With the Saudi market expanding at a sky-rocketing pace, the demand for goods and services across the KSA has rapidly increased. In fact, the import market of Saudi Arabia reached 15.1 Billion USD in February 2023. Given the substantial volume of trade occurring with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), it is a natural expectation that the KSA would institute a set of regulatory standards to evaluate the caliber of commodities being shipped to their nation. Enter – SABER, a platform introduced by SASO to enable a good and healthy import and export with the KSA. So, here we will get a brief understanding of what is SABER. How to get it? And what is SCOC and PCOC? Let’s dive in!
What is SABER?
SABER, an all-encompassing system, was introduced by SASO, which stands for the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization. It is a platform that enables importers and local manufacturers to electronically get the requisite Certificate of Conformity and Certificate of Shipment Conformity for consumer goods entering the Saudi market, whether imported or locally created. Additionally, the platform’s goal is to safeguard businesses from fraud and to ensure that products are free of faults that could jeopardize consumers’ health and safety. Moreover, it is a mandatory certificate for trade in Saudi and without this, your product won’t clear Saudi Customs.
The pivotal advantage of transitioning to the SABER platform lies in the fact that importers gain the ability to carry out the necessary conformity assessment within the source country, facilitated by a SASO-approved entity. Furthermore, this enables them to issue the electronic certificate prior to the shipment’s arrival in Saudi Arabia.
PCOC
When dispatching your merchandise to the Saudi market, it becomes imperative to possess a certificate known as the ‘Product Certificate of Conformity’ (PCOC). This certificate serves as tangible proof of whether your products have undergone registration within the SABER system and ascertains their alignment with its technical regulations. Moreover, the PCOC is a 1-year valid license and the importer initiates the process of obtaining a PCOC.
You can obtain a PCOC by following these steps:
- Product analysis and classification
- Register on the SABER Platform
- Select a Conformity Assessment Body
- SASO Conformity Assessment Activities
- Get PCOC Certificate
SCOC
The Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) issue the Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCOC) for each imported shipment to Saudi Arabia. It is mandatory for all commodities, irrespective of whether they fall under-regulated or unregulated categories. Additionally, this stipulation is applicable universally, ensuring that all products undergo the necessary clearance procedures at customs ports. The SCOC is distributed online through the SABER platform. To get the SCOC for a regulated product, the technical regulations require that the Product Certificate of Conformity (PCOC) be issued first. The certificate is only good for one shipment. The importer is responsible for initiating a request for the SCOC.
Documents needed for SCOC
- Product conformity certificate or self-declaration (in the case of non-regulated products)
- Commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and airway bills are all examples of valid documents for SCOC.
How to Get a Saber Certificate
Here are the steps in which you can obtain a SABER certificate:
- To apply for the certificate, the importer or manufacturer must first create an account on Saber. Commercial registration in Saudi Arabia is essential.
- To locate the required certificates for a specific product, it must be classified on Saber by searching by the HS-Code or Product name, after which the system detects the product and displays the requirements.
Need more information? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
Verger is a SASO-approved entity for issuing conformance certificates through Saber; we provide an expert service to carry out the conformity assessment and issue the certificate, in addition to our other services in the various certificates required to enter the Saudi and Gulf markets.