All the toys intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age are required to comply with the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Technical Regulation on Children’s Toys (BD-131704-01).
G-mark
Importers, distributors or manufacturers require G-mark on their products in order to enter Gulf State markets (which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen).
G-mark is GCC conformity quality mark which indicates that the product conforms the health, safety and environmental requirements. It is very important for the manufacturer, before placing a toy on the market, carry out an analysis of the chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene and radioactivity hazards that the toy may present, as well as an assessment of the potential exposure to such hazards. They also need to mark in Arabic language the warnings in a clearly visible, easily legible manner on the packaging.
The toys that falls under the GCC Technical Regulation on Children’s Toys
- Functional toy
- Aquatic toy
- Activity toy
- Chemical toy
- Cosmetic kit
- Gustative game
- Olfactory board game
- Design speed
This Directive does not apply to the following toys:
- playground equipment intended for public use
- automatic playing machines, whether coin operated or not, intended for public use;
- toy vehicles equipped with combustion engines
- toy steam engines
- slings and catapults.
The procedure of applying for the G-mark is quite typical:
1. The manufacturer or importer applies to a Notified Body (WorldWideBridge LLC will assist you with it)
2. Toys are tested to the GCC Technical Regulation on Children’s Toys (BD-13170-01) by an approved laboratory and certified by a Notified body.
3. On successful completion of the toy assessment, the manufacturer or importer will receive a certificate and can put the G-mark on the product or packaging, or both.
Get more information about the G-mark certification of toys for export to Gulf countries. You can send us your inquiry through [email protected].
Read also:
G-mark (Gulf Conformity Marking)
Certification in the Middle East