Article 8 of the Saudi Cosmetics Law

المادة 8 من نظام منتجات التجميل

The article requires the Authority to decide on a listing application within 15 days of its requirements being completed and to issue a listing certificate, and to state its reasons when it refuses or does not decide.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

تبتّ الهيئة في طلب الإدراج خلال خمسة عشر يومًا من استكمال متطلباته، وتصدر شهادة بالإدراج، وفي حالة الرفض أو عدم البت تبين الهيئة أسباب ذلك.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 8 explained in plain English

This article sets a specific time limit for the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in handling applications to list cosmetic products, and provides three rules:

Time to decide: 15 days, running from the completion of the application's requirements, not from the date it is submitted if it is incomplete.
On acceptance: The Authority issues a listing certificate.
On refusal or failure to decide: The Authority must state the reasons.

The benefit of this rule to the applicant, who under Article 7 is the manufacturer, the producing company or whoever they authorize, is to know when to expect the decision and, if the application is refused, to know the reason, so as to address the comments or take whatever step they consider appropriate. The article states no consequence of the period passing without a decision other than the duty to state reasons, so it should not be understood to mean the application is automatically accepted.

Anyone whose application has been refused and who wants to assess their position can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial law and food and drug law.

Practical example

A company in Jeddah submitted an application to list a new shampoo and completed all the requirements on the first of the month. The Authority decides on the application within 15 days of that date; if it refuses it, it explains the reasons for refusal to the company.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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