SASO Certificate of Conformity – Export to Saudi Arabia

SASO SALEEM / SABER Certificate of Conformity for Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Product Safety Program (SALEEM) is a conformity assessment programme operated by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO). The program ensures the safety and quality of goods placed on the Saudi Market.

SALEEM is Saudi Arabia’s mandatory conformity assessment programme, run by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), and every regulated product entering the Kingdom must clear it through the SABER online platform before customs will release the shipment. The programme protects the safety and quality of goods sold in Saudi Arabia by requiring two certificates: a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) for the product itself, and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) for each individual consignment. Without both, customs will not clear your goods. 

Businesses exporting or importing regulated products to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) need to demonstrate compliance with the applicable technical regulations and standards for their product category before the goods ever reach port. 

HQTS-Tabseer: Your Authorised SASO Certificate Provider 

HQTS-Tabseer is authorised to issue Certificates of Conformity for regulated products imported into the Saudi market from India, China, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. If you manufacture or source from any of these four countries, our team can handle both the PCoC and SCoC application on your behalf, end to end, through the SABER platform. 

What Is the SALEEM Program? 

SALEEM is the national product-safety programme SASO launched in 2017 to keep unsafe or non-conforming goods out of the Saudi market, and it’s enforced through SABER, the electronic portal where all conformity certificates are requested and issued. Before SALEEM, imports were checked through manual pre-shipment inspections and paper certificates. Today, the entire process — registration, product classification, certification body assignment, and certificate issuance — happens online through SABER, which is directly linked to Saudi customs’ FASAH clearance system. According to the U.S. government’s official trade resource, SASO rolled out Saleem Saber in January 2018 and it became mandatory for all imported goods entering Saudi Arabia by December 2018 — a system that now underpins close to $20 billion in annual U.S. exports to the Kingdom alone. A shipment without a valid, system-linked SCoC will not be released by customs. 

The SABER Process: PCoC and SCoC Explained 

Every regulated product needs two separate certificates: a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), which certifies the product itself and is typically valid for one year, and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC), which is required for every individual shipment of that product. You cannot skip either step — a valid PCoC is a precondition for issuing the SCoC, and an SCoC is a precondition for customs clearance. 

Stage 1 — Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) 

The PCoC is issued once your product’s testing and documentation demonstrate conformance to the technical regulation that applies to it, and it is generally valid for one year before it needs renewing. PCoC applications are grouped by four parameters — product description, HS code, manufacturer, and country of origin — and any product that differs on one of these typically needs its own separate certificate, though related product families can sometimes be grouped together. High-risk product categories may also require a factory audit before SASO will issue the certificate, which is one of the most common places exporters run into unexpected delays or costs if they’re not working with an experienced certification body. 

Stage 2 — Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) 

Once a product has a valid PCoC, the SCoC can be issued for each shipment by a SASO-recognised Conformity Assessment Body, and this is the certificate that customs actually checks before releasing your goods. Because the SCoC is required per shipment rather than per product, this is the step that repeats every time you export — and the one where a responsive certification partner saves you the most time. 

Which Products Need SASO Certification? 

SASO’s “Regulated Products” list spans a wide range of categories — including building materials, electrical and electronic goods, vehicle spare parts, textiles, paints, lubricants, detergents, and lifts/elevators — and if your product falls into one of these categories, it cannot legally enter the Saudi market without a PCoC and SCoC. Products outside the regulated list are typically handled through self-declaration rather than full certification, so the first step for any exporter is confirming which bucket a given product falls into. 

Click here to learn more about the product categories HQTS can help you export to Saudi Arabia.

Why Choose HQTS for Your SALEEM / SASO Certificate? 

HQTS is one of Asia’s oldest and largest testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) companies — 25+ years in the industry, 1,500+ employees, and a technical network spanning over 80 countries — with a dedicated SASO/SALEEM team handling PCoC and SCoC applications for clients exporting from China, India, Vietnam, and the UAE. Certification programmes like SALEEM are process-heavy and detail-sensitive; a single mismatch in HS code, product grouping, or documentation can mean delays, rejected applications, or unnecessary re-testing fees. 

That experience shows up in a global reach of 20+ regional offices worldwide, a track record of 25+ years in quality assurance and conformity assessment, in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of SASO’s technical regulations, and a client base of 50,000+ served across end-to-end supply chain services. HQTS also covers multiple conformity assessment programs globally, including the SFDA Certificate of Conformity. 

Are you exporting goods to Saudi Arabia? Contact us today to learn more about our SALEEM / SASO Certification services or download our Brochure.