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Export readiness for Saudi Arabia

See what your product needs to enter Saudi Arabia: the way through SABER, what you prepare, who does what, and an estimate of time and cost.

Worked out from published official requirements only; every line shows its source and when it was last checked. Where the data falls short it never guesses: it tells you what to ask an expert.

The way in, by industry

Which way a product enters Saudi Arabia in the four industries covered. Check your product's code below for what applies to it.

  • Textiles

    HS chapters 50–63

    Through SABER

  • Furniture

    HS chapter 94

    Through SABER

  • Building materials

    Cement, ceramics, glass, metal, paints and more

    Through SABER

  • Food

    HS chapters 02–22

    Through the SFDA

The official bodies

Three Saudi bodies decide whether a product may enter. Birlesa is not affiliated with any of them.

SASO · Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization
Sets the technical regulations most industrial products must meet, and accepts the conformity assessment bodies that certify them.
Official site: www.saso.gov.sa (opens in a new tab)
SABER · SASO's online conformity platform
Where products are registered and their product certificates (PCoC) and shipment certificates (SCoC) are issued; the Saudi importer files, not the exporter.
Official site: saber.sa (opens in a new tab)
SFDA · Saudi Food and Drug Authority
Registers food importers and products and clears each food shipment at customs; food does not go through SABER.
Official site: www.sfda.gov.sa (opens in a new tab)

Your product

If you know the code, type all 12 digits. If not, describe the product and we show the closest lines of the tariff.

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Don't know your code? Let Lale find it

The answer for Saudi Arabia is ready.

The answer for Saudi Arabia

GTİP line checked

6109.10.00.00.00

T-shirts, singlets and other vests of cotton, knitted or crocheted

Official Turkish title: Tişört, fanila, atlet, kaşkorse vb. giyim eşyası; pamuktan (örme veya kroşe)

HS 6109.10Textiles readiness checklistCode page

Regulated product

A product certificate is needed

This line falls under a SASO technical regulation: the product needs a certificate of conformity (PCoC) in SABER, and each shipment a shipment certificate (SCoC).

Is this product regulated? Yes

The way into Saudi Arabia

  1. Through SABER

    SASO's product conformity platform: product and shipment certificates are issued there, and the Saudi importer applies.

  2. Technical regulation: Textile products

  3. Type 3: type approval and factory audit

    On top of type approval, the factory's quality or product-safety system is audited. For some lines only.

  4. Type 1a: type approval

    The conformity body assesses a sample of the product with its test reports and technical file. For every product of this line.

  5. Saudi Quality Mark

    A product carrying SASO's quality mark counts as conforming. Accepted in place of the other model.

  6. A shipment certificate (SCoC) for each shipment

    Once the product certificate or the declaration is in place, it is issued in SABER for every shipment.

The Saudi line decides

Some models apply to certain lines only. Confirm your product's 12-digit line in Saudi Arabia with your importer or customs broker.

What you prepare

You, the exporter, prepare these. Each comes with the source of the requirement it rests on.

Who does what

Your importer, the conformity body or Türkiye's competent authority provides these; plan your readiness with them.

  • Saudi importer registered in SABER

    • Saudi importer

    What counts as having it: Name and Saudi commercial registration number of the importer who registers the product in SABER.

  • Certificate of conformity (PCoC) registered in SABER, or the Saudi Quality Mark

    • Saudi importer
    • Conformity assessment body or SASO

    What counts as having it: Certificate number and expiry date (valid one year; one per importer and country of origin).

  • SABER shipment certificate for each shipment

    • Saudi importer

    What counts as having it: Issued before the customs declaration; valid 90 days.

Time and cost

Estimate

Only the fees and durations official sources publish are added up; a cap counts from nothing to the cap. Items no source publishes are never guessed.

With Type 3: type approval and factory audit

Published fees
SAR 500 – SAR 2,500
Published durations
5–6 working days

  • Product certificate in SABER

    per certificate · the importer pays · VAT excluded · 5–6 working days

    SAR 500

  • Technical file review

    per certificate

    Up to SAR 2,000

  • Laboratory tests

    per product · the exporter pays

    Amount not published

  • Factory assessment

    per site · the exporter pays

    Amount not published

With Type 1a: type approval

Published fees
SAR 500 – SAR 2,500
Published durations
5–6 working days

  • Product certificate in SABER

    per certificate · the importer pays · VAT excluded · 5–6 working days

    SAR 500

  • Technical file review

    per certificate

    Up to SAR 2,000

  • Laboratory tests

    per product · the exporter pays

    Amount not published

With Saudi Quality Mark

Published fees
No published fee
Published durations
No published duration

  • Saudi Quality Mark

    per product

    Amount not published

  • Laboratory tests

    per product · the exporter pays

    Amount not published

Each shipment

Published fees
SAR 350
Published durations
1–2 working days

  • Shipment certificate (SCoC)

    per shipment · the importer pays · VAT excluded · 1–2 working days

    SAR 350

Items no source gives an amount or a duration for:

Laboratory tests, Factory assessment, and Saudi Quality Mark. We don't estimate these; get quotes from conformity bodies and laboratories.
  • Product certificate in SABER: valid 1 year
  • Shipment certificate (SCoC): valid 90 days
  • Laboratory tests: valid 3 years

The requirements behind it

Every published requirement, with its official source and when it was last checked.

  • MandatoryCertificate

    Babies' textiles and underwear: Type 3 certificate

    Chapter 61 · Certificate: SABER product conformity (SASO)

    Details

    Under the textile regulation, textile products for children under 36 months and underwear need a certificate of conformity under model Type 3 (ISO/IEC 17067): type approval plus an approved product-safety management system at the factory, assessed by the accepted body (including a factory visit) for three years, with periodic surveillance and possible unannounced visits. The supplier keeps the declaration and the system documents available for at least ten years after placing the product on the market. SASO's guide to the regulation also names swimwear, ihram, baby diapers and sanitary pads among products in direct contact with the skin that need Type 3.

  • MandatoryCertificate

    Textiles: certificate of conformity (PCoC) under SASO's textile regulation

    Chapter 61 · Certificate: SABER product conformity (SASO)

    Details

    SASO's Technical Regulation for Textile Products (second issue, published in the official gazette on 12 January 2024; applied at ports and factories from 10 July 2024 and in markets from 11 January 2025) covers products of at least 80% textile fibres by weight: fibres, yarns, fabrics, carpets, furnishings, curtains, clothing and technical textiles; its annex lists headings 5001 to 6310. Each product needs a certificate of conformity from a SASO-accepted conformity assessment body under model Type 1a (type approval); products for children under 36 months and underwear need Type 3 (separate requirement). A product holding the Saudi Quality Mark is deemed to conform, and SABER's code list accepts either the certificate or the Quality Mark for many lines. The importer applies in SABER and picks the body that covers the country of origin. SABER's registration fee is 500 SAR without VAT per certificate; the body's fee for studying the technical file is agreed with it and capped at 2,000 SAR; laboratory test fees are not published by SASO or SABER. The certificate is valid one year in SABER, cannot be renewed (apply again), and covers one country of origin and one importer. SABER's service card states 5-6 working days (estimate). SABER's code list is the authoritative list of covered 12-digit lines.

  • MandatoryDocument

    Product Safety Law: duties of the manufacturer and importer

    Chapter 61

    Details

    The Product Safety Law (Royal Decree M/36 of 29/1/1446 H, 4 August 2024) and its implementing regulations (SASO Board, 15 November 2024) oblige manufacturers, authorised representatives and importers to place only safe products that meet the technical regulations, to assess risks, to give consumers information on hazards that are not obvious, to put their name and contact details on the product, to provide evidence of safety on request, and to keep traceability. Where no technical regulation applies, a product should conform to the relevant Saudi, regional or international standards. Summary of SASO's guidance manual (not binding) and of SASO's circular to SABER users citing article 11 of the Law and article 19 of its regulations.

  • MandatoryDocument

    For every shipment: SABER shipment certificate and customs documents

    Chapter 61

    Details

    For every shipment your Saudi importer issues a shipment certificate (SCoC) in SABER, after the product has a registered certificate of conformity (regulated products) or a self-declaration (other products), when the goods are ready and invoiced and before shipping; since 1 October 2025 it must be issued before the customs declaration. It needs the invoice data (date, number, total, currency, supplier) and, per model, the quantity, unit price and barcode. SABER's fee is 350 SAR without VAT; SABER's service card states 90 days' validity and 1-2 working days (estimate). Only businesses with a Saudi commercial registration use SABER's commercial track, and a certificate cannot be used by more than one importer. The importer also files the customs declaration in Fasah at least 48 hours before arrival, with the commercial invoice, the bill of lading and a certificate of origin (not needed when the origin is clearly established).

  • MandatoryDocument

    Textiles: technical file and test reports

    Chapter 61

    Details

    The regulation requires a technical file with the supplier's (manufacturer's or importer's) declaration of conformity on the regulation's form and laboratory reports on hazardous chemicals. SASO's guide lists its contents: the declaration, a risk assessment, the country of origin, the test reports required by the regulation and its standards from an accredited laboratory, the list of standards applied, the label (a label booklet, or the label printed on the outer carton, when it cannot be fixed to the product) and explanatory photos. Tests named in the regulation include pH, colour fastness to washing, perspiration and rubbing (and to saliva for children's wear) and harmful substances such as formaldehyde, heavy metals, phenols, suspect dyes, carcinogenic amines, flame retardants, pesticide residues, phthalates, organochlorine and organotin compounds. Test reports stay valid three years unless the product changes (SASO's General Regulation for Conformity Models). The factory must have an effective environmental management system; ISO 14001 certification is deemed to meet it.

  • MandatoryDocument

    12-digit Saudi customs tariff code

    Chapter 61

    Details

    Saudi customs (ZATCA) has applied the GCC integrated customs tariff at the 12-digit level since 1 January 2025 and publishes amendments to it: for example Ministerial Resolution 1447-88-5 (5/5/1447 H) created, deleted and amended lines, with new lines for sweetened beverages applied from 1 January 2026. Your Saudi importer declares the 12-digit code in Fasah and registers the product in SABER by its HS code. Agree the right 12-digit Saudi line with your importer or customs broker.

  • MandatoryLabel

    Textiles: Arabic label with fibre content, origin, care and supplier

    Chapter 61

    Details

    Under the textile regulation the label must be in Arabic (another language may be added; the Arabic text prevails); clear, in uniform letters, readable at purchase including online; true and verified; and firmly fixed so that it is hard to remove (sewn into clothing). It must show the fibres by the names in the regulation's annex with their weight percentages in descending order; size, dimensions or weight as suits the product; the supplier's name and commercial registration on the outer package; the country of origin; any treatment; care and washing instructions or symbols; and recycling and safe disposal information. 'Pure' or '100%' only for a single fibre (small tolerances), and non-textile parts of animal origin must be declared. It must not carry Quranic verses or the name of God, nor images or phrases against public order, morals or Islamic values.

  • MandatoryLabel

    Commercial data in Arabic on each unit (Commercial Data Law)

    Chapter 61

    Details

    The Commercial Data Law requires commercial data to be at least in Arabic and true. Its implementing regulations oblige the producer or importer to write the mandatory data on each unit, on the unit's package and on any container holding more than one unit, in a way that is hard to remove: number, quantity, size, measure, capacity, weight, price, and production and expiry dates; the place or country of manufacture or production; the components; and the name of the product or its manufacturer. For goods related to human, animal or environmental health, the components statement must also say whether the product is genetically modified, contains hazardous substances and how hazardous, or is irradiated. Other languages may be added; the Arabic text prevails. Importing or selling products without the mandatory data is prohibited. Technical regulations add product-specific label rules.

This is a suggestion; have your customs broker confirm it before any official step.

Your readiness file

KeremAISelling agent

Open a readiness file for your product

The checklist, your documents and the drafts in one place: you see at any time what is ready and what is missing.

  • Mark each item as I have it, Missing or Not sure
  • Upload your documents; each file is checked and kept safely
  • Get the Arabic label and the technical file's outline as drafts

Nothing is sent to anyone without your approval.

Create a free accountSign in

The file opens with your free account and is tied to a product on your company page.

Next steps

Rules notified to the WTO

Rules for this product in Saudi Arabia as notified to the WTO: draft regulations, emergency measures and their changes, newest first.

  1. G/TBT/N/SAU/996/Rev.1/Add.1Technical rules (TBT)Addendum

    Technical Regulation of Textile Products

    Products: HS codes: see the Annex (1-B), page 19.

    Notified on 2 March 2026

    On ePing(opens in a new tab)The notification(opens in a new tab)

1 notification in all; none open for comments. Titles and products as notified, in English.

Source: the World Trade Organization's ePing.

How does selling to Saudi Arabia work?

Most industrial products entering Saudi Arabia go through SABER, the platform of SASO (the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization), while food goes through the SFDA. For one product the steps are roughly these:

  1. Registration in SABER

    The Saudi importer registers the product in SABER; the conformity of products technical regulations cover is documented there.

  2. Product certificate (PCoC)

    A product a SASO technical regulation covers takes a product certificate from a conformity assessment body SASO accepts. Without a regulation, the importer's declaration of conformity may be enough.

  3. Shipment certificate (SCoC)

    Each shipment takes its own shipment certificate in SABER; customs asks for it.

  4. The 12-digit Saudi tariff line

    SABER knows a product by Saudi Arabia's 12-digit tariff line. Start from Türkiye's GTİP line and confirm the Saudi line with your importer or customs broker.

  5. An Arabic label

    Label and packaging information must be in Arabic; a missing or wrong label is one of the most common reasons shipments are stopped and sent back.

  6. Food: the SFDA

    Food enters through the SFDA's registration and customs clearance instead of SABER; products of animal origin need more, such as a health certificate from Türkiye's competent authority.

What does this tool rest on?

  • Published requirements only

    The answer is worked out from requirements recorded from the official texts of SASO, the SFDA and Saudi law and then published; it is not an AI's guess.

  • A source for every line

    Every requirement shows a link to its official source and the date a person last checked it.

  • An estimate that says so

    Time and cost are added up from published amounts only and always marked as an estimate; items no source gives are never guessed, and are listed apart.

  • An expert where it is unclear

    When a product falls under several regulations or data is missing, the tool does not guess: it tells you what to ask an expert.

  • Nothing is sent

    Your readiness file stays in your organization; no document or draft is sent to anyone without your approval.

Scope for now

Readiness checklists are ready for four industries for now: textiles, furniture, food and building materials. As requirements are published, answers update by themselves.

This is a suggestion; have your customs broker confirm it before any official filing.

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