What Is a Technical Regulation?
A Technical Regulation is a mandatory Saudi standard issued by SASO — the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization — that sets out the safety, health, environmental and quality requirements a specific category of products must meet before it can be placed on the Saudi market. Technical Regulations have the force of law. For products that fall within their scope, compliance is not a recommendation but a legal requirement enforced at the point of import.
Each Technical Regulation defines a scope, usually by HS codes, and then specifies exactly what compliance looks like for that category. It is the document that translates the general idea of "Saudi conformity" into concrete obligations for your particular product. Under the SABER system, the Technical Regulation is what the whole certification is measured against.
What a Technical Regulation Specifies
Every Technical Regulation lays out the requirements for the products in its scope. In practice, it tells you:
- Which products are covered — defined by HS codes and product descriptions
- Which standards apply — often referencing IEC, ISO, EN or equivalent Saudi (SASO) standards
- The type of conformity assessment required — self-declaration, third-party testing, factory inspection, or a combination
- The documentation needed to demonstrate conformity
- Labelling, marking and language requirements
- Any transition period before the regulation becomes mandatory
These specifications drive every downstream step of the SABER process — what you test, what you document, and which certificate you obtain. Get the regulation right and the rest of the process follows logically; get it wrong and you can test to the wrong standard entirely.
How the Regulation Decides Your Certification Route
The most important thing a Technical Regulation does for an exporter is determine whether the product is regulated or non-regulated — and therefore which certificates apply.
If a Technical Regulation covers your product, it is a regulated product. You need both a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) for the model and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) for every consignment. The regulation dictates the testing and documentation behind the PCoC.
If no Technical Regulation currently covers your product, it is non-regulated. You do not need a PCoC, but you still need an SCoC for each shipment, typically based on a declaration of conformity. There is no product-level certificate because there is no regulation to certify against.
This single distinction — regulated versus non-regulated — flows entirely from whether a Technical Regulation applies, which is why identifying the regulation is always the first substantive step.
Main Regulated Product Categories
SASO has issued Technical Regulations across a broad range of product families. While the exact list evolves, the major regulated categories exporters encounter include:
- Low-voltage electrical equipment and appliances
- Lighting products, including LED lights
- Cables and wires and electrical accessories such as switches
- Machinery and mechanical equipment, including pumps
- Building and construction materials
- Toys and children's products
- Textiles, garments and footwear and personal protective equipment
- Automotive parts, tyres and lubricants
- Chemical products and food-contact materials
Each of these families is governed by one or more specific Technical Regulations with their own standards and assessment requirements. Browse all the categories we support on our products page.
Regulations Change — Why You Must Re-check
The list of Technical Regulations is not static. SASO periodically introduces new regulations, updates existing ones, and moves product categories from non-regulated to regulated. When a new regulation is gazetted, it usually comes with a transition period, after which the regulated pathway becomes mandatory and the older approach is no longer accepted.
The practical consequence for exporters is that a product's status can change between shipments. A category that required only an SCoC last year may now require a full PCoC; a standard you tested to previously may have been superseded. This is also central to certificate renewal — at renewal, the current regulation applies, not the one in force when the original certificate was issued.
Never assume: Do not rely on the classification or standard from a past shipment. Before every new product launch or renewal, confirm the current Technical Regulation. An outdated assumption is one of the most common causes of shipment rejection at Saudi customs.
How to Identify the Right Technical Regulation
Identifying the correct regulation begins with the product's HS code, which maps to the scope definitions in SASO's regulations. From there, the product's technical characteristics are matched against the covered descriptions to confirm which regulation — and which standards within it — apply. For products that sit at the boundary between categories, or that combine features, this requires careful interpretation rather than a simple lookup.
This is where errors are most costly, because everything downstream depends on it. If you are unsure, our HS Code Guide explains how classification works, and we can identify the applicable Technical Regulation for your product directly — send us the product details and HS code for a specific assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SASO Technical Regulation?
It is a mandatory Saudi standard issued by SASO that sets the safety, health, environmental and quality requirements a category of products must meet to enter the Saudi market. Technical Regulations have the force of law and define, for the products in their scope, which standards apply, what conformity assessment is required, and what documentation and labelling are needed. They are the basis against which SABER certification is measured.
How does a Technical Regulation affect which certificate I need?
If a Technical Regulation covers your product, it is regulated and you need both a PCoC for the product model and an SCoC for each shipment. If no Technical Regulation applies, the product is non-regulated and needs only an SCoC per shipment, with no PCoC. So the regulation is what determines your entire certification route.
Which standards do Technical Regulations reference?
Technical Regulations commonly reference international standards such as IEC, ISO and EN, or equivalent Saudi (SASO) standards, depending on the product category. The specific standards named in the applicable regulation are the ones your product must be tested and shown to conform to. This is why identifying the correct regulation first is essential — it tells you exactly which standards apply.
How do I find the Technical Regulation for my product?
Start from the product's HS code, which maps to the scope of SASO's regulations, then match the product's technical characteristics against the covered descriptions. Products at the boundary of categories need careful interpretation. If you are unsure, send us the product details and HS code and we will identify the applicable Technical Regulation and the standards within it.
Do Technical Regulations change?
Yes. SASO periodically introduces new regulations, updates existing ones, and reclassifies products from non-regulated to regulated, usually with a transition period. A product's requirements can therefore change between shipments or at renewal, when the current regulation applies rather than the one in force originally. Always re-check the current regulation before a new launch or renewal.