Getting product certification in Saudi Arabia often feels more confusing than it should. Here’s what’s really going wrong—and what importers and sellers can do to fix it before they face costly shipment delays or rejections.
The Problem: Why Saudi Product Approval Still Causes So Many Delays
If you’ve ever tried to bring electronics, toys, or appliances into Saudi Arabia, you probably know how frustrating it can be to get your products cleared. The process isn’t just about shipping documents—it hinges on something deceptively simple: official product certification through Saudi Arabia’s online system. Yet, for all its promise of convenience, this system still causes real headaches.
Many importers and retailers, especially those bringing goods into major ports like Dammam, are hitting avoidable snags because they misunderstand—or overlook—how product certification actually works in the Kingdom. A surprisingly common reason for stalled shipments? The wrong or missing saber certificate.
And when customs holds your shipment, the consequences don’t just end with delays. Every extra day your products sit at the port racks up storage fees, risks missing retail deadlines, and strains your reputation with clients or suppliers. It’s a problem more common than most people think—and one that starts well before your goods reach the port.
The Agitation: Real Costs of Getting It Wrong—A Case from Dammam
Let’s take a real example from Dammam, a city deeply tied into the Kingdom’s import economy through King Abdulaziz Port and its surrounding logistics hubs.
In early 2024, a mid-size electronics retailer in Dammam was gearing up for a major sales season. Their shipment of smart home devices had arrived at the port right on time—but it never made it to their shelves. Why? Their clearance process hit a wall.
They had submitted what they believed were the correct certificates. But the products required a different type of saber certificate because they fell under the “high-risk” category due to electrical components. No one on their team had double-checked the product classification in the SASO system beforehand.
For nearly three weeks, the shipment sat untouched in the Dammam port warehouse. The retailer had to pay holding fees, rush an appeal to the system, and eventually hire a customs expert to redo the certification. In the end, they lost their sales window—and over SAR 75,000 in combined penalties, fees, and lost revenue.
It wasn’t a technical error. It wasn’t a missing document. It was simply a misunderstanding of how the system assigns risk levels and certificate types.
This case isn’t unique. The shift toward digital approvals has made things faster in theory—but only if you understand the structure of the system and stay on top of every change. If you don’t, the delays can stack up fast.
The Solution: How to Actually Get Certification Right
Thankfully, this is a fixable problem—if you stop treating certification as an afterthought and start treating it as a critical part of your shipping and sales strategy.
Here’s how businesses across KSA, especially those moving goods through Dammam and nearby routes like the Bahrain Causeway, are getting better results:
1. Understand the Saber Platform and Product Categories
The Saber system is more than a digital filing cabinet. It’s a gatekeeper. And every product is slotted into a category that determines which documents you need, what tests apply, and how long approval takes.
The main types of certification include:
- Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC): Verifies your product meets Saudi standards.
- Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC): Applied for once your PCoC is approved, this certificate is needed for customs clearance.
Different goods—especially electronics, children’s items, or anything with safety risks—require different certification routes, often involving third-party labs and additional safety data.
If you’re unsure about your product’s category, consult a certified local agent or use SASO’s classification tool before even ordering the shipment. Mistakes made early are the ones that hurt the most.
2. Treat Certification Like a Project, Not a Paper
Businesses that succeed at custom clearance in Saudi Arabia are the ones who start certification before shipping is even booked. This means:
- Registering your products early in the Saber system
- Using certified bodies for testing and certification
- Checking updates to SASO regulations regularly
- Budgeting time for lab testing or high-risk approvals
By treating this step like part of your actual business operation—not just a checkbox—you avoid most of the downstream problems that plague other importers.
3. Use Local Expertise—Don’t Go It Alone
Whether you’re working from Dammam, Khobar, or Riyadh, connecting with a local customs consultant or agent familiar with the certification system can save you serious trouble.
In the case mentioned earlier, the Dammam retailer ended up hiring an experienced specialist who not only helped them fix the certification but also set up a new compliance calendar for future shipments. Since then, they’ve avoided repeat delays—even as rules shifted in early 2025.
A local expert can help with:
- Pre-checking documents before submission
- Coordinating with SABER-recognized labs
- Navigating sudden updates to SASO standards
- Managing re-certification for updated product models
How Certification Affects Clearance at Major Saudi Ports
Whether your goods come in through King Abdulaziz Port, King Fahd International Airport, or overland through entry points like the Khafji or Al Batha border, your saber certificate is one of the first documents reviewed.
Saudi customs officials rely heavily on this digital trail. If your submission isn’t complete or doesn’t match your shipping manifest, it doesn’t matter how clean your other paperwork is—your clearance gets pushed back.
And that matters a lot in today’s logistics environment, where even small delays can mean missed shelves, empty containers, or lost trust with your end buyer.
So if you’re handling custom clearance in Saudi Arabia, start by making your product certification process airtight. That’s where delays begin—or end.
Need Help Getting Certified? Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’re struggling with delayed approvals, confused by product classifications, or just want to avoid painful surprises at the port, it’s time to bring in an expert.
We specialize in helping businesses across Dammam, Jubail, and the Eastern Province streamline their certification process, reduce hold-ups, and get goods cleared faster.
📱 966558959205
Let’s solve the problem before it becomes a delay.
