The short answer
If you only need the expansions, they are:
- SASO — Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. The government body that writes Saudi standards and Technical Regulations.
- SABER — the name of Saudi Arabia's electronic conformity platform, where products are registered and certificates are issued. It is a platform name rather than a conventional English acronym.
- PCoC — Product Certificate of Conformity. Issued per product model, typically valid one year.
- SCoC — Shipment Certificate of Conformity. Issued per consignment, needed before that shipment clears customs.
- CoC — Certificate of Conformity. The umbrella term; on the SABER platform it takes the two specific forms above.
- SALEEM — the Saudi Product Safety Programme that SABER was built to deliver.
- TR — Technical Regulation. The rulebook for a product category.
- CAB — Conformity Assessment Body. The approved organisation that reviews your file and issues the certificate.
The rest of this page explains what each one means in practice, because knowing the words behind the letters is rarely the part that actually helps.
SASO — the authority, not the certificate
SASO stands for the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It is the Saudi government body responsible for national standards, metrology and product quality. SASO writes the Technical Regulations that decide what a product must comply with before it can be sold in the Kingdom.
The most common mistake is asking for a “SASO certificate” as though SASO issued it directly. SASO sets the rules; it does not personally certify your consignment. What you actually obtain is a certificate issued through the SABER platform by an approved Conformity Assessment Body, against a SASO Technical Regulation. Our SASO certification page covers this distinction in more depth.
SABER — the platform
SABER is the electronic platform through which Saudi conformity is registered and certificates are issued. Unlike SASO it is not a conventional English acronym — it is the name given to the online system built to deliver the Saudi Product Safety Programme, SALEEM.
Everything practical happens here: the Saudi importer registers the product, an approved body reviews the technical file, fees are settled, and the certificates are raised. If someone tells you a shipment is “stuck in SABER”, they mean the registration or the certificate has not completed on this platform. See SABER certification for how the platform works end to end.
PCoC — Product Certificate of Conformity
PCoC stands for Product Certificate of Conformity. It certifies that a product model meets the applicable Saudi Technical Regulation, based on test reports, technical documentation and marking evidence.
A PCoC is tied to the product, not to a shipment. It is typically valid for one year, and one PCoC can cover many consignments of the same model during that period. It is the slower and more involved of the two certificates, because it is where testing and technical review happen. Full detail on our PCoC certificate page.
SCoC — Shipment Certificate of Conformity
SCoC stands for Shipment Certificate of Conformity. It certifies a specific consignment and is what Saudi customs checks at the border.
An SCoC is raised per shipment, against a valid PCoC, using that shipment's invoice and packing list. Every new consignment needs its own SCoC even when nothing about the product has changed. It is normally quick to obtain — provided the PCoC behind it is valid. See SCoC certificate.
The other initials you will meet
- CoC — Certificate of Conformity. The general term for a conformity certificate. Before SABER, Saudi Arabia used a pre-shipment SASO CoC issued in the country of export; today the equivalent is delivered as a PCoC plus an SCoC. See Certificate of Conformity for Saudi Arabia.
- SALEEM. The Saudi Product Safety Programme — the policy framework SABER was created to administer.
- TR — Technical Regulation. The document setting out what a product category must comply with. Which TR applies is the first question in any assessment. See Technical Regulations.
- CAB — Conformity Assessment Body. The SASO-approved organisation that reviews your file and issues certificates on the platform. Also called a certification body. See approved certification bodies.
- SADAD. The Saudi national payment system used to settle platform fees.
- IECEE CB. An international scheme for electrical safety test reports. Confusingly close to “CAB” in conversation, but a completely different thing — a CB report is evidence you submit, not a certificate you receive.
- GCC / G-Mark. A separate Gulf conformity marking scheme. It does not replace SABER for Saudi Arabia.
How they fit together
In sequence, for a regulated product: SASO publishes a Technical Regulation covering your product category. You test and document the product against it. A CAB reviews that evidence on the SABER platform and issues a PCoC for the model. For each consignment you then raise an SCoC against that PCoC, and customs releases the goods.
Miss any link and the shipment stops. The most common break is a valid PCoC with no SCoC raised for the particular container sitting at the port.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full form of SABER?
SABER is the name of Saudi Arabia's electronic conformity platform rather than a conventional English acronym. It is the online system built to deliver SALEEM, the Saudi Product Safety Programme, and it is where products are registered and where PCoC and SCoC certificates are issued.
What is the full form of SCoC?
SCoC stands for Shipment Certificate of Conformity. It is issued for one specific consignment, against a valid PCoC, and it is the document Saudi customs checks before releasing the goods. Every shipment needs its own SCoC.
What is the full form of PCoC?
PCoC stands for Product Certificate of Conformity. It certifies a product model against the applicable Saudi Technical Regulation and is typically valid for one year, covering multiple shipments of that model.
What does SASO stand for?
SASO stands for the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It is the Saudi government body that writes national standards and Technical Regulations. SASO sets the requirements; the certificates themselves are issued by approved conformity assessment bodies through the SABER platform.
What is the difference between SASO and SABER?
SASO is the authority that writes the rules. SABER is the electronic platform where compliance with those rules is registered and certified. Asking for a “SASO certificate” usually means asking for a SABER-issued PCoC or SCoC against a SASO Technical Regulation.
Is a CoC the same as a PCoC or an SCoC?
CoC — Certificate of Conformity — is the umbrella term. Under the SABER system it takes two specific forms: the PCoC for the product model and the SCoC for the individual shipment. If a Saudi buyer asks for “the CoC”, they usually mean the SCoC for the consignment they are expecting.