SABER Certification for Chinese Exporters: The 2026 Guide

Selling to Saudi Arabia from China starts with one word: SABER.

It's the Saudi online system that proves your product is safe, and customs checks it automatically at the port. Amazon and noon check it too, before your listing goes live.

The good news? The rules are clear, the fees are fixed and the testing can happen in China before anything ships. Get it right once, and each new shipment becomes a quick online request.

Here's what you need, who applies, what it costs and how to pass first time.

What is SABER certification?

SABER is the online platform of SASO (the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization). Importers use it to register products and get conformity certificates. It's linked to FASAH, the Saudi customs system, so officers see your certificate the moment the cargo lands.

Think of SABER as a passport for your product: the product gets its passport once, then each shipment gets a visa.

Why is that good for you? Because it filters out cheap, unsafe copies, so certified sellers compete on a fairer field and Saudi shoppers trust what they buy.

Buying from a Chinese factory as a Saudi importer? The SABER certificate guide for importers walks through the same process from your side.

PCoC vs SCoC: the two certificates you need

SABER issues two certificates: the PCoC covers the product, and the SCoC covers each shipment of it.

You'll also see the short names PC and SC, which mean the same thing.

A PCoC is tied to four details: the product description, the HS code, the manufacturer and the country of origin. Change one and you need a new PCoC.

Does your product need a SABER certificate?

Almost every commercial import goes through SABER in some form. What changes is how strict the check is for your product.

Here's how products split:

• Regulated products. These fall under a SASO technical regulation: electricals, electronics and EMC, toys, machinery, textiles, building products and more. They need a PCoC from an approved body, then an SCoC per shipment.
• Non-regulated products. No specific regulation applies. You usually register an importer self-declaration on SABER, then get the SCoC.
• Food, cosmetics and medical devices. These skip SABER. They go through the SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority) instead. See SFDA rules for cosmetics and food.
• Radio and telecom devices. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and similar products may also need type approval from the CST (Communications, Space and Technology Commission).

Each regulation also sets a conformity model. Low and medium-risk products usually follow Type 1a, a review of test reports. Higher-risk products can follow Type 3, which adds a factory audit.

So what should you do first? Find your 12-digit Saudi HS code, then look it up on SABER to see which regulation applies.

Who holds the SABER account?

The Saudi importer does. SABER accounts belong to importers with a Saudi Commercial Registration (CR), plus local manufacturers, individuals and government bodies.

A CR is a Saudi business licence, and a factory in Shenzhen or Ningbo won't have one. That's fine.

Your options without a Saudi company:

1. Your Saudi buyer or distributor. They open the request, and you supply the reports.
2. An importer-of-record (IOR) service. A licensed company imports in its name for a fee. See how an importer of record works.
3. A customs broker or certification agent. Many handle SABER requests for their importer clients.
4. Your own Saudi entity. Worth it once you sell at scale. See company setup in Saudi Arabia.

Test reports, IECEE and certification bodies

The certification body issues your PCoC after it checks your technical file. SASO calls these bodies conformity assessment bodies (CABs). Sellers and agents often call them notified bodies.

The big ones all have labs in China (SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas, TÜV SÜD and TÜV Rheinland), so your product can be tested close to your factory.

For electricals, IECEE CB reports are the gold standard. The CB Scheme is an international system for safety test reports, run by the IECEE. Most approved bodies accept them, along with EN or IEC reports from accredited labs.

A typical technical file includes:

• Test reports to the standards in the Saudi regulation
• Product photos, labels and the user manual (Arabic or Arabic/English)
• Model list, specifications and HS code
• Factory details and, for some products, an audit report

Check that the body is listed on SABER for your exact regulation. You can compare approved bodies in our product certification directory.

How to get SABER certification, step by step

The first four steps happen once per product. The last three repeat for every shipment.

1

Classify the product

Confirm the 12-digit Saudi HS code and check which SASO regulation applies. Rule out SFDA and CST products early.

2

Agree who the importer is

Your Saudi buyer, an IOR service, a broker or your own CR. They create the product request on SABER.

3

Choose an approved body and send the file

Share the SABER request number with the body. Upload test reports, photos, labels and the manual. Book any extra tests in China.

4

Pay and receive the PCoC

The importer pays the SAR 500 SABER fee, and the body charges its own fee. The PCoC then appears on SABER.

5

Fix labels before production

Mark “Made in China” on the product and packs, add Arabic labels and use Saudi 3-pin plugs for electricals.

6

Request the SCoC for each shipment

The importer requests it on SABER with the commercial invoice and packing list, before the goods arrive.

7

Clear customs through FASAH

The broker files the declaration. Customs reads the SCoC electronically and releases the goods.

How long does it take overall? Plan four to six weeks for a first product with good reports.

Shipping by sea? Our China to Saudi Arabia shipping guide covers ports, transit times and documents.

How much does SABER certification cost?

Government fees are fixed, so the certification body's fee is the part you negotiate.

Bodies usually charge a few hundred to a few thousand US dollars per product family. New lab testing pushes it towards the top of that range.

For example, take a Ningbo factory selling one electric kettle family to a Saudi distributor. It ships four containers a year, and its certification body quotes USD 1,200 for the PCoC:

Spread over four containers, that's about USD 445 a shipment. Year two costs less, because the testing is done and only the renewal and SCoCs remain.

To see how certificates fit into your full landed cost, try the calculator:

Why SABER applications get rejected

Most delays aren't about safety at all. They come from paperwork that doesn't match across the certificate, invoice and bill of lading.

The common reasons brokers and certification bodies report:

• Model mismatch. The packing list shows a model suffix that isn't on the PCoC.
• Wrong importer. The consignee on the bill of lading isn't the company on SABER.
• Invoice mismatch. The value or quantity on the SCoC differs from the customs declaration.
• Weak test reports. Reports are expired, from a non-accredited lab or miss a Saudi standard.
• Wrong body. The body isn't approved for that specific regulation.
• Late SCoC. It was requested after arrival. Letters of undertaking stopped being accepted in January 2025.
• Label gaps. Missing Arabic, missing origin marking or the wrong plug.

Two newer rules catch sellers out. Since 1 May 2026, cameras, keyboards, mice and routers must charge through USB Type-C. Since 1 October 2026, products under ten technical regulations must also show the supplier's name and CR number.

Notes for sellers on Amazon and noon

Marketplaces check SABER too, and Amazon.sa and noon can block or remove a regulated listing without valid certificates.

• Upload the PCoC to the listing when the category asks for it.
• Keep the SCoC for each inbound shipment to FBA or FBN warehouses.
• Selling cross-border? Ask the marketplace or your forwarder who acts as importer, because that party must hold the certificates.
• Start with the China seller hub to compare noon, Amazon and warehouse routes.

Notes for electronics sellers

Electronics are one of the biggest categories Chinese factories ship to Saudi Arabia. They're also where one good test plan covers the most ground.

• Get IECEE CB reports that cover safety and EMC together.
• Wireless products may need CST type approval on top of SABER.
• Fit Saudi three-pin plugs (BS 1363) and rate products for 220–240 V.
• Power banks, chargers and earbuds sell well, so certify the whole model family at once to save fees.
• Selling in the UAE too? Ask the same body to quote for UAE ECAS and the GCC G-Mark.

Find a certification body or broker

Ready to start? These independently researched bodies issue SABER certificates and test in China.

Need someone to act as importer too? Compare customs brokers in Saudi Arabia.