If you import industrial or consumer products into Saudi Arabia, SABER is the step that decides whether your shipment clears smoothly. It is the electronic conformity platform of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), and it links product certification directly to customs.
What SABER does
SABER checks that a product meets the Saudi technical regulation that applies to it before it enters the Kingdom. Importers register their products on the platform, a SASO-approved conformity assessment body reviews the evidence, and the resulting certificates are visible to customs at clearance.
Products regulated by other authorities, such as food, medicines and medical devices under SFDA, follow their own systems instead.
Two certificates, two purposes
Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC). Issued per product (or model) and usually valid for a year. It confirms that the product design meets the relevant technical regulation, based on test reports and documents such as a declaration of conformity. For some regulated products a Quality Mark or type approval is required instead.
Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC). Issued for each shipment, linking the specific consignment to valid product certificates. Customs expects it with the declaration, so it must be in place before the goods arrive.
Products not covered by a specific technical regulation usually still need to be registered and to meet general product safety requirements, often through a supplier's self-declaration.
The process, step by step
- Identify the HS code and the technical regulation. This tells you which certificate and which tests are needed.
- Register on SABER and add the product with its details and HS code.
- Collect the evidence: test reports from an accredited laboratory, technical files, labels and markings, and the manufacturer's declarations.
- Request the PCoC from an approved conformity assessment body and answer any queries.
- Request the SCoC for each shipment, matched to the commercial invoice.
- Clear customs on FASAH with the SCoC attached.
Common mistakes that cause delays
- Starting after the order ships. Certification can take days or weeks. Start when you place the order, not when the vessel sails.
- Test reports that do not match the product. The model, ratings and standards in the reports must match the goods exactly.
- Wrong HS code. A different code can mean a different regulation and a rejected certificate.
- Missing Arabic labelling or markings that the regulation requires.
- Invoice descriptions that differ from the SABER registration, which leaves the SCoC and the declaration out of step.
Who is responsible
The importer is responsible for conformity in the Kingdom, even when the supplier prepares the test reports. Choose suppliers who can provide complete, current technical documentation, and keep copies of every certificate for later shipments.
How we help
Our team handles SABER registration and certificates as part of every import we manage, alongside documentation and customs clearance. Read the wider picture in our guide to importing into Saudi Arabia, or send us your product list and we will confirm the requirements before you order.
Requirements and procedures change from time to time. Always confirm the current rules for your HS code on the SABER platform or with an approved conformity body before shipping.
