Saudi Arabia SASO Certification
Certification Introduction
SASO is the abbreviation of Saudi Arabian Standards Organization. In fact, many SASO standards are based on the safety standards of relevant international organizations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Like many other countries, Saudi Arabia has added some unique items to the standards based on its own civil and industrial voltages, geographical and climatic environment, ethnic and religious customs, etc. In order to achieve the purpose of protecting consumers, SASO standards are not only applicable to products imported from abroad, but also to products produced in Saudi Arabia.
SASO

Necessity of SASO Certification

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Industry and Commerce and SASO require that all products included in the SASO certification standards have SASO certification certificates when entering Saudi customs. Products without SASO certificates will be refused entry by Saudi port customs.

When exporting products to Saudi Arabia, SASO certification is required when entering the customs. The technicians of Saudi Arabian Standards Organization will check the certificate. If SASO certificate cannot be issued, the product will be refused entry or sampled to the laboratory of Saudi Arabian Ministry of Industry and Commerce or Saudi Arabian Standards Organization for testing. If the test fails, the product will be refused entry, and all costs will be borne by the exporting enterprise.

Certification type
1. Pre-shipment Compliance Verification
This method is most suitable for exporters or manufacturers with very few shipments. Before each shipment, you need to apply for pre-shipment inspection (PSI) and pre-shipment test (PST). If both are qualified, you can obtain CoC certificate.

2. Product registration (Registration)
This method is suitable for the vast majority of customers. Its advantage is that although each shipment inspection (PSI) is necessary, each batch of goods does not need to be tested before shipment (PST). Customers can obtain the Statement for Registration (SfR) by submitting a declaration of compliance, providing a test report that complies with the importing country and relevant international or domestic standards, and declaring that the product has met the basic requirements and national differences of the importing country.

3. Type Approval Licensing
This method can not only save the inspection fee or testing fee before each shipment, simplify the repeated application procedures, but also ensure the delivery time. Therefore, it is favored by some large companies with frequent shipments or large scales, and pay attention to quality and reputation. Only when the products of exporters or manufacturers fully comply with the mandatory standards of the importing and exporting countries can they obtain the Statement for Licence (SfL) certificate. The certificate is valid for one year. Before the expiration, it is necessary to submit an updated factory inspection report and pay the annual fee and renew it after being reviewed by RLC. Products that have obtained the SfL certificate no longer need to undergo pre-shipment inspection (PSI) for each batch of goods, but are reduced to a very small number of sampling inspections per year (generally 2-3 times/year, depending on the product status).

The test is carried out according to SASO/PAI standards or IEC standards + national differences. SASO/PAI standard requirements need to be considered separately. Some clauses have large differences. The rated voltage in Saudi Arabia is 220V, 50/60Hz (with BS plug) or 127V, 60Hz (with UL plug) (a separate sample is required for testing); the voltage in Kuwait is 240V, 50Hz (with BS plug).

Type certification requires factory inspection;

For electrical products exported to Saudi Arabia, the rated frequency marked on the product must include 60Hz;
The user manual of air conditioners exported to Saudi Arabia must be in Arabic and English; For audio and video products, the user manual must be in Arabic;

The original safety and EMC reports must be issued by an accredited laboratory within 2-3 years.
Applicable product range
With the improvement of the regulations of the Bureau of Standards, more and more products are classified into the SASO certification list. The following part is for reference only;
Group 1: Toys
Toys and playground equipment

Group 2: Electronic and electrical products
Air conditioning system, up to 60,000 BTU (5 tons)
Combination audio or video equipment (non-professional)
Non-professional audio equipment
Video playback and recording system (non-professional)
Large motor (<12 KW)
Electric motor (<12 KW)
Fax, telex equipment
Household electric cookers
Washing machines (<10 KG)
Clothes dryers (<10 KG)
Electric irons, ironing machines, steam irons and hand-held hair dryers
Food processors (non-professional)
Meat slicers, meat grinders (non-professional)
Elevators, escalators
Household microwave ovens
Electric