Update October 1, 2020: Read here the latest Saber update "Saber update: Product Certificate renewal & SADAD payments"Please note that as of January 1, 2020, the legal requirements for importing goods into Saudi Arabia change. As of then the majority of goods that enter the Saudi market, whether imported or locally manufactured, must be registered in Saber.

What is Saber?

It has been some time since we last gave an update on the implementation of product safety program ‘SALEEM’, which is the new quality standard in Saudi Arabia defined by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO). SALEEM is carried out by the electronic platform ‘Saber’. In Saber you can electronically issue the required product and shipment certificates.

The new product safety program is applicable to importers in Saudi Arabia. Are you an exporter that would like to support your importer(s), then this article is of importance for you as well. Until now you are used to provide a SASO certificates for each import. This will be no longer the case for most product groups per 2020.

Regulated & Non-Regulated Product Groups

In this new product safety program, consumer goods are classified and divided into two categories: regulated (1) and non-regulated (2) product groups. Regardless of the category, you need to register all your products in Saber.

Regulated products are categorized as high risk or medium risk products. The requirements are defined in the technical regulations compiled by SASO. Non-regulated products are categorized as low-risk products and are not covered by technical regulations. These products need a self-Declaration of Conformity (sDoC).

Cosmetic and perfume products, tobacco, pesticides and insecticides fall within the scope of the Saudi Food & Drug Authority. They are not affected by the requirements of the SALEEM program.

Approved Regulations

Saber has been in use since January, 2019. Since then new product groups have been added to the ‘approved regulations’ list nearly every month. As of the beginning of 2020, all other product groups are added to this list. See below the overview of the approved regulations and the date from which they are mandatory.

(Click on the picture to enlarge the table)

We advise you to make sure that your products are registered in Saber as quickly as possible to prevent your goods getting stuck at Customs.

For all of your regulated products, you need to submit a Product Certificate (3). This applies to the entire product group and is valid for one year. This certificate can only be issued by a Certified Body such as SGS. Next to the Product Certificate, you also need to issue a Shipment Certificate (5) for each of your shipments into the Saudi market.

For products that are not regulated by Technical Regulations, a self-Declaration of Conformity (sDoC) (4) according to the approved forms by SASO is sufficient. Product Certificates and Shipment Certificates are not needed.

Pincvision’s Saber Service

For years Pincvision is the #1 partner in the world to issue export documents on behalf of its customers. Next to among others Certificates of Origin and Certificates of Conformity, we can also support our customers with validating all products and registering them in Saber. Read more about Pincvision's Saber service.

Because of our close cooperation with the authorities (Chamber of Commerce & Embassies) and multiple Certified Bodies in Saudi Arabia. We can ensure the highest quality and the fastest lead times.

Would you like to know more about our Saber Support? Please contact us, we will gladly assist you. You can send an email to m.terberg@pincvision.com or call +31(0)88-4321800.

Read more about Saber in our articles:

17 Dec 2019 at 12:00 am

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4 min