manufacturer or the importer, on the label of a food supplement, without naming a language.
MoPH decisions No. 2207/1 of 18 December 2014 and No. 376/1 of 12 March 2019 regulate imported supplements. An amending decision on the ministry's website puts the licence number and date on every supplement label and bans advertising supplements on audio-visual and social media; the page does not show the date of that decision, so your importer confirms the rule is in force. Keep room for the number in the artwork. Lebanon's rules for imported goods, as summarised by the US International Trade Administration in February 2026, also ask for production and expiry dates, net weight, manufacturer, ingredients and country of origin.
We did not find the MoPH's list of documents for registering a supplement. Lebanon is not a party to the Apostille Convention; your importer confirms the route for certifying documents and which ones the MoPH asks for.
WHO's list gives Lebanon 25 °C/60% RH, which corresponds to zone II.
What do the other Gulf and Levant markets ask for?
For the five countries in this table, WHO's list gives 30 °C/65% RH. We have read less of their rules, so treat these lines as questions for your importer.
| Country | What we found | Documents certified by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | Authority for supplements not confirmed in our sources; your importer confirms it and the label language | Not a party to the Apostille Convention; your importer confirms the route | 13 October 2026 |
| Qatar | An online guide (Qatar Living, August 2026, no author named) says Ministry of Public Health requirements contemplate applications through an agent and include a free sale certificate, stability information and labels | Not a party to the Apostille Convention; your importer confirms the route | 13 October 2026 |
| Jordan | Registration with the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) through its online application is required; documents, time and fees not found | Not a party to the Apostille Convention; your importer confirms the route | 13 October 2026 |
| Oman | Rules not read | Apostille available | 9 October 2026 |
| Bahrain | Rules not read | Apostille available | 9 October 2026 |
What we supply and what your importer confirms
Filing is the brand owner's and the importer's step; we supply what the file draws on.
| Item | From us | From your importer |
|---|---|---|
| Application | No filing on our side | Settles the route and files |
| Carton and label | We lay out and print the carton to the label rules of your market, which your importer confirms, and print the lidding foil with your brand. Artwork you already have can be used instead. | Confirms the label rules and any registration or licence numbers |
| Dates | Batch number and expiry date on the carton; the expiry date is never a sticker | Confirms which dates the carton must show, and their format |
| Batch documents | Certificate of Analysis and specification with each batch; certificate copies with their numbers on request | Adds them to the file |
| Certified documents | Where the country of sale asks for documents to be legalised, legalisation is arranged as well. | Confirms how documents are certified for the country |
| Free sale certificate | Issued by an authority of the country of origin | Confirms whether the country asks for one |
The plant is ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certified, with GMP for food supplements, and registered with the US FDA as a food facility. Delivery is EXW by default, FCA or DAP on request.
What your product decides
Each line shows the cost in time or in risk.
| Your product, market or channel | What changes | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Tablets or capsules sensitive to heat, humidity or sunlight, for Saudi Arabia | The food guide asks for a document on the packaging material | Time: the document has to be ready before filing |
| One carton for Lebanon and the Gulf | Saudi Arabia requires Arabic, with any other language identical; Lebanon wants its MoPH licence number and date on the label | Risk: a shared carton must carry every country's mandatory text, and a number for one country may call for artwork per market |
Questions buyers ask about the Gulf and Lebanon
Who files the registration in Saudi Arabia and the UAE: the manufacturer or the importer?
The importer's side: on the EDE route a licensed medical warehouse in the UAE, and in Saudi Arabia a company in the country. We do not file registrations.
Is a food supplement in the UAE registered with the EDE or with Dubai Municipality?
It depends on the product. The EDE's general sale route names dietary supplements; secondary sources describe a food route through an emirate's food authority, such as Dubai Municipality. Your importer confirms the route.
Can the expiry date go on as a sticker?
Not under the food rules of Saudi Arabia and the UAE summarised by the US Department of Agriculture. Our expiry date is printed with the carton or applied as the blisters are cartoned; your importer confirms that a date on the carton is enough.
Which language must a Saudi carton carry?
Arabic. Another language may stand alongside it, identical in content.
Which languages does Lebanon accept, and what must the carton show?
For imported goods in general, a US trade summary names Arabic, English or French; the MoPH names no language for supplements. The label shows production and expiry dates, net weight, manufacturer, ingredients, country of origin and the MoPH licence number and date; your importer confirms that the licence rule is in force.
Is the UAE a zone IVb market?
No. WHO's stability list gives the UAE 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa, as it does for the rest of the Gulf and Jordan; WHO's list gives Lebanon 25 °C/60% RH.
Is halal certification needed for the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
The EDE list for general sale includes a halal certificate, and the SFDA asks for one for food products that require it and for proof behind any halal logo. Halal certification is arranged for the specific product rather than for the plant as a whole.
Will you lay out the carton in Arabic?
Yes, where the country of sale requires it. We lay out and print the carton to the label rules of your market, which your importer confirms, and print the lidding foil with your brand. Artwork you already have can be used instead.
Read more
Blister packaging for hot and humid markets · Climatic zones by country · Shelf life and storage · Blister packing · Quality and batch documents · White label supplements · Private label supplements · Export documents · Halal supplements · North Africa · Africa
Ask about your product for the Gulf and Lebanon
Tell us the product, the countries you sell in and what your importer has already asked for. We answer within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
For tablets and capsules in a blister, a run starts from 2,000 cartons printed for your brand, at least 4,000 blisters, with a ready-made formula or your own, and production takes 6 to 10 weeks. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, and the lidding foil carries your brand too.
Request a quote → Email sales@hyperpharm.eu
Sources
- Emirates Drug Establishment: Registration of Pharmaceutical Product for General Sale, service infographic, file of 2024; the sheet names the Ministry of Health and Prevention (dietary supplements in scope, applicant, registration holder, list of documents, embassy certification, halal certificate). ede.gov.ae. Checked 9 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards, Country Report, United Arab Emirates, TC2025-0008, 21 November 2025. Written for food. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority: FAQ on the language of food labels (SFDA.FD/GSO 9), answer updated 18 July 2024. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Food Sector: Guide to Pre-registration Evaluation for Food Products (file of July 2024): free sale certificate, stability study and maximum shelf life, section on capsule-packed products (packaging material, package leaflets, Pharmaceutical GMP Certificate or equivalent for pills, tablets and other pharmaceutical forms). sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority: Top Deficiencies in Herbal and Health Products, version 1.1, 8 December 2020 (the drug sector's route for herbal and health products). sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority: conditions and requirements for food clearance (file uploaded April 2025): halal certificates for food products that require one, and proof behind any halal logo. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards, Country Report, Saudi Arabia, SA2023-0004, 26 July 2023. Written for food. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Ministry of Public Health, Lebanon: Decision of the Minister of Public Health: Banning of any Food Supplement Advertisement in the Mass Media. It amends decisions No. 2207/1 of 18 December 2014 and No. 376/1 of 12 March 2019 on the import of food supplements (licence number and date on the label; ban on advertising on audio-visual and social media). The page does not show the date of the decision. moph.gov.lb. Checked 13 October 2026.
- US International Trade Administration: Lebanon, Country Commercial Guide, Labeling/Marking Requirements, last published 23 February 2026. trade.gov. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Hague Conference on Private International Law: status table of the Apostille Convention, last update 30 June 2026 (Saudi Arabia in force since 7 December 2022; Oman and Bahrain parties; the UAE, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan not listed); Article 12 of the Convention on objections to an accession. hcch.net. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- World Health Organization: Stability conditions for WHO Member States by Region, update of March 2021. Written for medicines; gives long-term testing conditions, not zone names. Page on who.int. Checked 9 October 2026.
- World Health Organization: Technical Report Series No. 1010 (2018), Annex 10, Stability testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished pharmaceutical products: long-term conditions for zones II, IVa and IVb (note to Table A10.4), against which the zone is read. Written for medicines. extranet.who.int. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Jordan Food and Drug Administration: online application service. workflow.jfda.jo. Checked 13 October 2026.
- Qatar Living: Product registration, standards and compliance in Qatar, 23 August 2026. Online guide, no author named. qatarliving.com. Checked 13 October 2026.