GSO 2055-2:2021 sets the requirements for halal certification bodies, not for the producers they certify. It is Edition 3 of the Gulf standard, approved on 1 July 2021 with an amendment approved on 14 October 2024, and the UAE applies it as UAE.S GSO 2055-2:2021.
This guide is for certification bodies seeking accreditation in the UAE or the wider GCC, and for producers and exporters who need to know what their certifier must meet.
What does GSO 2055-2:2021 cover, and who must meet it?
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) publishes the standard under the title "Halal Products, Part 2: General Requirements for Halal Certification Bodies". Its store page describes the scope in two parts. The standard sets the requirements a halal certification body must meet, and it specifies how that body implements its procedures for issuing halal certificates for products, services and systems.
So the organisation that must meet GSO 2055-2 is the certifier. That includes the body's structure, its people, its impartiality and the way it audits, decides and issues certificates. A meat plant, a bakery or a cosmetics factory does not hold a GSO 2055-2 certificate. It holds a halal certificate issued by a body that meets GSO 2055-2.
The 2021 text is the third edition. Amendment 1 was approved on 14 October 2024 and is read together with the 2021 edition. Because 2021 is the third edition, older certificates and documents may cite an earlier one. Check which edition your accreditation body assesses against.
How does UAE.S GSO 2055-2:2021 relate to the Gulf standard?
UAE.S GSO 2055-2:2021 carries the Gulf standard's number, year and title under a UAE designation. The Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) lists it as a separate accreditation criterion alongside GSO 2055-2:2021 itself. A body chooses the designation that matches the markets it serves.
The bigger UAE difference is regulatory. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) runs the UAE system for the control of halal products under Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2014. According to MoIAT's halal programme page, establishments obtain halal certificates for their products and raw materials from halal certification bodies registered by the ministry.
For a body that wants its certificates recognised in the UAE, that means two steps. It needs accreditation from an accreditation body accepted by MoIAT, and it needs MoIAT registration on top.
Who accredits and recognises halal certification bodies?
Accreditation bodies accredit certification bodies. Certification bodies certify producers. Regulators then decide which certificates they accept. The table sets out the route in the markets these guides were written for, as stated on each organisation's own site in October 2026.
| Market | Standard the certification body meets | Who accredits | Who registers or recognises | What the producer is audited against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCC (Gulf standard) | GSO 2055-2:2021 with Amendment 1:2024 | GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) runs a halal scheme to GSO 2055-2:2021 | Each member state's regulator | GSO 2055-1:2015 and the sector standards each regulator applies |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE.S GSO 2055-2:2021 or GSO 2055-2:2021 | EIAC or another accreditation body accepted by MoIAT | MoIAT registration under Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2014 | UAE.S 2055-1 for food, UAE.S 993 for slaughter, UAE.S 2055-4 for cosmetics |
| Saudi Arabia | GSO 2055-2 (confirm the edition with SFDA) | GAC, or another body SFDA accepts (confirm with SFDA) | SFDA Saudi Halal Center, which recognises certification bodies and also issues certificates itself | Confirm the current list with SFDA |
| OIC member markets | OIC/SMIIC 2:2019 | EIAC also accredits to it | Depends on the importing country | OIC/SMIIC 1 and national requirements |
The OIC route uses a different standard with a similar role. Our guide to OIC/SMIIC 2:2019 covers it.
What does EIAC ask a halal certification body to submit?
EIAC's halal programme page lists the documents an applicant uploads. They include a valid legal or commercial licence, a management system that complies with the accreditation standard with records of implementation, and a location map.
EIAC also asks for the minutes of the last management review and the report of the last internal audit. In other words, the system must already be running before you apply. A manual alone is not enough.
Two items catch new bodies out. EIAC wants the registration form and registration approval issued by MoIAT. It also wants a high-resolution image of the halal certificate stamp, mark or symbol the body uses, plus identity documents for the owners and management board.
The assessment covers technical competence, compliance with the standard and witnessing. Accreditation is followed by annual or periodic assessments and a full reassessment every three years. EIAC accredits halal bodies working in areas including food products, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, restaurants and food services, and slaughterhouses and meat production.
The MoIAT and EIAC steps interlock. MoIAT's registration service asks the body to apply, contact its chosen accreditation body, then attach the accreditation certificate and its scope. MoIAT lists the service time as 10 working days and a fee of AED 1,000 per domain plus AED 1,000 for the registration certificate.
What will assessors look for in practice?
GSO 2055-2 assessments look closely at the controls that keep a halal decision trustworthy. The points below are AGS's practical reading of what a halal certification body is usually asked to show. They are not quotations from the standard.
- Impartiality: a risk register, a conflict of interest declaration for every auditor, and a committee that reviews impartiality.
- Sharia competence: a named Islamic affairs expert or committee and a record of how it advises on decisions.
- Separation of audit and decision: the person who decides on certification did not audit the client.
- Auditor competence: qualification criteria, training records and witnessed audits for each product category in scope.
- Certificate and mark control: a certificate register, a public list of certified clients and rules for suspension and withdrawal.
- Complaints and appeals: a procedure, a log and evidence that appeals are heard by people not involved in the decision.
Halal certification is a form of product certification, and the general international standard for product certification bodies is ISO/IEC 17065. Our ISO/IEC 17065 guide explains that standard.
What is a producer actually audited against?
A producer's own requirements come from the product and process standards, not from Part 2. GSO 2055-1:2015 is a Gulf Technical Regulation, Edition 2, approved on 5 November 2015. It sets the general requirements for halal food at every stage of the food chain, from receiving and preparation to storage, display and food service.
Slaughter has its own standard, and the UAE lists UAE.S 993 for animal slaughtering according to Islamic rules. Cosmetics and personal care products fall under UAE.S 2055-4. Your certifier applies these to your site, and GSO 2055-2 governs how it does so.
Producers usually build a halal assurance system around these requirements. Our guide to halal assurance for processed foods under UAE.S standards shows what that looks like on a production site.
How AGS can help
AGS has three kits for halal certification bodies. Each contains policies, procedures, forms, registers and audit checklists, mostly editable Word and Excel files, with a GSO 2055-2 conformity matrix.
- Halal certification GSO 2055-2 2021: 85 documents, checklists referenced to GSO standards.
- Halal certification GSO 2055-22021 & UAE.S GSO 2055-22021: 85 documents, manuals for both designations.
- Halal certification UAE S GSO 2055-2 2021: 84 documents, checklists referenced to UAE.S standards.
Frequently asked questions
Can a food company be certified to GSO 2055-2?
No. GSO 2055-2 applies to the certification body. The company is audited against standards such as GSO 2055-1:2015 or its UAE equivalent by a body that meets GSO 2055-2.
Is accreditation enough to issue halal certificates recognised in the UAE?
Not on its own. MoIAT registration is what gives the ministry's recognition to a body's certificates, and registration requires a valid accreditation certificate from an accreditation body the ministry accepts.
How often is an accredited halal body reassessed by EIAC?
EIAC plans annual or periodic assessments after accreditation and a full reassessment every three years.
How can a producer check its certifier?
Ask for the accreditation certificate and its scope, and check that the scope covers your product category. For the UAE, also check MoIAT's list of registered halal certification bodies, which is linked from its halal programme page.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced kits are prepared to support GSO, MoIAT and EIAC requirements. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by GSO, MoIAT, EIAC, the GCC Accreditation Center or SFDA, and they do not guarantee any accreditation, registration or certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
