Saudi Arabia SASO 3114:2026: new standard schedule for ICT equipment

In Saudi Arabia the conformity of a product group is established through the technical regulation corresponding to that group and the standards it refers to. When a standard is updated, the certificates issued on the SABER platform also begin to be assessed against the new edition.

This does not mean that an existing Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) is automatically invalid; but the new standard is applied when the certificate is renewed or a new product is added. The difference becomes apparent when the certificate expires.

For information and communication technology products, conformity is generally established on three axes: electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility and, where present, the radio interface. The product's energy efficiency and labelling obligations may be added as a further axis.

A standard update does not affect all these axes to the same extent. The first task is therefore to determine which axis the update changes and which part of the existing test report remains usable.

Asking the conformity assessment body (CAB) for a list of differences is the quickest route: which tests will be repeated, which report remains valid and which date governs the conversion of the certificate all become clear from it.

The second step is reviewing the product and model list. If some models in the same family meet the new standard and others do not, the shipping plan must be divided accordingly.

This article concerns how the process works; for the publication and application dates of the standard, the SASO announcement and the notice from the CAB you work with govern.

In Saudi Arabia two layers work together; confusing them is the most common mistake. The standards body publishes technical regulations setting which standards apply, the evidence form, and labelling rules.

The electronic platform is how these regulations are applied: product registration, issuing the certificate, and per-shipment confirmation happen there.

Practical result: when a new regulation is published, the task is not just renewing registration; the product must be assessed against the new standards. Registration is the outcome of that assessment.

For this group, requirements typically fall on three axes: electrical safety, EMC, and radio interface where present. Energy efficiency and labelling also apply to certain sub-groups.

If the product has a radio interface, national spectrum regulation applies separately; the product certificate does not automatically cover radio requirements.

The Arabic label/manual requirement is a shipping condition independent of technical conformity; a fully compliant product can still be held at customs over labelling.

Regulation effective dates and transition periods can change; deferred or staged timetables are common in this market. So plan for two scenarios, not one date: what to do if the timetable holds, and if it moves up.

Controllable items come first: analysing whether existing reports meet the new standard, planning missing tests, preparing the Arabic label and manual. These can be completed regardless of the timetable.

The uncontrollable item is the authority's workload; so registration and certificate applications are not left to the last day.