Key takeaways
- Only a company with a Saudi commercial registration can request certificates on SABER. The Chinese supplier cannot hold the account; it prepares the technical file and test reports for the importer's conformity body.
- Laser welding, cutting and cleaning machines, robots and most production-line machines map to SASO's Technical Regulation for General Requirements for Machinery Safety. SABER asks for a Quality Mark or a product certificate (PCoC) for them.
- A PCoC is valid for one year and cannot be renewed: you request a new one. It is tied to the manufacturer and the country of origin, and one importer cannot use another importer's certificate.
- Every consignment needs a shipment certificate (SCoC). Since 1 October 2025 it must be issued before the customs declaration, and SABER now keeps it valid for 90 days instead of 60.
- Official SABER fees are SAR 500 to register a PCoC and SAR 350 per SCoC, before VAT. The conformity body's fee for studying the technical file is capped at SAR 2,000; testing and factory inspections are quoted separately.
- Factories with an industrial licence have a separate SABER path for production-line equipment and raw materials, with a free shipment certificate. Confirm with SASO which of your HS codes it covers before you ship.
The steps at a glance
From SABER’s own guides and service cards, checked in October 2026. The importer does every step on SABER; the supplier’s part is the documents behind step 3.
| Step | Who | SABER fee | Time on SABER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Look up each machine’s HS code on SABER to see which regulation and certificate apply | Importer | Free | Minutes |
| 2. Register the product: name, brand, model, manufacturer, country of origin, photos | Importer | Free | Instant |
| 3. Request a product certificate (PCoC) from an accepted conformity body, which reviews the supplier’s technical file | Importer, with the supplier’s documents | SAR 500 per product | 5–6 working days once documents are complete; longer with tests or a factory inspection |
| 4. Request a shipment certificate (SCoC) for the consignment, before the customs declaration | Importer | SAR 350 | 1–2 working days |
| 5. Clear customs with the SCoC linked to the declaration | Importer or broker | Customs duties as usual | — |
Fees are before 15% VAT. The conformity body charges separately for studying the technical file, capped at SAR 2,000 according to SABER’s FAQ, plus any testing or factory inspection it needs.
Which regulation covers your machine
SABER decides machine by machine from the HS code, so look up each code yourself before you place the order. SABER now lists 12-digit codes in line with the Saudi customs tariff. What SABER showed for typical codes in October 2026:
| Equipment | Typical HS heading | SASO regulation on SABER | Certificate SABER asks for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser welding machines | 8515.80 | General Requirements for Machinery Safety | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Laser cutting and other laser machine tools | 8456.11 | General Requirements for Machinery Safety | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Industrial robots | 8479.50 | General Requirements for Machinery Safety | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Other machines, including most battery-line stations | 8479.89 | General Requirements for Machinery Safety (some sub-codes fall under Part 1, hand-held machines) | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Inverters and power converters (PCS) | 8504.40 | Gulf technical regulation for low-voltage equipment | Quality Mark, IECEE recognition certificate or PCoC |
| Lithium batteries and storage modules | 8507.60, 8507.80 | Technical Regulation for Electrical Batteries | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Optical fibre cables | 8544.70 | Communications and IT devices regulation | Quality Mark or PCoC |
| Optical fibres and fibre connectors | 9001.10, 8536.70 | None | Importer’s self-declaration |
Products that no regulation covers still go through SABER: the importer registers them, issues a free self-declaration valid for one year and pays SAR 350 for the shipment certificate.
The machinery safety regulation in brief
SASO’s Technical Regulation for General Requirements for Machinery Safety was approved in December 2023 and published in the Official Gazette on 29 March 2024. It covers machinery, interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories and partly completed machinery. Machines with their own SASO regulation, such as hand-held, mobile, lifting, and sawing and cutting machines, follow that one instead.
- Certification. A conformity body accepted by SASO certifies the model by type examination (ISO/IEC 17067 scheme type 1a).
- Technical file. The supplier’s declaration of conformity on the regulation’s form, a risk assessment, a description of the machine, and design and manufacturing drawings.
- Standards. Its list includes SASO ISO 12100 (risk assessment), SASO IEC 60204-1 (electrical equipment of machines), SASO ISO 13849-1 (safety-related control systems) and SASO ISO 11553-1 (safety of laser processing machines).
- Language. Warnings in Arabic or a language users easily understand; instructions in Arabic or a language agreed with the user or importer, marked “original instructions”; SI units.
- Lines shipped in parts. A machine that cannot ship fully assembled may ship as separate parts. The certificate is issued for the final model, with proof that the parts belong to it. This matters for production lines, which leave China in many crates.
Who does what
Only an entity with a Saudi commercial registration can request certificates on SABER’s commercial path, so the Chinese manufacturer cannot hold the account. A certificate belongs to one importer, and it is tied to the manufacturer and the country of origin: change the factory and you register a new product and request a new PCoC.
What the supplier provides:
- The technical file above, with the declaration of conformity and the risk assessment.
- Test reports from an accredited laboratory, and IECEE CB test reports for electrical parts where they exist.
- Product name, brand, model, photos and the nameplate exactly as they will appear on SABER.
- Arabic warnings and labels, and instructions in Arabic or the agreed language.
- For mains-powered equipment, a build for Saudi Arabia’s 60 Hz grid and the 230/400 V system, and BS 1363 type G plugs (SASO 2203) on 230 V plug-in equipment.
SABER lists the accepted conformity bodies by region; some have offices in China, so the document review and any factory inspection can happen before the machine is crated.
Factories with an industrial licence
SABER has a separate path for products that are not marketed to consumers. Its FAQ names “factory equipment used in production lines” and raw materials, and SASO reviews these requests itself. The listed documents are the product data, the bill of lading and the invoice. For factories that hold an industrial customs exemption from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the importer enters the industrial licence number, SABER shows the HS codes linked to that licence, and the shipment certificate is free. Other requests on this path cost SAR 350.
SABER does not say outright that this path replaces the product certificate for every machine. If you are building a plant in Saudi Arabia, confirm with SASO which of your HS codes it covers before the line ships, and apply for the customs exemption through the ministry’s Sina’i platform.
Batteries and storage systems
Lithium batteries and storage modules map to SASO’s Technical Regulation for Electrical Batteries. It works differently from the machinery regulation: the conformity body certifies the product and then keeps the manufacturer’s production quality system under periodic surveillance (scheme type 3), so the cell or module maker has to accept audits. Storage cabinets also ship as Class 9 dangerous goods with the UN38.3 test summary, which is a transport requirement, not a SABER one.
Mistakes that delay clearance
From SABER’s FAQ:
- The commercial registration on SABER does not match the one on the customs system (FASAH). Customs then reports that the importer is not linked to the certificate.
- A new factory or country of origin. It needs a new product registration and a new PCoC. A PCoC also cannot be renewed: when it expires after a year, you request a new one.
- Errors found after paying. A paid request cannot be edited and fees are not refunded, so check the model, HS code and quantities before you pay.
- Leaving the shipment certificate too late. Since 1 October 2025 the SCoC must exist before the customs declaration. Request it when the goods are booked, not when they arrive.
How we handle SABER for a machine or line
On an order for Saudi Arabia we check every HS code on SABER at the quotation stage and list the certificates in the quote. The factory and we then prepare the technical file, test reports, Arabic labels and 60 Hz build while the machine is made. The conformity body’s review runs in parallel with production and the factory acceptance test, so the papers are ready before loading. Your company requests the certificates on SABER; we answer the conformity body’s questions. Read more about voltages, ports and other Gulf rules on our Gulf and Middle East page, also in Arabic.