Current laws and regulations of the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Public Health require labeling and marking requirements to be honored, especially where the import of foodstuffs is concerned. All imported meats require a health certificate issued by the country of export and a Halal slaughter certificate issued by an approved Islamic center in that country. Qatar enforces GCC shelf-life standards through GS 150/2013 (previously GS 150/1993 and GS 150/2007), Part I and II.  Part I lists products with mandatory shelf lives, while Part II lists products with recommended shelf lives. Copies of the standards may be purchased from the GSO webpage.

Production and expiry dates must be printed on the original label or container by the manufacturer.  Dates cannot be added after the fact via a sticker.  Products must arrive at destination with at least half the shelf-life duration remaining.  The U.S. supplier should work closely with the importer to ensure compliance with local shelf-life requirements.  Food labels must include product and brand names, production and expiry dates, country of origin, name and address of the manufacturer, net weight in metric units, and a list of the ingredients in descending order of importance. All fats and oils used as ingredients must be specifically identified on the label.  Labels must be in Arabic only or in Arabic/English.  Arabic stickers are accepted.