A plain-language guide to the SABER conformity system — what it covers, which certificate you need, and how to avoid the mistakes that get shipments held at port.
SABER is the electronic conformity assessment platform used by Saudi Arabia's standards body to screen products before they enter the market — not a customs form, and not optional for most categories.
Every regulated product — electronics, toys, textiles, cosmetics, and dozens of other categories — needs a registered conformity certificate before a shipment can clear Saudi customs. The requirement sits with the supplier or importer, not the freight forwarder, which is why it's often missed until a container is already held at port.
Two documents matter here. A Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) is tied to the product itself and is typically valid for a year. A Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) is issued per consignment and must be in hand before the goods arrive — applying for it after arrival is treated as a violation, not a formality.
Each step depends on the one before it — skipping ahead is the most common cause of delay.
Check whether it falls under a SASO technical regulation, and whether it's high, medium, or low risk.
Create a supplier or importer account and register the product with its technical file.
Get the product-level certificate issued, typically through an accredited conformity body.
Issue the shipment-level certificate before departure — this is what customs checks on arrival.
Firms that handle SABER registration, conformity testing, and Saudi-bound freight. Listings are sponsored — we don't take a cut of your shipment.
Space reserved for a SABER/SASO conformity assessment partner. Contact us to list here.
Space reserved for a Saudi-bound logistics or customs brokerage partner.
Space reserved for an accredited product testing and compliance lab.
Certification firms and freight forwarders: reach importers actively researching SABER requirements.
Advertise your firmNo. This site is an independent, privately run information resource. The official platform is operated by SASO at saber.sa. We have no affiliation with SASO or the Saudi government.
For regulated products, yes — both are mandatory as of January 2025. Non-regulated products may only require a shipment-level self-declaration; check the current technical regulation for your product category.
Customs can reject the consignment, require re-export, or apply penalties. Applications submitted after the goods arrive are treated as non-compliant, not late.
Registration and certificate applications happen on the official SASO platform, or through an accredited conformity assessment body. This guide explains the process; it doesn't process applications.