GCC: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the G-Mark (GSO)

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 16 min read

The Gulf Cooperation Council brings together six states (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman), and since May 2004 their standardisation work has been coordinated by the GSO (GCC Standardization Organization), which Yemen also joined in 2010. For electronics, the GSO matters through two Gulf technical regulations that require the G-Mark: one on children toys and one on low voltage electrical equipment. Radio is not part of that system: each state keeps its own telecoms regulator and type approval rules. This page reads the GSO regulations and the national type approval texts of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, and states only what those texts say. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have their own guides.

The six GCC states and their authorities

State	Telecoms / radio regulator	National standards body (GSO member)	Coverage on spilma
Saudi Arabia	CST (Communications, Space and Technology Commission, formerly CITC)	SASO (SABER platform)	CITC / SASO guide
United Arab Emirates	TDRA	MoIAT (Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology)	TDRA and SDPPI guide
Kuwait	CITRA (Law No. 37 of 2014)	PAI, Standards and Industrial Services Affairs	Detailed below
Bahrain	TRA (Telecommunications Law, Legislative Decree No. 48 of 2002)	Standards and Metrology Directorate (BSMD), Ministry of Industry and Commerce	Detailed below
Qatar	CRA (Decree 42 of 2014 of the Emir)	QS (Qatar General Organization for Standardization)	Detailed below
Oman	TRA (Royal Decree No. 30/2002)	DGSM (Directorate General for Standards and Metrology)	Detailed below

The national standards bodies are those listed by the GSO on its members page. The Saudi regulator changed its name to CST under Cabinet Decree No. 235 dated 07/04/1444H (10 November 2022).

Key dates

Date	Event	Source
30 and 31 Dec 2001	GSO established by the GCC Supreme Council, 22nd session, Muscat	GSO
May 2004	GSO starts operating, headquarters in Riyadh	GSO
17 Jun 2006	Kuwait: PAI implements the Kuwait Conformity Assurance Scheme (KUCAS)	PAI guidelines
27 Nov 2007	First-issue Gulf conformity regulations for toys (BD 07070502) and electrical equipment (BD 07070503)	BD-131704-01, BD-142004-01
1 Jan 2010	Yemen becomes a GSO member	GSO, BD-142004-01 recitals
9 Jan 2011	Qatar: Type Approval Guidelines issued by ictQATAR, still published by the CRA	CRA
1 Jan 2014	Toys regulation BD-131704-01 (issue 2) enters into force	BD-131704-01, Art. 40
2014	Kuwait: Law No. 37 creates CITRA; Qatar: Decree 42 of the Emir creates the CRA	CITRA, CRA
5 Nov 2014	Low-voltage regulation BD-142004-01 approved by the GSO Board	GSO
1 June 2015	Trial enforcement of BD-142004-01	GSO
1 Jul 2016	BD-142004-01 enters into force	BD-142004-01, Art. 40
10 Nov 2022	Saudi CITC renamed CST	CST
11 May 2023	GSO approves a technical regulation on water consumption conservation products	GSO
27 Feb 2024	Bahrain: TRA technical specifications for short range devices enforced	TRA Bahrain
20 May 2026	Bahrain: version 1.1 of the TRA technical specifications	TRA Bahrain

The GSO and the Gulf technical regulations

The GSO was established by resolution of the GCC Supreme Council at its 22nd session (Muscat, 30 and 31 December 2001) and started operating in May 2004. Its members are the six GCC states and Yemen, whose accession took effect on 1 January 2010 following a decision of the GCC Supreme Council at its 29th session (Muscat, 30 December 2008). It publishes Gulf standards and Gulf technical regulations; the regulations themselves say that only the Arabic version is authentic in law, and the English versions are labelled non-official translations.

The GSO conformity assessment page lists the approved regulations: a General Product Safety regulation (BD09100504), a regulation on G-Marking (BD09100501), the toys regulation BD-131704-01, the low-voltage regulation BD-142004-01, and a regulation on water consumption conservation products approved on 11 May 2023. For an electronics manufacturer, the two that require the G-Mark are toys and low voltage.

Regulation	Reference	In force	Scope (from the text)	Conformity assessment
Children toys	BD-131704-01, issue 2	1 Jan 2014	Products designed or intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age	Manufacturer route with GC-type examination by a notified body, or per-consignment certification for an importer not linked to the manufacturer; GSO guidance makes notified body intervention the rule for GCTS traceability
Low voltage electrical equipment and appliances	BD-142004-01	1 Jul 2016	Electrical and electronic equipment with a voltage rating of 50 to 1000 V AC or 75 to 1500 V DC, except the Annex 2 exclusions	List 1: Annex 3 (technical documentation, test reports); List 2: Annex 4 (Gulf-type examination by a notified body); IECEE CB certificate with Gulf national differences accepted (Art. 20(4))

What BD-142004-01 says, article by article

Article	Content
Art. 1(8)	"Electrical equipment" means devices containing electrical or electronic components designed for a voltage rating between 50 and 1000 V AC or 75 and 1500 V DC
Art. 3 and 6	The regulation sets mandatory requirements for safety and electromagnetic compatibility
Art. 8(10)	The manufacturer ensures safety information and instructions for use are in Arabic
Art. 9	The manufacturer may appoint an authorized representative by written mandate
Art. 14 and 15	Presumption of conformity from Gulf standards, or from IEC standards where no Gulf standard exists
Art. 17	Declarations of conformity are drawn up in Arabic and English
Art. 18	Equipment made available on the market bears the Gulf Conformity Marking
Art. 20	The Gulf Committee of Conformity Assessment sets List 1 and List 2 by degree of hazard; CB certificates covering Gulf national differences meet the procedures
Art. 21	A third-party body used for conformity assessment must be a notified body
Art. 39	Repeals the 2007 regulation BD 07070503 and national regulations on the same scope
Annex 2	Excludes, among others, equipment for explosive atmospheres, medical equipment, lift parts, electricity meters, electric fence controllers and radio-electrical interference
Annex 3 and 4	Technical documentation in Arabic, or in English with the approval of the national authorities; kept for 10 years

Because radio-electrical interference is excluded by Annex 2, the G-Mark on a mains-powered radio product covers its electrical safety and EMC, not its radio spectrum use.

Mains supply per state (BD-142004-01, Annex 1)

Annex 1 requires equipment to take into account the voltage, frequency and plug types of each member state. The table in the regulation gives:

State	Rated voltage (V)	Frequency	Plug and socket types
Kuwait	240/415 ±6%	50 Hz	C / G
Bahrain	230/400 ±6%	50 Hz	G
Qatar	240/415 ±6%	50 Hz	D / G
Oman	240/415 ±6%	50 Hz	C / G

The same table covers Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen; the regulation itself notes that plug types should be checked on the IEC website.

The G-Mark and the GCTS

The regulations call the mark the GC marking (toys) or the Gulf Conformity Marking (low voltage). In practice it is issued as the GSO Conformity Tracking Symbol (GCTS), which carries a QR code. The GSO toys guidance describes the chain:

1. the manufacturer or importer applies to a notified body;
2. the notified body performs the assessment and registers the product in the GSO certificate tracking system;
3. the GSO generates the marking, which the notified body downloads and places on the certificate;
4. the GCTS is affixed on the product, readable by a smartphone scanner; where that is not possible, on the outer packaging and the manual.

Certificates are therefore issued by notified bodies (appointed by member states and notified to the GSO), not by the GSO itself. Member states presume that products bearing the marking comply (BD-142004-01, Art. 18; BD-131704-01, Art. 16).

For toys, the GSO guidance lists the accepted standards in order of preference: GSO EN 71 or EN 71, then IEC 62115 or EN 62115 with a gap analysis, then ISO 8124 or ASTM F963 with possible additional tests. It accepts accredited test reports up to 3 years old.

Link with IEC standards

Under BD-142004-01, IEC standards give presumption of conformity where no Gulf standard exists (Art. 15), and the technical documentation lists the "Gulf or IEC Standards" applied. A CB Scheme certificate that includes the Gulf national differences is accepted as meeting the conformity assessment procedures (Art. 20(4)). For ICT equipment, the safety standard named in the CITRA Kuwait standards list is IEC 62368-1.

Kuwait

Telecoms and radio: CITRA

The authority was created by Law No. 37 of 2014. Article 3(J) and (K) give it the power to set technical rules for connecting devices to public networks, to regulate their entry into Kuwait and to grant approvals. Articles 43 to 45 require telecommunication devices to conform to the technical rules CITRA sets, let an importer apply for prior approval when specifications have not been announced, and leave the conditions and procedures to the CITRA Board. Articles 76 and 77 set criminal penalties for bringing in non-conforming devices.

The CITRA document "Technical standards for ICT equipment connected to public telecommunication network" (V1.1) explains that Kuwait, being in ITU Region 1, applies current ETSI standards as used under the EU Radio Equipment Directive, and that the FCC regime is "in many ways not compatible". It lists, among others, EN-IEC 62368-1:2014 for safety, EN 62311 and EN 62479 for exposure, EN 301 489 and the 61000-3 and 61000-6 series for EMC, and EN 301 511 and EN 301 908 for cellular. It also states that CITRA follows the procedure previously set by the Ministry of Communications while it establishes its own type approval laboratory.

Product safety: PAI

The national standards body is the Public Authority for Industry (PAI), Standards and Industrial Services Affairs. Its Kuwait Conformity Assurance Scheme (KUCAS), in place since 17 June 2006, routes imported regulated products either through an approved certification or inspection body in the exporting country or through the KUCAS conformity unit at the Kuwaiti port. In the 2008 guidelines, a technical evaluation report based on CB reports for electrical products is valid for 3 years. The current list of regulated products should be checked with PAI.

Bahrain

Telecoms and radio: TRA

The TRA was established under the Telecommunications Law (Legislative Decree No. 48 of 2002). Its Regulation on the approval and importation of telecommunications equipment is the most explicit text of the four states:

Provision	What it says
Art. 5(a)	No telecommunications equipment may be supplied, imported, sold or connected without meeting Art. 5 and holding a type approval certificate
Art. 6(e)	CE-marked equipment whose radio interfaces are only cellular terminal (DECT, GSM, UMTS, LTE), Bluetooth or wireless LAN is deemed compliant and a type approval certificate is issued accordingly; other interfaces need a full application
Art. 6(g)	Applications in Arabic or English with a declaration of conformity; only applications from a supplier registered for commercial activities in the Kingdom are accepted
Art. 6(k)	Decision within 14 working days, or 7 working days for Art. 6(e) equipment
Art. 6(n)	Certificate granted for 3 years, renewable, keeping the original number
Art. 7	Declaration of conformity per ISO/IEC 17050-1; test reports from laboratories accredited by an ILAC MRA signatory (since January 1, 2026 the Global ACI MRA covers the former ILAC MRA scope)
Art. 8	Any change of model number, design or function requires reassessment
Art. 10(b)	A No Objection Certificate is required before importing any telecommunications equipment

The TRA technical specifications (enforced from 27 February 2024, version 1.1 dated 20 May 2026) set band and power limits based on ETSI standards and CEPT ERC/REC 70-03. For example, 2400 to 2483.5 MHz wideband data transmission is limited to 100 mW e.i.r.p with EN 300 328, and 5150 to 5350 MHz is indoor use only with TPC and DFS (EN 301 893). Where the specifications and the National Frequency Plan differ, the plan prevails.

Product safety: BSMD

Standards and conformity are handled by the Standards and Metrology Directorate (BSMD) of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the GSO member for Bahrain.

Qatar

Telecoms and radio: CRA

The CRA was established by Decree 42 of 2014 of the Emir. The type approval guidelines it still publishes were issued by its predecessor ictQATAR on 9 January 2011. They set out two routes:

• simplified type approval: when the equipment already has a certificate of compliance from a national regulatory authority or conformity assessment body recognised by the regulator (for instance an FCC grant or a notified body opinion on EN standards), processing takes up to 5 working days;
• standard type approval: when no such certificate exists, based on test reports from recognised accredited laboratories.

Three points differ from the neighbouring states. Type approval is attached to the equipment, not to the applicant, so any authorized importer may import an approved model. Applicants can be local or international manufacturers, authorized importers, licensed operators or persons importing for their own use, and "an International Manufacturer is not required to have a presence in Qatar". Approval has an unlimited period provided the equipment is not modified; a change of brand name, model number or function requires a new application. Equipment approved under the simplified route carries the marking of the original approval (CE or FCC, for example); equipment approved under the standard route carries the regulator label.

Product safety: QS

The national standards body listed by the GSO is the Qatar General Organization for Standardization (QS).

Oman

Telecoms and radio: TRA

The TRA was established by Royal Decree No. 30/2002. In its 2018 presentation to the ITU, the TRA describes the regime: all radio equipment and terminal equipment connected to a public network must be registered with the TRA before being supplied in Oman; each importer or supplier registers with the type approval department, supplying its commercial registration and its Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry affiliation; applications are filed online with technical data, the manufacturer declaration of conformity and RF, EMC, safety and SAR test reports from a recognised or ILAC-accredited laboratory. The department works under TRA decisions 8/2008 and 59/2015. Approved equipment, or its packaging and documentation, carries the TRA label with the dealer number and certificate number.

Product safety: DGSM

The Directorate General for Standards and Metrology (DGSM), within the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, is the GSO member for Oman.

Radio type approval compared

Parameter	Kuwait (CITRA)	Bahrain (TRA)	Qatar (CRA)	Oman (TRA)
Legal basis	Law No. 37 of 2014, Art. 43 to 45	Type approval regulation, Art. 5 and 6	Type Approval Guidelines (2011)	Royal Decree 30/2002; decisions 8/2008 and 59/2015
Technical basis	ETSI standards as used under the RED	TRA specifications based on ETSI and CEPT	Standards recognised by the regulator; CE or FCC evidence for the simplified route	ITU, ETSI, IEC, FCC and RED references, national spectrum plan
Who may apply	Not set out in the texts reviewed; Art. 44 refers to the importer	Supplier registered for commercial activities in Bahrain	Manufacturers (no presence needed), authorized importers, operators	Importer or supplier registered with the TRA
CE shortcut	Not stated	Yes for cellular, Bluetooth and WLAN interfaces (Art. 6(e))	Simplified route on a recognised certificate	Not stated
Validity	Not stated in the texts reviewed	3 years, renewable	Unlimited unless modified	Not stated in the texts reviewed
Import step	Art. 76 and 77 penalise bringing in non-conforming devices	No Objection Certificate before import	Import by an authorized importer	Dealer registration

Arabic labelling: what the texts require

• Low-voltage G-Mark products: safety information and instructions for use in Arabic (BD-142004-01, Art. 8(10)), checked again by importers and distributors; type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer name and address on the equipment.
• Toys: warnings marked in Arabic in a clearly visible and legible way, and age warnings visible before purchase, including online.
• Declarations of conformity: in Arabic and English under both regulations.
• Technical documentation: in Arabic, or in English with the approval of the national authorities.
• Radio labels: national labels in Oman (TRA label with dealer and certificate numbers) and for the Qatar standard route.

None of these texts adds a WEEE type take-back marking.

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim	What the text says
"Three categories carry the G-Mark: toys, low voltage and refrigerators (BD-181201)"	The GSO lists two G-Mark regulations for electronics, toys BD-131704-01 and low voltage BD-142004-01; refrigerators are electrical equipment inside BD-142004-01
"The G-Mark certificate is issued by the GSO"	Notified bodies certify and register products; the GSO generates the tracking symbol
"The low-voltage regulation covers safety only"	Articles 3 and 6 cover safety and electromagnetic compatibility; only radio-electrical interference is excluded (Annex 2)
"Every GCC regulator refuses a file from a foreign manufacturer"	Qatar: "An International Manufacturer is not required to have a presence in Qatar" to apply
"The G-Mark requires a local representative"	BD-142004-01, Art. 9: the manufacturer may appoint an authorized representative
"Bilingual Arabic and English labelling is mandatory"	The texts require safety information, instructions and toy warnings in Arabic; the declaration of conformity is in Arabic and English
"Kuwait accepts ETSI or FCC reports"	CITRA bases its standards on ETSI and says the FCC regime is in many ways not compatible
"Bahrain product safety is run by the Bahrain Conformity Centre (BCC)"	The GSO member for Bahrain is the Standards and Metrology Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
"The Saudi radio regulator is CITC"	Renamed CST in November 2022 (Cabinet Decree No. 235)
"All GCC type approvals must be renewed periodically"	Bahrain: 3 years; Qatar: unlimited unless the equipment is modified

Typical sequence for a multi-GCC roll-out

1. Check the G-Mark scope: mains-powered equipment within 50 to 1000 V AC falls under BD-142004-01; toys for children under 14 under BD-131704-01. Ask the notified body whether the product sits in List 1 or List 2.
2. Build the technical file once: CB Scheme certificate with Gulf national differences, IEC or Gulf standards, Arabic safety information and instructions.
3. Get the G-Mark through a GSO notified body, which registers the product and issues the GCTS with QR code.
4. Adapt per state: plug type and mains voltage from Annex 1 of BD-142004-01.
5. File radio type approvals separately: CITRA, TRA Bahrain (through a registered local supplier), CRA (directly possible for the manufacturer), TRA Oman (through a registered dealer). Check band and power limits against each national plan, as the Bahrain specification shows with indoor-only 5150 to 5350 MHz and limits on EIRP.
6. Plan imports: No Objection Certificate in Bahrain, authorized importer in Qatar, KUCAS route in Kuwait.
7. Manage changes: a change of model, design or function requires reassessment in Bahrain and a new application in Qatar (see the component substitution guide for the general logic).

For the durations set by the texts, see certification timeline.

Articulation with CE marking and RED

The texts reward an existing European file. Kuwait applies ETSI standards as used under the RED; Bahrain deems CE-marked cellular, Bluetooth and WLAN equipment compliant; Qatar accepts a notified body opinion on EN standards for its simplified route; the G-Mark low-voltage regulation accepts IEC standards and CB certificates. Building the LVD / EMC and RED file first gives most of the evidence needed (see parallel EU and US certification for the pooling logic). The Saudi side is covered in the CITC / SASO guide.

Common pitfalls

Pitfall	Consequence
Assuming a Saudi CST approval covers radio in the other GCC states	Type approval missing in each other state
Shipping mains-powered equipment without the G-Mark and GCTS	Not compliant with BD-142004-01, Art. 18
Safety information and instructions in English only	Breach of BD-142004-01, Art. 8(10)
One plug and one rating plate for all states	Kuwait, Qatar and Oman are 240/415 V, Bahrain 230/400 V; plug types differ
Applying in Bahrain from abroad	Only suppliers registered for commercial activities in Bahrain are accepted
Importing into Bahrain on the type approval alone	A No Objection Certificate is also required (Art. 10(b))
Changing a model or radio function after approval	Reassessment in Bahrain, new application in Qatar
Copying one state band plan to the others	Bands or power not authorised, approval refused

Further reading

• CITC and SASO, Saudi Arabia: the large Saudi neighbour, covered separately
• TDRA and SDPPI, UAE and Indonesia: the Emirati counterpart
• RED: EU radio framework, a frequent technical basis for GCC type approvals
• CE marking: EU foundation for report reuse
• Parallel EU and US certification: general logic for pooling test campaigns
• Certification timeline: the durations set by the texts
• Component substitution: impact of changes on radio certificates
• Glossary: definitions of the terms used on this page

See also

• Africa: Egypt (NTRA), Nigeria (NCC), Kenya (CA)
• Switzerland: product certification and the EU-CH MRA
• EAC mark: conformity for the Eurasian Economic Union
• India: BIS (CRS), TEC (MTCTE) and WPC (ETA) certifications
• NCC Taiwan: radio certification and BSMI
• NOM and IFT: certification in Mexico
• LATAM: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru (post-Brazil)

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Sources & references

1. GSO, About GSO (establishment, membership, headquarters), GSO www.gso.org.sa/en/about-gso/
2. GSO, GSO Members (national standardization bodies), GSO www.gso.org.sa/en/about-gso/gso-members/
3. GSO, GCC Conformity Assessment Scheme (approved Gulf technical regulations), GSO www.gso.org.sa/en/conformity/gcc-conformity-assessment-scheme/
4. GSO, Gulf Technical Regulation for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment and Appliances, BD-142004-01 (non-official translation), GSO www.gso.org.sa/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Gulf-Technical-Regulation-for-Low-Voltage-Electrical-Equipment-and-Appliances-BD-142004-01.pdf
5. GSO, GCC Technical Regulation on Children Toys, BD-131704-01, issue 2, GSO www.gso.org.sa/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GSO-Technical-Regulation-On-Toys.pdf
6. GSO, Guidance on children toys (GCTS, notified bodies, conformity assessment), GSO www.gso.org.sa/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/G-Mark_HS_Toys_Guidance_V1_English.pdf
7. CITRA Kuwait, Law No. 37 of 2014 on the establishment of CITRA, CITRA Kuwait www.citra.gov.kw/sites/en/LawofCITRA/Law%20No.%2037-%202014.pdf
8. CITRA Kuwait, Technical standards for ICT equipment connected to public telecommunication network, V1.1, CITRA Kuwait www.citra.gov.kw/sites/en/LegalReferences/%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AD%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%B3.pdf
9. PAI Kuwait, Kuwait Conformity Assurance Scheme (KUCAS) guidelines, 13 July 2008 (copy hosted by Intertek), Public Authority for Industry (via Intertek) intertek-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/www-intertek-com/dms-legacy/Kuwait%20Exporter%20Guidelines.pdf
10. TRA Bahrain, Regulation on the approval and importation of telecommunications equipment connected to public telecommunications networks, TRA Bahrain www.tra.org.bh/Media/images/Type%20Approval%20Regulation%20-%20English.pdf
11. TRA Bahrain, Technical Specifications, Requirements for Type Approval, version 1.1 (20 May 2026), TRA Bahrain ir-tra-website-prod-01.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Media/Licenses/20260728143100370_qfrjd3bx_b3b.pdf
12. TRA Bahrain, Apply for Type Approval, TRA Bahrain www.tra.org.bh/en/category/apply-for-type-approval
13. CRA Qatar, Type Approval Guidelines for Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (ictQATAR, 9 January 2011), CRA Qatar www.cra.gov.qa/-/media/System/4/D/8/7/4D87FF06B6B253A79DA525C1299ABA57/2011-01-09-Guidelines-Type-Approval-EN.ashx
14. CRA Qatar, About us (Decree 42 of 2014 of the Emir), CRA Qatar www.cra.gov.qa/en/about-us
15. TRA Oman, Type Approval System in the Sultanate of Oman (ITU conformity and interoperability event, 2018), TRA Oman (via ITU) www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/AsiaPacific/SiteAssets/Pages/ConformityandInteroperability2018/TYpe%20approval%20System%20in%20Sultanate%20of%20oman.pdf
16. TRA Oman, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA Oman www.tra.gov.om/
17. CST Saudi Arabia, Who we are (Cabinet Decree No. 235, change of name from CITC), CST www.cst.gov.sa/en/about/who-we-are
18. IECEE CB-Scheme, IEC basis for report recognition, IECEE www.iecee.org/who-we-are/cb-scheme
19. Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated launch (January 1, 2026), IAF iaf.nu/en/news/global-accreditation-cooperation-incorporated-launch-unifies-international-accreditation-organisations-and-strengthens-worldwide-trust/