Trade and Certification: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PCA NewslettersSeptember 15, 2022

With exporters facing increasing regulatory hurdles for trading in Saudi Arabia, it is more important than ever to ensure a good understanding of current certification processes and platforms in order to ensure success in Saudi markets.

According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) annual Global Economic Prospects for the Year 2022 report, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will achieve economic growth of up to 7.6% during the current year of 2022 – the highest growth rate among all economies of the world.

For more than 15 years, SGS has bridged trade facilitation gaps for the widest geographic scope globally, for certification of cargo destined for Saudi Arabia. We help trade navigate through the complex world of regulatory and safety requirements, covering global marketplaces including e-commerce and conventional businesses.

SABER Certificate: about the program

Have you heard of the SABER certificate? If you have, you are on the right path to export your goods to KSA.

The SABER product and shipment certificates are mandatory for clearance at all Saudi ports, airports, and borders. SABER is an online platform launched by the Saudi Standards, Quality and Metrology Organization (SASO) and is fully integrated with the Saudi customs clearance system (FASAH).

How you may ask does the SABER certification process start?

The process begins with importers. Only importers with a valid company commercial registration in Saudi Arabia can become registered users on SABER. Once importers are registered on SABER, the platform will allow them to easily send a request to electronically obtain:

A Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) for regulated products
A Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) for each shipment

Here is a brief look at the process:

What type of products need a SABER certificate?

Recent updates

Implementation of Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulation as per dates below. As per recent update, a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) from manufacturer or legal representative of manufacturer replaces the requirement of an RoHS Test report.
- Home electrical appliances:
  - 1-a small home appliances – July 4, 2022
  - 1-b large home appliances – October 2, 2022
- IT and communication devices – December 31, 2022
- Lighting equipment – March 1, 2023
- Electrical and electronics tools and equipment – June 29, 2023
- Games, devices and tools for entertainment/sport equipment – September 27, 2023
- Surveillance and control equipment – December 26, 2023

Acceptance of test reports from IEC 62368-1 accredited labs (60950-1, 60065 is obsolete for KSA):
- The new date to enforce the standard SASO IEC 62368-1:2020 will be January 1, 2023, instead of July 1, 2021
- The test report as per SASO IEC 62368:2017 AS (IEC 62368-1:2014) will be accepted until December 30, 2022

Following the uploading of mandatory documents on the SABER portal before issuance of the PCoC, starting from June 23, 2022:
- Risk Assessment document from manufacturer
- Test report
- Audit report (for Type 3)

Mandatory uploading of images in SABER:
- Regulated products starting from July 24, 2022
- Non-regulated products starting from October 5, 2022

Validity of SABER Shipment Certificate to be 60 days from the date of issuance
Newly added product categories to IECEE and IECEx certification starting from November 2021:
- IECEE: Shavers, circuit breakers, mobile charging cables, desktop computers
- IECEx: Junction boxes and control boxes with cable glands, pumps, linear lighting, plugs and sockets

Benefits of SASO SABER

We ensure that consumers are protected from purchasing non-compliant and unsafe products
We authenticate compliance of your products against KSA technical regulations and requirements
We ensure smooth and hassle-free clearances at KSA ports and borders, whether cargo is shipped via air, sea or land

Why select SGS?

SGS in KSA has unique and significant relations with the official principals in the country, as well as an extensive history of cooperation in developments and services implemented in the kingdom. SGS was accredited on June 6, 2022 by his excellency the Minister of Commerce, Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qassabi, and the Governor of SASO, as a symbol of the great strategic partnership at the eighth National Quality Conference.

Learn more about Saudi Arabia – SASO Certificate of Conformity.

This article can also be found in our PCA Newsletter (Q3/2022) – which keeps you up to date with developments in technical barriers to trade and product conformity assessment.

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For more information, please contact:

Eihab Dowidar
GCC Sales and Operations Director
Trade Facilitation Services, SGS
t: +966 50 686 7735