SFDA Compliance Guide for Saudi Restaurant Menus

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is the strictest food regulator in the GCC. Their calorie-display mandate, Arabic-language requirements, and labeling standards apply to an ever-expanding set of food establishments — and the penalties for non-compliance are steep. ## Who Must Comply? As of 2023, SFDA calorie-display rules apply to all food establishments with **three or more branches**. This expanded from the original threshold of five branches. The trajectory is clear: eventually, all licensed food establishments will need to comply. Even if your restaurant currently falls below the threshold, preparing now means you won't scramble when the rules tighten. ## Arabic Language Requirements SFDA mandates that all consumer-facing materials — including menus — must display Arabic as the primary language. This isn't a suggestion; it's a legal requirement enforced through inspections. - **Arabic must appear first** (above or to the right of English) - **Font size** for Arabic must be equal to or larger than English - **Translations must be accurate** — machine-translated menus are flagged by inspectors - **All nutritional information** must be in Arabic ## Calorie Display Rules For restaurants that meet the branch threshold: - **Calories per serving** must appear next to every menu item - **Serving size** must be stated - **Daily reference value** statement must appear on the menu - **Combo meals** must show total calories for the combination ## Penalties SFDA penalties are significant: - **SAR 10,000–50,000** per violation - **Temporary closure** for repeated violations - **License suspension** in severe cases - **Mystery shopper** inspections are common and unannounced ## How Qaima Helps Qaima's menu platform handles SFDA compliance automatically. Arabic-first design, calorie fields for every item, and serving-size displays are built into the system — not added as afterthoughts. When SFDA updates its rules, Qaima updates the display format for all menus on the platform.