The Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization (GSO) has developed the Gulf Conformity Marking (G Mark) to be used for specific categories of products sold in the markets of the GCC member states as proof that products bearing it meet the quality and safety requirements as well as a means to facilitate the movement of goods across the GCC member states borders and unify the procedures of conformity and clearance under one system.
The G mark is mandatory for the products that fall within its scope which means that these products will not be allowed to be displayed in the Gulf markets without obtaining the Mark. The G mark covers children toys and low-voltage electrical devices and equipment. the full scope of G Mark home appliances and children toys is defined in detail in the relevant technical regulations that define the conformity procedures required to grant the G Mark and the
This article will cover the technical aspects related to the G Mark that might be well known to the suppliers seeking to obtain the G Mark.
The role of the notified bodies in granting the G Mark.
The GSO is responsible for developing the technical regulations that determine the requirements and procedures of granting the G Mark while it notifies certification bodies as third parties to issue the G Mark license.
The notified body is responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment including reviewing the technical file, inspection, and testing in order to decide if the product meets the requirements or not. If it meets all requirements the notified body issues the G Mark.
Notified bodies are approved by the GSO and accredited by the Gulf Accreditation Center (GAC) to provide the services of issuing the G Mark. The suppliers seeking to obtain the G Mark should choose one of the approved notified bodies. The GSO publishes and updates the list of the notified bodies where you can find detailed information about them such as the registration number and the scope of the notification.
It is noteworthy that not all the products within the Scope of the G Mark require the involvement of a notified body. The Gulf Regulation on G-Marking – BD09100501 defines what are the responsibilities of the suppliers and when the involvement of a notified body is required.
The Gulf Conformity Tracking Symbol (GCTS)
Once the G Mark is granted for a specific product after proving its compliance to the relevant technical regulations, the product is registered in the GSO tracking system and a Gulf Conformity Tracking Symbol (GCTS) is generated for the product to be labeled on the product and packaging. This symbol is used by the customs authorities to verify the G Mark label at the ports and clear the products.
The G Mark regulatory frame
The GSO issued technical regulations and guides to define the G Mark usage, purposes, granting procedures, scope, etc., including:
- General Product Safety Regulation – BD09100504
- Gulf Regulation on G-Marking – BD09100501
- GSO Technical Regulation On Toys: Second Edition – BD-131704-01
- Gulf Technical Regulation for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment and Appliances – BD-142004-01
- List No. (2) TC143307-01 Electrical equipment and appliances subjected to CAP in Annex (4) of LV TR
- GSO Guide On Modules of Conformity Assessment – BD09100503
- GSO Guide On Notified Bodies – BD09100502
- Guide on Product Safety and Market Surveillance (only Arabic version is available)
Mutabaq for the G Mark services
Mutabaq is an electronic platform developed by the GSO to serve consumers and suppliers of the products related to the Gulf Conformity Mark. Mutabaq offers many services in this regard including:
- Request approval for Gulf Conformity Certificates for vehicles, motorcycles, and tires.
- Economy guide for vehicle fuel.
- Downloading fuel efficiency labels for vehicles and tires.
- A guide for customs clearance.
- Consumer guide for vehicles, motorcycles, and tires.
- Registering recall campaign data.
- Registering the numbers of imported vehicles (VIN).