Is a SABER Certificate Required for Machinery?
Yes. Industrial machinery and mechanical equipment fall under the Saudi Technical Regulation for Machinery Safety and are treated as regulated products on the SABER platform. A Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) must be obtained for the machine model before a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) can be issued for each consignment and the equipment cleared through Saudi customs.
Machinery conformity is driven by a risk assessment rather than a single test. The manufacturer must identify the hazards of the machine — mechanical, electrical, thermal, noise and control-system hazards — and show that each has been reduced to an acceptable level through design, guarding and safety devices. The technical file supporting that assessment is central to the certificate.
Applicable Technical Regulations
Machinery is certified through SABER registration and is generally assessed against the following frameworks. The exact regulation, machine type-standard and scope are confirmed at the assessment stage based on the equipment and its HS code.
- Technical Regulation for Machinery Safety — the primary regulation covering mechanical, guarding and control-system safety of machines and mechanical equipment
- Electrical safety of machinery — IEC 60204-1 (electrical equipment of machines) where the machine is electrically powered
- Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements — for machines containing electronic drives, controls or PLCs
- Pressure Equipment Technical Regulation — where the machine incorporates pressure vessels, receivers or compressed-air/hydraulic circuits above threshold limits
- Machine type (C-type) standards — for example ISO 12100 (general risk assessment) plus the specific standard for presses, conveyors, pumps, compressors or the relevant machine family
Testing & Conformity Assessment Requirements
Machinery conformity combines documentary assessment with targeted testing. Depending on the machine, the following are typically required:
- Risk assessment to ISO 12100 covering all significant hazards over the machine life-cycle
- Electrical safety verification to IEC 60204-1 — insulation, protective bonding, emergency stop and residual-energy checks
- EMC testing for machines with variable-speed drives, electronic controls or communication interfaces
- Functional safety of the control system (safety-related parts) where guarding relies on interlocks or light curtains
- Noise emission measurement where the machine type-standard requires it
Where a machine already carries a valid Declaration of Conformity to the EU Machinery Directive, the underlying test reports and technical file can often be reused. We assess your existing documentation first and arrange product testing only where evidence is genuinely missing.
SABER Certificate Requirements for Industrial Machinery
The typical document set for a machinery SABER application is below; our full documents required guide explains each item in more detail.
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Machine photographs including the rating plate / nameplate
- Technical file — risk assessment, general-arrangement drawings and circuit diagrams
- List of standards applied and any test reports (electrical safety, EMC)
- Declaration of Conformity from the manufacturer
- Operating and maintenance manual (Arabic/English)
- HS code and Saudi importer registration details
How We Help
- Classify the machine and confirm the regulation
We identify whether the equipment falls under the Machinery Safety Technical Regulation and flag any pressure or electrical sub-scopes that also apply.
- Review the technical file and existing reports
We check your risk assessment, drawings and any CE reports, and identify only the evidence that is genuinely missing.
- Coordinate targeted testing
We arrange any required electrical-safety or EMC testing with an accepted laboratory for the specific model.
- Obtain the PCoC and process each SCoC
We secure the Product Certificate with the certification body and process the Shipment Certificate for every consignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does used or second-hand machinery need SABER certification?
In most cases, yes. Regulated machinery is assessed on the same safety basis whether new or used, and used equipment often needs additional evidence that it still meets the requirements. Some used-machinery imports are also subject to separate Saudi rules on age and condition, which we confirm before shipment.
Is my EU Machinery Directive Declaration of Conformity accepted?
The EU DoC itself is not Saudi conformity, but the technical file and test reports behind it are usually reusable if they cover the specific model and applicable standards. This often reduces the work needed to obtain the SABER PCoC significantly.
What is the difference between the product certificate and the shipment certificate?
The PCoC confirms the machine model meets the applicable regulations and is typically valid for one year. The SCoC is issued per consignment and is required for each individual shipment. Both are needed to clear customs.
How much does SABER certification for machinery cost and how long does it take?
It depends mainly on the completeness of the technical file and whether valid test reports already exist. When a sound risk assessment and acceptable electrical-safety/EMC reports are available, a machinery PCoC can often be arranged within a short window; if the technical file needs work or testing is missing, that becomes the main variable. Send your file and reports and we will give you a specific quote and timeline at no cost. See our SABER certificate cost guide.
Which machinery and HS codes does this cover?
The same SABER route applies across most industrial and mechanical equipment — presses, machine tools, conveyors, pumps, compressors, packaging and processing lines and similar — generally classified under HS Chapter 84 (machinery and mechanical appliances). The precise HS code and machine family determine the applicable type-standard, so we confirm the correct classification during assessment.
Do custom-built or one-off machines still need certification?
Yes. A machine built to order is assessed on the same safety basis as a series product — the difference is that the risk assessment and technical file are prepared for that specific unit. We help structure the evidence so a bespoke machine can obtain its PCoC without a full production-line certification.