SASO and SABER Explained: Saudi Product Certificates in 2026

SASO and SABER sound like two separate hurdles. They're not.

SASO is the Saudi regulator that writes product safety rules. SABER is its online platform, where your products get certificates and customs checks them. One system, two names.

That's good news. The fees are fixed, the steps are online and the rules apply equally to every seller, which keeps cheap unsafe copies out of your market.

Here's what each term means, which products need what and what changed this year.

What is SASO?

SASO is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It sets the technical regulations that products sold in the Kingdom must meet.

A technical regulation is a rulebook for one product group, such as toys, low-voltage electricals or textiles. Each one lists the standards to test against and how strict the check is.

SASO also approves the certification bodies that check products. You'll see them called conformity assessment bodies (CABs). Big names such as SGS, Intertek and TÜV are on the list.

Want to know which rulebook covers you? SASO publishes the full list of technical regulations.

What is SABER?

SABER is SASO's online platform for product certificates. SASO launched it in 2018 to replace paper certificates checked at the port.

The Saudi importer holds the account with its CR (commercial registration, the Saudi business licence). The importer adds products, a certification body reviews them and SABER issues the certificates.

SABER is linked to FASAH, the Saudi customs platform. So the customs officer sees your certificates before the container is even unloaded.

That's why "SASO certificate" and "SABER certificate" mean the same thing. SASO sets the rules; SABER is where you prove you meet them.

Regulated vs non-regulated products

Almost every commercial import goes through SABER. What changes is how strict the check is.

Here's how products split:

• Regulated products. A SASO technical regulation covers them: electricals, electronics, toys, machinery, textiles, building products and more. They need a Product Certificate from an approved body.
• Non-regulated products. No specific regulation applies, such as a wooden serving tray. The importer registers a self-declaration on SABER instead.
• Not SABER at all. Food, cosmetics, supplements and medical devices go to the SFDA. See SFDA rules for cosmetics and food.

Both regulated and non-regulated goods still need a Shipment Certificate for every shipment.

PC vs SC: the two SABER certificates

SABER issues two certificates. The PC covers the product, and the SC covers each shipment of it.

Think of the PC as your product's passport and the SC as the visa for each trip.

What is a CoC?

CoC stands for certificate of conformity: a document saying a product meets the standards. It's the umbrella term.

PCoC and SCoC are simply the product and shipment versions. PC and SC are the short names for the same two documents.

Where IECEE fits

The IECEE is the international body that runs the CB Scheme, a shared system for electrical safety test reports. A CB report from an accredited lab is accepted in many countries.

For Saudi electricals, it's the fastest route to a PC. Most approved bodies accept IECEE CB reports, along with EN or IEC reports from accredited labs.

A CE mark alone isn't enough, though. The body needs the test reports behind it.

New from 1 October 2026: supplier name and CR on the label

Products under ten SASO technical regulations must now show the supplier's name and CR number on the product or its packaging.

Two other 2025–2026 changes matter too. Letters of undertaking stopped being accepted in January 2025, so certificates must be ready before arrival. And the SC now lasts 90 days instead of 60, which gives you more room when a vessel runs late.

For Arabic text, origin marks and the rest of the label, see the GCC product labelling guide.

What SABER costs

SABER's platform fees are the fixed part. Add 15% VAT on top, and the certification body's own fee.

For example, take one regulated product shipped four times a year. That's one PC (SAR 500) plus four SCs (SAR 1,400), so SAR 1,900 before VAT.

With VAT, the SABER bill comes to SAR 2,185 a year. Certification bodies typically charge a few hundred to a few thousand US dollars per product family, more if new testing is needed.

Ready for the full process? Importers should follow the SABER certificate guide for importers. Factories can use the SABER guide for Chinese exporters.

Notes for marketplace sellers

• Amazon.sa and noon can block regulated listings without valid certificates, so keep PC numbers ready.
• Every inbound shipment to FBA or FBN warehouses needs its own SC.
• No Saudi CR? An importer of record can hold the certificates for you.

Notes for UAE sellers

• SABER is Saudi only. The UAE runs its own scheme, ECAS, through MoIAT.
• Paying duty in Dubai doesn't clear SABER for goods moving on to Saudi Arabia.
• Ask your certification body to quote SABER, ECAS and the GCC G-Mark together.

Compare approved bodies in our Saudi product certification directory, or browse more Saudi regulations.