IHAF is an organization whose responsibility is to coordinate various certification bodies, accreditation bodies and IHAF halal mark approval bodies.
ESMA has approved about six certification bodies to authorize Halal CBs in accordance with the UAE.S 2055 or GSO UAE.S 2055 standard. The Gulf Accreditation Center (GAC) and the Dubai Accreditation Center (DAC), recently renamed the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), are two accreditation bodies actively providing accreditation for halal certification bodies. To date, GAC has accredited 9 bodies and EIAC/DAC has accredited 1 body. All accredited bodies must register with ESMA.
In the UAE, halal certification is provided by two accredited certification bodies, one of which is Gulf-TIC. Neither ESMA nor MOEW (changed to MOCCAE) provides halal certificates, although the Dubai Municipality - Public Health Services Department provides halal certification for meat slaughter.
As far as we know, the deadline for obtaining certification in accordance with the UAE.S 2055 or GSO UAE.S 2055 standard was March 31, 2017. From April 1, 2017, only those products (products requiring a halal certificate) that have passed an accredited Halal certification body are allowed to enter the UAE.