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Saudi Arabia SASO Update Part II: Launch of SABER

Read here our latest update about SASO & Saber (October 1. 2020): "Saber update: Product Certificate renewal & SADAD payments"

In my first article about Saber (Saudi Arabia SASO Update: Introducing SABER & SALEEM) I explained the new SABER system & SALEEM program. A trial period on voluntary basis was announced. For a long time we did not hear about any developments on this project. We can imagine that you would like to know more about the status of the project, so please read below our experiences.

When will SABER become the only allowed system?

Currently, many questions arise and confusion exist about when the registration in the SABER system will become mandatory.

The originally announced deadline of July 1, 2018 has not been met. Unfortunately, there is still no 100% clarity about a new deadline. There are speculations that it will be mandatory by the summer of 2019, but this is not officially confirmed yet.

SABER introductory workshop

In the meantime, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has already held an introductory workshop about the SABER system, for the electronic registration of Certificates of Conformity, clarifying the registration mechanism in the system and methods of issuing Certificates. The workshop was attended by a number of traders and suppliers at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah. SASO explained the advantages of the SABER system in facilitating the importation of commodities and reducing non-conforming products; the flexibility of the system to issue Certificates of Conformity; and the role of the system in raising the percentage of the conforming products, which is one of the initiatives of the National Transformation Program 2020.

SABER in practice

SABER covers both regulated and unregulated products. You first have to register your product into the SABER system before you can submit a regulated product for importation. When the product receives its approval certificate, the importer is able to issue a shipment certificate. This shipment certificate will be sent to the Saudi Customs Authority before the product can enter the market. For unregulated products, the importer can simply self-declare that the product meets a voluntary standard and the product can be imported into the Saudi market. The entire process is done online through the SABER system.

Products in scope

The products that are in scope to be registered in SABER are all products that are sold in Saudi Arabia, whether imported or produced locally. If the Certificate of Conformity isn’t issued, the products will be banned from entering Saudi Arabia. Raw materials do not need to be registered, and are considered unregulated.

For the complete list of approved regulations please check the SASO website. Please keep in mind that this list is being updated as new regulations are being added continuously.

What to do for now?

As long as everything is still uncertain, we keep creating SASO certificates the way we always did. Because we can now guarantee a flawless import of our customer’s goods in Saudi Arabia. By working closely with SGS, our partner in global inspections, the product registration & certification process is taken care of. The automated digital interface between Pincvision and SGS ensures speed and quality.

Pincvision follows all the news and developments closely and we will inform you as soon as matters become more concrete. Therefore, please keep following our newsletter and website to stay up to date with the latest development in Saudi-Arabia.

QUESTIONS AND/OR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE?

Do you have any questions about these regulatory changes or are you interested in Pincvision’s global export documents services? Please contact me, Marco Terberg, Sr. Business Development Manager Pincvision, to discuss the possibilities for your organization. You can send an email to m.terberg@pincvision.com or call +31(0)88-4321800.

04 Jan 2019 at 1:25 pm