Overview
Chemical products are a hazard-communication and restricted-substance product. Unlike a machine or an appliance, most chemicals are not "tested to pass" a performance standard — instead the certificate turns on whether the product is correctly classified under GHS (the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, adopted in the Gulf), whether the label and Safety Data Sheet reflect that classification in Arabic, whether the product is free of substances that Saudi Arabia restricts or bans, and whether the packaging and transport marking are compliant. Performance testing applies on top only for specific categories such as detergents and construction chemicals.
Chemical products fall under the SABER conformity scheme, generally within the Saudi framework for chemicals management and, for cleaning products, the detergents requirements. A Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) is required for the product, and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) is required for each consignment before it can clear Saudi customs. Some chemicals also need a separate chemical import permit. Paints, adhesives and lubricants have their own pages — paints & varnishes, adhesives & sealants and lubricants — and cosmetics, medicines, food additives and pesticides are regulated by other Saudi authorities, not through SABER.
Product Types
The SABER route and GHS / restricted-substance requirements apply across chemical products including:
- Household and industrial cleaning agents, detergents, dishwashing and laundry products
- Surface cleaners, degreasers, descalers and floor-care chemicals
- Industrial solvents, thinners and cleaning fluids
- Construction chemicals — concrete admixtures, curing compounds, grouts, hardeners, mould-release agents
- Water-treatment chemicals — for cooling towers, boilers and swimming pools
- Automotive chemicals — coolants / antifreeze, brake fluid, screen wash, AdBlue / DEF
- Specialty and process chemicals, inorganic and organic base chemicals
- Prepared binders, fluxes, foundry and metal-treatment chemicals
- Laboratory reagents and analytical chemicals
- Air fresheners, polishes and other consumer chemical products
The scope of your certificate is defined from the chemical composition, the GHS classification, the intended use, the pack sizes and the HS code, so the range you actually export is covered. Disinfectants and sanitisers making a biocidal claim may fall under a separate authority — we confirm this at assessment.
HS Codes
Chemical products are classified across several chapters depending on composition and preparation. These are examples only — the correct code depends on the exact product.
- Chapter 28 — Inorganic chemicals; compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements
- Chapter 29 — Organic chemicals
- 3402 — Organic surface-active agents; washing and cleaning preparations
- 3403 / 3405 — Lubricating preparations; polishes and creams for surfaces
- 3814 / 3824 — Organic composite solvents and thinners; prepared binders, admixtures and other chemical preparations of the chemical industry
Applicable Saudi Requirements
Chemical products are certified through SABER registration on the Saudi platform. The main requirements are:
- A valid PCoC issued against the applicable chemical and, where relevant, product-category requirements
- An SCoC for each individual shipment before customs clearance
- GHS classification of the substance or mixture — physical, health and environmental hazard classes and categories
- A hazard label in Arabic and English — product name, GHS pictograms, signal word, hazard (H) and precautionary (P) statements, supplier details
- A Safety Data Sheet in the 16-section GHS format, in Arabic, consistent with the label
- Restricted-substance evidence — free of ozone-depleting substances, persistent organic pollutants and other substances banned or controlled in Saudi Arabia
- For detergents and cleaning agents — surfactant biodegradability, phosphate limits, performance and skin / eye irritation data
- For construction chemicals — the applicable performance standard (for example EN 934-2 for concrete admixtures)
- UN-certified packaging, UN number, proper shipping name and transport marking for dangerous goods; child-resistant closures and tactile warnings for certain consumer chemicals
- A chemical import permit where the substance is on a controlled list, and a registered Saudi importer on the SABER platform
Technical Regulation
Chemical products are assessed under Saudi Arabia's framework for the management and labelling of chemicals, which adopts the GCC / UN GHS for classification and labelling, together with the requirements for the specific product category. Classification and labelling follow GSO GHS (the Gulf adoption of UN GHS Rev.); the Safety Data Sheet follows the GHS 16-section format (aligned with ISO 11014 / ANSI Z400.1 structure). Detergents and cleaning agents follow the SASO / GSO standards for washing and cleaning preparations — surfactant biodegradability (OECD 301 / ISO 11734 series), phosphate content, performance and dermal safety. Concrete admixtures follow EN 934-2; curing compounds ASTM C309; automotive coolant ASTM D3306 / D6210; brake fluid FMVSS 116 / SAE J1703 / J1704; AdBlue / DEF ISO 22241. Restricted substances follow the Montreal Protocol (ozone-depleting substances), the Stockholm Convention (persistent organic pollutants) and the Saudi controlled-chemicals and banned-substances lists. Dangerous-goods packaging and marking follow the UN Recommendations (IMDG / ADR). The exact regulation and standard set is confirmed at assessment. Our Technical Regulations guide explains how regulations are matched to products.
Testing / Standards
What is required depends on the chemical. Typical work includes:
- GHS classification review — from composition data, supplier SDS and hazard data for each ingredient
- Label and Safety Data Sheet review and preparation in Arabic
- Physicochemical data — flash point, pH, density, viscosity, corrosivity, oxidising / flammable properties
- Composition verification against the declared formulation
- Restricted-substance screening — ODS, POPs, heavy metals, benzene, formaldehyde, banned solvents as relevant
- Surfactant biodegradability and phosphate content (detergents)
- Cleaning performance and skin / eye irritation (cleaning agents)
- Admixture performance to EN 934-2 (construction chemicals)
- Coolant / brake-fluid / DEF specification testing (automotive chemicals)
- Packaging — UN drop / stack / pressure tests for dangerous-goods packaging
Existing accredited test reports and supplier data may be accepted where they cover the exact formulation and are within validity. We review your data before arranging any new product testing, so you only test what is genuinely missing.
Documents Required
A typical chemical-product application uses the set below; our full documents required guide explains each item.
- Commercial invoice and packing list, with product names and pack sizes
- HS code of the product range
- Full composition / formulation with CAS numbers and concentration ranges
- GHS classification for each product
- Draft label artwork in Arabic and English
- Safety Data Sheet in the 16-section GHS format, in Arabic
- Physicochemical and, where required, performance test reports
- Restricted-substance / non-ODS / non-POP declaration
- Dangerous-goods classification and UN packaging certificates where applicable
- Chemical import permit where the substance is controlled
- Manufacturer details and Saudi importer registration
PCoC Process
The Product Certificate of Conformity certifies the chemical-product range against the applicable requirements. In outline:
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Classification and scope
We confirm the composition, the GHS classification, the intended use, whether a product-category standard or import permit applies, the HS code and the range, and define what the certificate should cover.
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Label and SDS review
We check that the label and the Safety Data Sheet match each other, match the formulation, and meet the Arabic-language and GHS format requirements.
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Testing
An accredited laboratory carries out the physicochemical, restricted-substance and, where relevant, performance testing that the existing data does not cover.
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Technical review
An approved certification body reviews the classification, label, SDS and test evidence against the regulation.
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PCoC issued
Once the review is satisfied, the PCoC is issued on the SABER platform. It is typically valid for one year.
SCoC Process
A Shipment Certificate of Conformity is issued per consignment and is what customs checks at the border. In outline:
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Shipment details submitted
The invoice, packing list with products and quantities and the linked PCoC are submitted for the specific consignment, with dangerous-goods documentation where relevant.
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Verification
The shipment is verified against the valid PCoC, the products are checked against the declared classification, labelling and permits, and the SCoC fee is settled on the platform.
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SCoC issued
The SCoC is issued for that shipment, allowing it to clear Saudi customs. Each new shipment needs its own SCoC.
Certification Timeline
The main variable is whether a compliant GHS classification, Arabic label and Arabic SDS already exist for each product. Our SABER timeline guide covers this in detail.
- With correct GHS classification, a matching Arabic label and SDS and any needed test data — a PCoC can typically be arranged within a few working days
- When classification, label or SDS work is needed, or fresh physicochemical / performance testing — allow one to three weeks depending on the number of products and tests
- A controlled-substance import permit is a separate approval and should be started early
- SCoC — normally issued quickly per shipment once a valid PCoC is in place
Common Problems
- Label and Safety Data Sheet that do not match — different pictograms, statements or hazard classes
- Safety Data Sheet supplied only in English, or not in the 16-section GHS format
- A hazardous mixture classified and labelled as non-hazardous
- SDS composition section not matching the declared formulation
- Dangerous goods shipped without UN packaging, UN number or transport marking
- Detergent with no surfactant biodegradability data or over the phosphate limit
- A controlled or restricted substance shipped without the required import permit
- Consumer chemical missing a child-resistant closure or tactile danger warning where required
We check these points up front — above all the alignment of the label, the SDS and the formula — so consignments are not held at customs for avoidable reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHS and why does it matter for SABER?
GHS is the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. It defines a common set of hazard classes, pictograms, signal words and standard statements. Saudi Arabia, through the GCC, requires chemical products to be classified and labelled to GHS and to carry a GHS-format Safety Data Sheet. The SABER certificate for a chemical is built around that classification.
Does the label and Safety Data Sheet have to be in Arabic?
Yes. The hazard label must be in Arabic (English alongside is accepted) and the Safety Data Sheet must be available in Arabic, in the 16-section GHS format. An English-only SDS or label is one of the most common reasons a chemical shipment is rejected.
Is this the same as the Paints or Adhesives certificate?
No. Paints and varnishes, and adhesives and sealants, are specific chemical products with their own pages and their own added requirements (VOC and lead limits for paint, bond performance for adhesives). Lubricants also have their own page. This page is the umbrella for other chemicals — cleaning agents, solvents, construction and industrial chemicals — where GHS classification and labelling are the core of the certificate.
Do cleaning products and detergents need performance testing?
Usually yes, in addition to GHS labelling. Detergents and cleaning agents are subject to the SASO / GSO requirements for washing and cleaning preparations — surfactant biodegradability, phosphate limits, cleaning performance and skin / eye irritation data. We confirm the exact set at assessment.
How much does SABER certification for chemical products cost and how long does it take?
It depends mainly on how many products are in the range and whether each already has a correct GHS classification, an Arabic label and an Arabic SDS. When those are in place, a PCoC can often be arranged within a few working days; classification and SDS authoring, or fresh testing, adds one to three weeks. Send your formulations and existing documentation for a specific quote and timeline at no cost. See our SABER certificate cost guide.
Which products and HS codes does this cover?
The same SABER route applies across cleaning and washing preparations (HS 3402), polishes (HS 3405), organic composite solvents and thinners (HS 3814), prepared binders and chemical preparations (HS 3824), and inorganic and organic base chemicals (HS Chapters 28 and 29). Cosmetics, medicines, food additives and pesticides are regulated by other Saudi authorities. We confirm the correct classification and route for your exact product during assessment.
Get Your Chemical Products Certified
Send us your product names, full formulations with CAS numbers, the intended use, pack sizes, the HS code and any GHS classifications, labels, Safety Data Sheets or test reports you hold. We will confirm the GHS classification, prepare or review the Arabic label and SDS, check restricted substances and import-permit needs, review your testing, and coordinate the PCoC and each SCoC so your shipments clear Saudi customs without delay.