Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) said in 2018 it will issue eight new bylaws to moderate importing different products to the Kingdom. Saud Al-Askar, deputy governor of SASO, told Saudi Gazette that they will include within a month different chargers, clothes and pressure cookers to the list.

We have issued 17 documents for bylaws moderating the import of products that directly affect health and safety of consumers such as construction and machines. The plan is to arrange 40 documents for different products.

According to him there are more than 70 companies listed at SASO, and these companies are permitted to give certificate of conformity to different kinds of products. About 7 of these companies are authorized to issue SASO certificates to car spare parts that are not imported from car manufacturing companies.

If the company providing the certificate is accused of any violation a committee of SASO, custom department and the Ministry of Commerce and Investment will look into the issue. The violation if documented might result in the company being asked to pay compensation. Al-Askar also said that the company might be blacklisted and it might be deprived from giving certificates of conformity.

Al-Askar joined Faisal Al-Baddah, head of overseas trade committee at Saudi Customs, in a workshop addressing the new regulations to moderate import of motor spare parts.

The Saudi car agencies importing from car companies will not be required to provide certificate of conformity and instead they will be required to provide a self-declared letter, valid for three years, from the motor company. The previous procedures demanded the interference of a third party that offered the certificate of conformity. However, for companies that do not import spare parts from car manufacturing companies they need to provide certificates of conformity.