A business in trading within the Saudi Arabia Market is a key challenge for your business. To enter the Saudi Market, you have to check everything for your product to get the Certificate of Conformity, which requires a detailed technical study starting from the labeling of the product and ending with the shipping process. 

Obtaining the Certificate of Conformity helps you circulate within the Saudi Market and easily import your product. 

The question now is, What main elements ensure you safely enter the Saudi Market? 

• Taking care of “Consumer Protection Law”
• Knowing about Product Safety Standards 
• Labeling and Packaging Requirements 
• Certification and Conformity Assessment
• Implication for Importers and Exporters 

• Consumer Protection Law 

It is a group of set laws to protect the customer/consumer’s rights, which seek to prevent the traders or manufacturers from using unfair, misleading, or deceitful practices to get more benefits. 

It also covers the sales and marketing process for goods, services, and consumer financial products. 

It also grants several rights to customers/ consumers to have the right to obtain basic needed products and services. To have the correct and necessary information about the product to make a clear decision about selecting a product or service according to their needs.

• Product Safety Standards

This is a program created by SALEEM that aims to check the quality and safety regulations of Saudi Arabia are met and that imported products comply with the Technical Regulations developed by Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO).

It is also a SASO/SABER program which is part of a broader national program looking to ensure the safety of local and Imported products subject to Saudi Standards and technical regulations.

The main thing about this program to enter the Saudi market is to permit consumer goods, whether imported or locally manufactured, to enter the Saudi market with SABER automation tracking for products and technical processes to increase the product safety percentage.  

Via the SABER platform, you are allowed as an importer or manufacturer to register for the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or Shipment Certificates of Conformity (SCoC) online.

Which all grants and ensures that the products are safe, prepared, and free from defects that might affect the health and safety of the consumers or their environment to enter the Saudi market safely aligned with the Market’s Standards and requirements. 

One of the most important things you need to take care of is the “General Conformity Index” as it measures to what extent your product matches the technical regulations and standards of the Saudi Market. 

This index works based on forming a basket of products to purchase from different regions of the Kingdom and then testing them according to the requirements of the standards. Then each product’s Conformity Rate will be shown to reach the General Conformity Index eventually.​​​​

 ​​

• Labeling and Packaging Requirements 

In general, if a product must adhere to a Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organisation (SASO) standard, the marking requirements should follow SASO labeling/marking regulations which include the following: 

• Product name 
• Product Information
• Country of Origin Certificate
• Units of Measure
• Bilingual labeling
• Prohibited Items

In other circumstances, where there is no applicable specific standard for the product or the language of the marking is not stated in the relevant standard, the marking language can be either Arabic or English.  All warnings and safety instructions must be written in Arabic or Arabic English.  Instruction manuals or leaflets must be written in Arabic or both Arabic and English.  All containers should be labeled with the gross weight as well as the consignee’s initials or name.  If there are two or more containers in the consignment, they should be numbered consecutively.  According to reports, all containers should be labeled with the country of manufacture (e.gMade in the USA). 

Also, there are some specifications for packaging products to be imported into Saudi Arabia Market such as: 

1. All items shipped to Saudi Arabia should be packed to withstand harsh handling, extreme heat, excessive humidity, and full pilferage protection. 
2. Boxes should be double-strapped with metal bands and waterproofed on the inside and outside.

• Certification and Conformity Assessment

 The SASO Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is required for all regulated products exported to Saudi Arabia to ensure compliance with the necessary technical rules specified by the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organisation (SASO). 

It ensures that the product fulfills the Kingdom’s 2030 vision of improving the economy and trading practices that give Saudi citizens a high-quality living.

And to get the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) you need to consider the following: 

• First thing, You need to choose a trusted Provider

Tabseer as a Notified Body accredited by Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), can grant you the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for your product, which is necessary to enter the Saudi market. 

• The second thing is to go with the process 

To get the Product Certificate of Conformity, you have to follow the following steps: 

1. Log into SABER E-Platform and add all the required data.
2. Then Choose a Certification Body (CB) -like Tabseer- to proceed with the PCoC issuing.
3. The selected Certification Body will ensure and review the validity and accuracy of documents.
4. The pre-final step is to contact the client to upload and submit the required documents and data.
5. Finally, the PCoC is issued via Saber.

• Implication for Importers and Exporters 

Same like anything else, entering a new market is a challenge for any business and if we are talking about Saudi Arabia’s Market, there are many implications that could face you as an importer or exporter. And they could be summarized in the following: 

• Standards and Regulations 

Saudi Market is one of the most tricky markets, as it is moving towards applying technical regulations, which follow the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) or International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, to make sure that all imported or exported products are safe for the customer/ consumer use.  

Also, works on developing and adopting a specified technical regulation for all products to be applied by the importer, manufacturer, or exporter and to be monitored and checked by The Saudi Standards, Quality, and Metrology Organization (SASO).  

• Regional HQ Initiative

By 2024, international businesses will be forbidden from conducting business with the Saudi government unless their regional offices are in Saudi Arabia.  This initiative aims to attract investment to the city.

Previously, Saudi Arabia’s national investment agency, Invest Saudi, announced its “Programme HQ” relocation effort, which offered considerable tax advantages and other incentives for global corporations to base themselves in the country.

While the Ministry of Investment published more details on the Regional HQ initiative in January 2022, there is still uncertainty about what is expected of investors, how the regulations will be implemented and enforced, and the specific incentives available to companies that relocate their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia.

Investing in trading is a big decision to make, and entering a new market is not that easy too, but by choosing the right conformity provider everything else will be easy, with Tabseer Professional Technical Team, and the 24/7 availability through different communication channels, you can get all the certifications that are required to enter Saudi’s Market and don’t hesitate to contact us.