Last reviewed: 10 September 2026
Saudi Arabia runs its conformity process through an online platform called SABER. The standards body is SASO; SABER is the system where applications, payments and certificates flow. The programme has two layers and the order matters: the product is certified first, then the shipment.
Product first, shipment second
- PCoC — Product Certificate of Conformity: obtained per product, issued by an approved conformity assessment body. The validity period is stated on the certificate and typically covers a one-year term.
- SCoC — Shipment Certificate of Conformity: obtained per shipment and only issuable while a valid PCoC exists. Customs clearance is done with this document.
The importer opens the record
The SABER record is tied to the Saudi importer’s commercial registration; the importer is the one who uses the system. The exporter side supplies test reports, the technical file and product data. Because of this split, most delays come from communication: nothing the exporter prepares can be processed until the importer opens the record.
Regulated and unregulated products
Products are split between those under a technical regulation and those that are not. A regulated product requires conformity assessment and a PCoC. Unregulated products still go through SABER for the shipment, but the process is shorter. Which side you are on is determined by the customs tariff heading, which is one reason we state the heading in the quote.
The Gulf is not one single regime
Saudi Arabia uses SABER; in the United Arab Emirates the applicable scheme is ECAS and the relevant regulator’s programme. Sending the same product to both countries, one certificate will not do. The most common mistake among buyers who distribute across the Gulf is treating one country’s certificate as regional.