SABER Certificate Assistance for UAE Shippers: PCoC, SCoC and How Logistics Fits In

If you ship electronics, appliances, building materials, auto parts, toys, furniture, machinery or many other products from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, you'll meet SABER. It is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization's (SASO) electronic platform for product conformity, and in 2025 the rules tightened: certificates are now expected before the goods arrive, and late applications can lead to re-export.

This article explains what SABER is, the difference between a PCoC and an SCoC, who applies and when, and how SABER certificate assistance from a UAE logistics partner keeps your shipments moving across the border.

What is SABER?

SABER is Saudi Arabia's online system for registering products and issuing conformity certificates for goods covered by Saudi technical regulations. It links importers, conformity bodies and Saudi Customs, so that at the border the officer can check electronically whether a shipment is certified.

SABER covers most non-food, non-health products. Food, cosmetics, drugs and medical devices go through SFDA instead. See SFDA vs SABER for the split.

Typical SABER-regulated product groups:

• Electrical and electronic appliances, lighting, cables and accessories
• Building and construction materials
• Auto spare parts and tyres
• Toys and children's products
• Textiles, garments and footwear (selected categories)
• Furniture and mattresses
• Machinery and equipment
• Gas appliances, steel products and more

Coverage depends on the HS code and the applicable technical regulation, so the first step is always to check your products' HS codes against the current SABER lists.

PCoC and SCoC: the two certificates

Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC)

• Shows that a product model meets the relevant Saudi technical regulation
• Issued after a SASO-approved body reviews test reports and technical documents (and sometimes factory audits)
• Linked to the Saudi importer and the specific product
• Commonly valid for one year, and reusable for later shipments of the same model while valid

Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC)

• Issued per shipment, and can only be issued against a valid PCoC
• Links the specific consignment (quantities, invoice) to the certified product
• Checked electronically by Saudi Customs at clearance

Since January 2025, approved bodies report that both certificates are required for every shipment, that letters of undertaking are no longer accepted, and that applying after arrival is treated as a violation that can lead to re-export. From September 2025, some additional HS codes also need a declaration approved by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources when requesting the SCoC.

Who applies for SABER certificates?

• The Saudi importer registers on SABER and requests the certificates. A PCoC can only be issued to a local Saudi entity
• Foreign manufacturers and exporters, including UAE companies, support the process with test reports, technical files and product data, and some register as suppliers
• Conformity assessment bodies approved by SASO review and issue the certificates

If you're a UAE exporter without a Saudi entity, your buyer or an importer of record holds the certificates.

Typical SABER process for a UAE shipment

1. Classify the product: confirm the Saudi HS code and the technical regulation that applies
2. Collect the technical file: test reports (often from ISO/IEC 17025 labs, or IECEE CB reports for electrical products), product photos, labels, manuals and specifications
3. Request the PCoC on SABER (importer) and submit it to an approved body
4. Evaluation: document review, and sometimes testing or a factory audit
5. PCoC issued
6. For each shipment: request the SCoC with the invoice and quantities
7. Ship. The broker declares on FASAH, and Saudi Customs checks the SCoC electronically

Timing: a PCoC can take from days to several weeks, depending on the product and how complete the test reports are. An SCoC against a valid PCoC is usually much quicker. Start early, especially for new products.

How logistics fits in: why SABER is a forwarder's business too

SABER can look like a purely regulatory process. In practice, most SABER problems show up as logistics problems:

• Trucks waiting at Al Batha because the SCoC isn't issued
• Invoice quantities that don't match the SCoC
• HS codes that differ between the commercial invoice, the SABER request and the customs declaration
• Mixed loads of certified and uncertified products, so the whole truck is held
• Containers at Jebel Ali waiting for a certificate before moving to Saudi Arabia

SABER certificate assistance from your logistics partner means:

• Checking SABER status before booking: do we have a valid PCoC? Is the SCoC requested?
• Aligning documents: HS codes, descriptions and quantities consistent across invoice, packing list, SCoC and FASAH
• Holding cargo in the UAE (warehouse or free zone) until certificates are issued, rather than queuing at the border
• Splitting loads so certified goods move without waiting for uncertified ones
• Coordinating with approved bodies and the importer so the certificate and the truck are ready at the same time

For the road move itself, see our Dubai to Riyadh land transport guide and road transport rates and how to get a quote.

Common SABER mistakes

1. Assuming a product isn't regulated without checking the HS code
2. Shipping first, certifying later. Since 2025, a late SCoC can mean re-export
3. Using an expired PCoC
4. Changing the product model (or even the brand or label) without updating the PCoC
5. Wrong importer. Certificates belong to the importer who requested them
6. Test reports that don't cover the right standard or the exact model

How JW Marine & Freight supports SABER shipments

JW Marine & Freight lists SABER services for Saudi shipments as part of our GCC road transport offering. We:

• Check SABER requirements against your HS codes before booking
• Coordinate with your Saudi importer and SASO-approved conformity bodies on PCoC and SCoC requests
• Align all documents for a clean FASAH declaration
• Store cargo in our UAE warehouses (including bonded options) while certificates are issued
• Move it by FTL, LTL, flatbed, box or reefer truck, or sea-to-land from Jebel Ali
• Clear it at Al Batha with our partner brokers. See UAE to Saudi road cargo with customs clearance