Trading success in Saudi Arabia – SGS highlights value of SABER certification for organizations exporting to KSA

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / AGILITYPR.NEWS / September 24, 2022 / SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has set out to raise awareness of SABER certification to organizations looking to export goods to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

With the KSA widely expected to achieve the highest economic growth rate among all economies of the world in 2022*, SGS hopes more organizations will explore SABER certification as a means to efficiently take advantage of this growing international market.

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

Only importers with a valid company commercial registration in Saudi Arabia can become registered users on SABER but once registered the platform allows them to electronically obtain:

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

Montserrat Martinez, Vice President, Trade Facilitation Services at SGS, said: “We want to support exporters to navigate through the complex world of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s regulatory and safety requirements. The KSA is set to achieve the highest economic growth rate among all economies of the world and we recognize that SABER holds the key for manufacturers and e-commerce enterprises to navigate their way through this rapidly expanding market.

“It’s now mandatory that all consignments of products that are covered by SASO Technical Regulation, and that are to be exported to the country, are issued with a Product Certificate and every consignment should also be accompanied by a Shipment Certificate.

Products requiring a SABER certificate include:

• Home electrical appliances
• IT and communication devices                  
• Lighting equipment                       
• Electrical and electronics tools and equipment
• Games, devices and tools for entertainment/sport equipment
• Surveillance and control equipment

The benefits of SABER include:

• Consumer protection from purchasing non-compliant and unsafe products
• Authenticated compliance of products against KSA technical regulations and requirements
• Smooth and hassle-free clearances at KSA ports and borders, whether cargo is shipped via air, sea or land

SGS’s services to help clients through the compliance process include:

• Acting as a SASO-accredited Certification Body to issue Product Certificates and handle Shipment Certificates for all products covered by a Technical Regulation in all regions of the world
• Populating the SABER system with all the products the importer intends to bring to the local Saudi market; it is mandatory that these be registered into SABER before a Product Certificate can be issued
• Issue of Technical Assessment reports for products not falling under any Technical Regulation, to back up any claims of compliance to relevant Saudi standards

Learn more about SGS’s Saudi Arabia – SASO Certificate of Conformity services.

For more information, please contact:

Eihab Dowidar

GCC Sales and Operations Director

Trade Facilitation Services, SGS

Email: cp.media@sgs.com

* According to the annual report issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the title Global Economic Prospects for the Year 2022, 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.