For business owners: A product certificate that does not cover the model you shipped, a shipment certificate requested too late, or goods waiting at the port for SABER? We take over your establishment’s file on SABER and resolve the certificates until the shipment is cleared.
What SABER is and why it matters to your establishment
SABER is the electronic platform of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) for product conformity. Products covered by Saudi technical regulations are registered on it, and the certificates showing that they meet those regulations are issued through it: a product certificate for each product, and a shipment certificate for each shipment. It applies to many imported products and to locally made ones as well.
Importers often meet SABER for the first time when a shipment is already at the port and customs asks for a certificate. In practice SABER work belongs at the ordering stage: the certificate depends on the supplier’s test reports and technical documents, which are far easier to obtain before payment and shipment than after.
What is actually managed on the platform
- The establishment’s account as an importer or manufacturer, linked to its commercial registration, and the users who act in its name.
- Registering each product with its tariff (HS) code, model, brand and the technical regulation that applies to it.
- Requesting the product certificate of conformity from a conformity assessment body, which reviews the test reports and the technical file against the regulation.
- For some products not covered by a specific technical regulation, the importer’s own declaration of conformity, where the platform accepts it.
- Requesting a shipment certificate of conformity for each shipment, based on valid product certificates, so the shipment can be cleared through Fasah.
- Following certificate validity, adding new models, and renewing certificates before they expire.
The most frequent problems
A wrong tariff code. The product is registered under a code that does not describe it, so the platform applies the wrong regulation, or the code differs from the one in the customs declaration and the shipment is held.
A certificate that does not cover what was shipped. The product certificate was issued for one model, size or capacity, and the shipment contains a variant that was never added to it.
A shipment certificate requested too late. The request goes in after the goods have arrived, and the shipment waits at the port while the certificate is issued.
An incomplete technical file. Test reports that do not cover the regulation’s requirements or come from a laboratory the conformity assessment body does not accept, or missing items such as Arabic labelling, product photographs or the user manual.
An expired product certificate. The certificate was valid when the order was placed with the supplier, but expired before the shipment arrived.
Assuming SABER covers every product. Food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices are regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and follow its procedures, not SABER’s.
Why a certificate problem costs more than the certificate
A shipment without a valid certificate stays at the port, with storage charges running and the goods unavailable for sale or production. A product that does not conform may have to be modified, re-exported or withdrawn, and products already on the market remain subject to inspection. And because the product certificate depends on the supplier’s documents, a problem discovered after payment leaves the establishment negotiating from a weak position.
How to avoid the problem before it happens
- Settle the tariff code and the applicable technical regulation for each product before placing the order, and use the same code in SABER and in the customs declaration.
- Make the supplier’s test reports and technical documents a condition of the purchase, and obtain the product certificate before the goods are shipped.
- Register every model and variant you intend to import, not only the main one.
- Request the shipment certificate as soon as the shipping documents are available, before the goods arrive.
- Check the Arabic labelling and the product markings against the regulation before production or packing.
- Keep a schedule of product certificate expiry dates and renew them before the next order.
What to do if a certificate is rejected or a shipment is held
Read the conformity assessment body’s comments or the customs hold reason carefully and pin down what is actually missing: a test, a document, a model that is not covered, or a code that does not match. Resubmitting the same file usually brings the same result. Once the gap is closed, the request is resubmitted, the shipment certificate is issued against the corrected product data, and the customs broker is informed so the declaration can proceed.
For our clients we manage the establishment’s SABER account: product registration, choosing the right route for each product, coordinating with the supplier and the conformity assessment body on documents, issuing shipment certificates on time, and matching them with the customs declaration until the shipment is cleared.
What is the difference between a product certificate and a shipment certificate?
The product certificate confirms that a specific product or model meets the technical regulation that applies to it, and stays valid for the period stated on it. The shipment certificate is issued for each shipment of that product, on the basis of a valid product certificate, and it is what customs checks during clearance.
How do I find the right HS code for my product on SABER?
SABER lets you search by code and by product description, and shows the requirements linked to each code. The code should follow the customs tariff and match the one your broker uses in the declaration. Where a product could fall under more than one code, settle it before registering rather than correcting it afterwards.
Do locally made products need SABER certificates?
Yes, where the product is covered by a technical regulation. Local manufacturers register their products on SABER and obtain product certificates in the same way, while the shipment certificate is tied to import shipments.
Who issues the certificates?
Product certificates are issued by conformity assessment bodies that SASO approves for each technical regulation, and the platform shows which bodies can handle a given product. The establishment chooses the body and submits its request through SABER.
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