What Is a Conformity Assessment Body?
A Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) — often referred to as an approved or notified certification body — is an organisation authorised by SASO to assess whether products meet the applicable Saudi Technical Regulations and to issue the corresponding SABER certificates. When your PCoC or SCoC is issued, it is a CAB that reviews the evidence and issues it through the SABER platform.
In other words, SASO writes the rules, SABER is the platform, and the CAB is the accredited party that judges conformity and grants the certificate. No exporter or importer can self-issue a SABER certificate; it must come from an approved body. This independent assessment is what gives the certificate its authority at Saudi customs.
How Certification Bodies Are Approved
Certification bodies do not appoint themselves. To operate within the SABER system, a CAB must be accredited and authorised by SASO for specific scopes — that is, for particular product categories and the Technical Regulations that govern them. A body approved to certify electrical products is not automatically approved to certify, say, toys or building materials; each scope is granted separately based on the body's demonstrated competence.
This scope-based accreditation matters directly to exporters, because it means you must use a body approved for your product category. Choosing a CAB that is not accredited for your product's Technical Regulation means it cannot issue your certificate. Part of getting certification right is simply matching the product to a correctly-scoped body — something we handle as a matter of course.
What a Certification Body Does in the Process
Within the SABER process, the CAB is the party that carries out the conformity assessment and issues the certificates. Its role typically includes:
- Reviewing the technical documentation and product information submitted
- Assessing test reports against the applicable Technical Regulation and standards
- Determining whether product testing or a factory audit is required
- Evaluating conformity and issuing the PCoC for the product model
- Issuing the SCoC for each shipment, including any pre-shipment inspection
The quality of your submission directly affects how quickly the CAB can act. A complete, correctly-scoped application moves through assessment efficiently; gaps or the wrong standard trigger queries that add time. This is why we review documentation thoroughly before it reaches the body.
How to Choose the Right Certification Body
For most exporters, choosing a CAB is not something to do blind. The right body depends on several practical factors:
- Scope — it must be accredited for your product's category and Technical Regulation
- Testing capability — access to, or recognition of, laboratories that can test to the required standards
- Turnaround — realistic assessment times that fit your shipping schedule
- Cost — fee structure for the PCoC, per-shipment SCoC and any inspection
- Coordination — willingness to work with the exporter and the Saudi importer efficiently
Rather than have you evaluate bodies individually, we match your product to an appropriately-accredited CAB and manage the relationship on your behalf — coordinating documentation, testing and issuance so the process runs cleanly. See our cost page for how the associated fees fit together.
Our Role Between You and the Certification Body
We are not the certification body — the CAB is the accredited, independent party that issues your certificate. What we do is sit between you, your Saudi importer and the CAB to make the process work. We identify the correct Technical Regulation, match the product to a correctly-scoped body, prepare and review the documentation, arrange any required testing, and coordinate submission and issuance through SABER.
The value of that coordination is real: most delays with certification bodies come from incomplete submissions, wrong-scope applications or test reports to the wrong standard — all avoidable with the right preparation. By getting the submission right before it reaches the CAB, we shorten the assessment and reduce the risk of rejection. Learn more about our full service on the services page.
Note: Because a PCoC is tied to the importer's SABER account and the specific product model, using the right certification body from the start avoids having to re-certify later. Getting the body and scope right the first time is part of planning an efficient Saudi supply chain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SABER approved certification body?
It is a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) accredited by SASO to assess products against Saudi Technical Regulations and issue SABER certificates — the PCoC for a product model and the SCoC for each shipment. Certificates cannot be self-issued by an exporter or importer; they must come from an approved body, whose independent assessment is what gives the certificate authority at Saudi customs.
Can any certification body issue my SABER certificate?
No. A CAB is accredited by SASO for specific scopes — particular product categories and their Technical Regulations. A body approved for electrical products is not automatically approved for toys or building materials. You must use a body accredited for your product's category, otherwise it cannot legally issue your certificate. Matching the product to a correctly-scoped body is an essential part of the process.
How do I choose the right certification body?
Consider scope (it must cover your product's Technical Regulation), testing capability, realistic turnaround times, fee structure, and how well the body coordinates with the exporter and Saudi importer. Rather than evaluate bodies yourself, you can have us match your product to an appropriately-accredited CAB and manage the relationship, which avoids the common mistake of applying to a body that is not accredited for your product.
Are you a certification body?
No. We are an independent compliance-support service, not a Conformity Assessment Body. The CAB is the accredited party that issues your certificate. Our role is to coordinate the whole process — identifying the Technical Regulation, matching a correctly-scoped body, preparing and reviewing documentation, arranging testing, and managing submission and issuance through SABER — so the certification runs smoothly and without avoidable delay.
Why does the choice of certification body affect my timeline?
The body carries out the conformity assessment and issues the certificate, so its scope, testing access and turnaround directly shape how quickly you are certified. Using a body that is not accredited for your product, or submitting an incomplete or wrong-standard application, triggers queries and rework that add time. A correctly-scoped body with a complete, well-prepared submission is what keeps the timeline short.