Halal Verification and Readiness Assessment for Saudi Arabia

itmad provides independent third-party verification of conformity to halal requirements for food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and slaughterhouses in Saudi Arabia. itmad is not on the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Saudi Halal Center's list of recognised halal certification bodies, and an itmad halal certificate is not an SFDA-recognised halal certificate for goods entering Saudi Arabia. itmad has worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 10 years. Last reviewed: October 2026.

What halal verification confirms

Halal verification confirms that a product, its ingredients, the process that made the product and the facility where the product was made all conform to Islamic requirements. Halal verification is not a label applied to a finished product: halal verification is an assessment of the whole chain, because a compliant recipe made on shared equipment with non-compliant product is not halal.

What itmad verifies against

itmad verifies conformity against the GSO halal scheme, the standard applied across the GCC covering general requirements for halal food, the requirements for animal slaughtering, and the associated conformity assessment requirements.

Halal certification status in Saudi Arabia

The SFDA Saudi Halal Center recognises and issues halal certification in Saudi Arabia, and SFDA accepts halal certification for goods entering Saudi Arabia only from certification bodies on its recognised list. itmad is not on that list, so an itmad halal certificate does not satisfy the SFDA requirement for halal certification of goods entering Saudi Arabia.

What itmad provides is independent verification of conformity to halal requirements, which buyers, distributors and export customers can use as evidence, and a readiness assessment for organisations preparing for certification by a recognised body. An organisation whose requirement is SFDA-accepted halal certification, or whose regulator or customer has named a recognised body, should confirm that requirement before commissioning any assessment.

Scope covered

• Food and beverageIngredients, additives, processing aids and the full production process, including verification that nothing in the formulation or the plant introduces a non-compliant substance.
• Slaughterhouses and meatSlaughtering method, the competence and status of the slaughterman, stunning practice where used, and the handling and segregation of the product afterwards, which is the most closely scrutinised part of any halal assessment.
• Cosmetics and personal careIngredient origin, particularly animal-derived and alcohol-based components, and the manufacturing process that brings the components together.
• PharmaceuticalsExcipients, capsule materials, and processing aids where animal-derived or alcohol content affects compliance.

What the halal assessment examines

• Ingredient specifications and supplier declarations, verified rather than accepted at face value, particularly for emulsifiers, gelatine, enzymes, flavourings and carriers where origin is not obvious from the name
• Segregation of halal and non-halal materials in storage, production and transport
• Dedicated or validated cleaning of shared equipment, and the sequencing that governs the cleaning
• Traceability from raw material lot through to finished batch
• Personnel awareness and the arrangements preventing cross-contamination in practice
• Labelling, marking and the claims made on the product
• Slaughtering practice, records and personnel where the scope includes slaughtering
• Supplier control, since a halal claim depends on inputs that the organisation does not make

Cross-contamination is where halal verification fails

Most non-conformities are not about ingredients. The common causes are a shared production line with inadequate cleaning between runs, a forklift moving both product types, a storage area with no physical separation, or a cleaning validation that was never actually validated. Ingredient compliance is checked on paper, and segregation is checked on the floor, which is where the assessment spends its time.

Who commissions halal verification

• Food manufacturers supplying customers who require halal assurance
• Contract manufacturers producing for halal brands
• Cosmetics and personal care producers entering Muslim-majority markets
• Slaughterhouses and meat processors
• Retailers and hospitality groups verifying their own supply chain
• Organisations preparing for certification by a recognised body and wanting a readiness assessment first

Halal alongside food safety

Halal and food safety are separate requirements with separate criteria, but the two examine much of the same operation: segregation, cleaning, traceability, supplier control and records. Where itmad also audits the HACCP or ISO 22000 system of an organisation, the assessments can be scheduled together so the site is audited once rather than twice.

What itmad provides

• An audit report against the halal requirements applied, with findings evidenced
• Non-conformities classified by severity
• A certificate of conformity (not an SFDA-recognised halal certificate) stating the products, processes and site covered
• A clear statement of what the certificate covers and what the certificate does not
• Surveillance audits through the certification period

Contact itmad in Saudi Arabia

itmad, Riyadh, P.O. Box 11421, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Telephone: +966 11 205 8471.

Frequently asked questions

What does halal verification confirm?

Halal verification confirms that a product, its ingredients, the process that made the product and the facility where the product was made all conform to Islamic requirements. Halal verification assesses the whole chain, because a compliant recipe made on shared equipment with non-compliant product is not halal.

Is itmad on the SFDA list of recognised halal certification bodies?

No. itmad is not on the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Saudi Halal Center's list of recognised halal certification bodies, and the halal work of itmad is independent verification only.

Does SFDA accept an itmad halal certificate for goods entering Saudi Arabia?

No. SFDA accepts halal certification for goods entering Saudi Arabia only from certification bodies on its recognised list, and itmad is not on that list. An exporter who needs SFDA-accepted halal certification should use a recognised body.

What does itmad halal verification provide?

itmad provides independent third-party verification of conformity to halal requirements, which buyers, distributors and export customers can use as evidence. itmad also provides a readiness assessment for organisations preparing for certification by a recognised body.

Where do halal assessments find non-conformities?

Most halal non-conformities concern cross-contamination, not ingredients. Typical causes are a shared production line with inadequate cleaning between runs, a forklift moving both product types, a storage area with no physical separation, and a cleaning validation that was never actually validated.

What does a halal assessment examine?

A halal assessment examines ingredient specifications and supplier declarations, segregation of halal and non-halal materials, cleaning of shared equipment, traceability from raw material lot to finished batch, personnel arrangements, labelling and claims, and supplier control. Slaughtering practice and records are examined where the scope includes slaughtering.