New Electrical/Electronic Device Regulations in Saudi Arabia

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On Dec. 16, 2021, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) circulated a notification regarding the final implementation dates for the new RoHS technical regulation, “Technical Regulation for Restriction of hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.”

In order to allow manufacturers and suppliers additional time to comply with the technical requirements of the new regulation, SASO decided to postpone implementation of the new regulation for six months and enforce the new regulation gradually according to the following dates:

New regulation on electrical and electronic devices in Saudi Arabia

As electrical and electronic equipment become an essential part of everyday life, governments and organizations are responding with thoughtful and actionable regulations to safeguard consumers and the environment. A Middle East-based technical government body, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), recently published a regulation regarding hazardous substances in this thriving commercial sector.

SASO’s Technical Regulation for Limiting Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Appliances and Equipment aims to secure the health and safety of consumers as well as the environment by regulating content cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls ethers. The regulation also outlines mandatory conformity assessment procedures.

Applicable categories

The regulation applies to a broad range of electrical and electronic devices and spare parts in these categories:

1. Large and small home appliances.
2. Information and communication technology equipment
3. Lighting equipment
4. Electrical and electronic tools and equipment
5. Games, entertainment devices, and sports equipment.
6. Monitoring and control tools

However, some categories of electrical and electronic devices are excluded, such as:

• Equipment bound for space
• Medical equipment
• Military weapons and equipment
• Large-scale fixed installations 
• Large-scale stationary industrial tools

How suppliers can achieve conformity

SASO is in the process of developing guidelines to clarify dates and details regarding conformity assessment procedures and documentation requirements. UL is in close communication with SASO and will communicate changes to customers as guidelines are finalized.

Suppliers of applicable products must obtain RoHS approval through the SABER platform in the form of a Certificate of Conformity issued by a SASO approved notified body. A  mandatory system, SABER facilitates the online certification of imports into Saudi Arabia and will eventually become the sole system for clearing goods through Saudi customs.

To secure a RoHS certificate, suppliers must follow one of two conformity assessment options. The first option requires a supplier to provide a test report for the complete product. Alternately, the supplier may submit a report for at least three critical materials, parts or subassemblies prioritized through a risk assessment.

All reports must be issued by an ISO/IEC 17025 -accredited testing laboratory; suppliers may not submit their own reporting data.

Navigate compliance with UL’s testing and certification solutions

As a global safety science leader, we have helped develop more than 1,600 standards defining safety, security, quality and sustainability. UL’s rich knowledge across markets helps suppliers support the development of safer products and speed time to market.

We feature SABER-Notified Bodies and RoHS testing laboratories around the world. UL offers RoHS testing to SASO standards for the Saudi Arabian market and can be bundled with other procedures to comply with RoHS regulations in other areas.

UL also streamlines the SABER process, by offering account management services to facilitate product registrations, applications and payments. Our team can also manage the preliminary preparation and review of critical documents. 

Our services can facilitate your RoHS application by leveraging extensive regulatory experience and a local presence in the region to help streamline the process and help ensure you follow up-to-date regulatory requirements.

To learn more about new SASO regulations, register for an on-demand webinar hosted by UL’s experts.