Saudi Arabia updates SABER tariff codes from 1 January 2026
SASO notified on 18 November 2025 an update to the tariff codes used in SABER, the mandatory conformity certification platform for importing into Saudi Arabia. The change has been effective since 1 January 2026.
Published · Updated
SABER (Saudi Product Safety Program) is the platform through which every conformity certification, product or shipment, required to clear customs in Saudi Arabia must pass. The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) notified on 18 November 2025 an overhaul of the tariff codes used on this platform, effective from 1 January 2026.
The update aligns SABER with the 12-digit harmonised system code list published by the Saudi customs authority, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA). Several existing codes, used notably for textiles, construction materials, electrical goods and vehicles subject to SASO technical regulations, are removed and replaced.
Since 1 January 2026, a certificate application filed with an old code is rejected by the system. Certificates already issued before that date, whether a Product Certificate of Conformity (P-CoC) or a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (S-CoC), remain valid until their expiry; Saudi customs reassigns the new code at the border crossing.
All exporters and importers who must obtain a SABER certificate to sell into Saudi Arabia are affected, particularly in electronics, toys, textiles, construction materials and certain vehicles. A standard customs duty of 5% on CIF value also applies to most products, on top of a 15% import VAT.
What it changes for an importer
For a client selling into Saudi Arabia, a SABER application filed with an outdated HS code after 1 January 2026 is rejected and delays shipment. Sorva checks with the factory, before launching the SABER application, that the correct 12-digit HS code is used; the certification itself and its filing on SABER remain the responsibility of the account holder, generally the Saudi importer or their agent.
The certifications your country requires
In US dollars, on quotation, added to the same core service.
Saudi Arabia SABER certification
On quotationIn US dollars
On the SABER platform of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), a regulated product needs a product certificate of conformity, then a shipment certificate for each consignment.
- Identification of the technical regulation that applies to your product
- Test reports and technical sheet obtained from the factory
- Liaison with the certification body you choose
- Follow-up of the shipment certificate for each consignment
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