The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) launched the Saber Electronic Platform in 2019 in partnership with Thiqah Company for Business Services to digitalize the conformity activities provided by the authority and streamline the registration and certification procedures, which will ultimately lead to the construction of a unified electronic system containing all data pertaining to goods, suppliers, and certification bodies.
SASO is a government body called the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It is in charge of establishing and overseeing standardization initiatives in the Kingdom. This is done in collaboration with other government agencies and institutions that operate in the sector of business and industry.
According to the Royal Decree No. M/10 from March 3, 1392 H (17 April 1972 G), SASO was created, with the Minister of Commerce and Investment as its head. The group is composed of representatives from each of the Kingdom’s major standardization-related sectors.
The main aim of Saber
Saber was implemented in order to electronically register and issue conformity certificates for imported goods in their place of origin through approved certification bodies.
All Saudi Suppliers must now register their products on Saber, including importers and manufacturers, in order for the products to go through the conformity assessment procedure and give the necessary certificates proving compliance.
By connecting Saber Electronic Platform to FASAH Electronic Platform in 2020, SASO advanced its digitization efforts and offered complete electronic services for conformance and clearance operations.
Saber
Saber is an electronic platform created by SASO to provide beneficiaries with unique electronic access to perform three key procedures:
- registration of products (both locally manufactured and imported).
- requesting the necessary certificates to allow imported goods to be sold in Saudi Arabia.
- selecting one of the SASO-approved bodies to issue the certificate.
The main purpose of transforming to Saber is that importers can now electronically issue the certificates and perform the necessary conformity assessment in the country of origin through a third party (SASO-approved bodies) before the shipment reaches the Saudi ports.
As a result, the necessary certificates can be quickly and easily obtained at Saudi ports, ensuring that the goods comply with all applicable technical rules.
How to register for saso certificate
To register your product to get any Saber certificate, follow the following steps:
- Create an account on Saber for your business will provide you with the necessary assistance for account administration.
- If or not it is subject to technical regulations, register your products on Saber and provide all pertinent technical data for each product.
- HS code classification for each product.
- Choose an approved certification body for Saber’s conformity assessment process.
- Issue the corresponding certificate.
- After obtaining the Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), you can use Saber to request the Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC).
The advantages of Saber Electronic Platform for suppliers
- Reducing the number of non-conforming products and increasing the level of product safety and quality in the Saudi market.
- Speeding up and facilitating product clearance.
- Expediting the registration and issuing of necessary conformity certificates for products that are both imported and domestically produced.
- Following up on requests to register products or get conformity certificates.
- Linking the product to its HS code and saving it in the Saber database, makes the certificate renewal procedure easier.
- Establishing a link between importers and manufacturers and evaluation organizations, since all SASO-approved organizations are listed on Saber.
Who is eligible to apply for a Saber certificate?
Only local producers and importers with a Saudi business registration are eligible to open a Saber account and request certificates because doing so is a requirement for issuing any Saber certificate.
All Saudi Suppliers, including importers and manufacturers, are required to register their products on Saber in order to submit them to the conformity assessment procedure and obtain the necessary certificates demonstrating compliance with Saudi standards and technical requirements.
