SASO RoHS Saudi Arabia

SASO RoHS

• SASO Product Safety Program (SPSP): Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
• SASO RoHS: Management of hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment.
• Part of the "SASO Product Safety Program" (SPSP).
• EEE must be certified to SASO RoHS to comply (some exclusions apply).
• Regulatory Body: SASO (Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization).
• Published Date: July 09, 2021.
• Enforcement date: January 5, 2022, for all product categories.
• Type 1 Certification and conformity assessment to IEC Standards required.
• IEC 63000: Technical documentation for assessing EEE concerning hazardous substance restrictions (IEC 63000:2016).
• Sustainability & Growth: SASO RoHS Certificates have one-year validity; annual renewal through file review only.

Product Scope

Six categories under which EEE can fall within the scope of SASO RoHS requirements:

1. Large & Small Household Appliances (Refrigerators, Freezers, Washing Machines, Electric Stoves, Microwaves)
2. Information and Communication Technology Equipment (Computers, Servers, Cell Phones, Printers)
3. Electrical and Electronic Tools and equipment. (Drills, Sewing Machine, Saws, Welders)
4. Lighting Equipment (Lamps, Portable Stadium Lighting, Flashlight)
5. Games, Entertainment Devices and Sports Equipment (Video Games, Hand-held video game consoles)
6. Monitoring & Control Instruments (Heating Regulators, Thermostats, control panels, laboratory equipment)

Restricted Substances & Limits

Enforcement Dates of SASO RoHS

Product Exclusions

The regulation's scope does not include the subsequent equipment

1. Weapons and Military Equipment
2. Equipment Intended for Space Travel
3. Large Scale Stationary Industrial Tools (LSSIT)
4. Medical Devices
5. Large Scale Fixed Installations (LSFI)
6. Transportation Means for People or Goods
7. Batteries and Accumulators

Material Exclusions Examples) Refer to Annex (1-a) For Details(

Restrictions on specific materials in various applications :

• Mercury in single-capped compact fluorescent lamps, with or without integrated ballast, not exceeding (per burner).
• Mercury in double-capped linear fluorescent lamps without integrated ballast for general lighting, not exceeding (per lamp).
• Mercury in other fluorescent lamps without integrated ballast, not exceeding (per lamp).
• Mercury in other low-pressure discharge lamps (per lamp): 15mg.
• Mercury in High-Pressure Sodium (vapor) lamps for general lighting with improved color rendering index Ra > 60, not exceeding (per burner).
• Mercury in other High-Pressure Sodium (vapor) lamps for general lighting, not exceeding (per burner).
• (a, b, c) Mercury content in various other lamps.
• (a, b) Lead in Glass.
• (a, b) Lead as alloying element.
• (a, b) Lead in copper alloy.
• (a, b, c, d) Lead in diverse applications.
• Cadmium and its compounds in electrical contacts.
• Hexavalent chromium up to 0.75% by weight as an anticorrosion agent in carbon steel cooling systems of absorption refrigerators.
• Lead in bearing shells and bushes for refrigerant-containing compressors in HVACR applications.
• (a, b) Lead and Cadmium.
• (Lead in solders for electrical connections in integrated circuit flip chip packages.
• Lead halide as a radiant agent in HID lamps for professional reprography applications.
• Lead as activator in discharge lamps for specialty applications (1% lead by weight or less).
• Lead and cadmium in printing inks for enamels on glasses.
• Lead in solders for ceramic multilayer capacitors.
• Lead oxide in SED structural elements, like seal frit and frit ring.
• Cadmium alloys in solder joints for high-powered loudspeakers (100 dB (A) and more).
• Lead in soldering materials for mercury-free flat fluorescent lamps.
• Lead oxide in seal frit for Argon and Krypton laser tubes window assemblies.
• Lead in solders for thin copper wires (100 μm diameter and less) in power transformers.
• Lead in cermet-based trimmer potentiometer elements.
• Lead in the plating layer of high voltage diodes with zinc borate glass body.
• Cadmium and cadmium oxide in thick film pastes used on aluminum bonded beryllium oxide.
• Lead associated with crystal glass.

Certification offers safeguarding of a customer's brand reputation by collaborating with a reliable partner.

In accordance with SASO regulations, only test reports accredited under ISO 17025 standard are accepted.

SASO RoHS Conformity Route

Analytical Testing

• IEC 63000 evaluation report
• IEC 62321 test report – all electrical components
• RoHS Risk Assessment
• BOM

Risk Assessment

• IEC 63000 evaluation report
• IEC 62321 test report –3High Risk Components
• RoHS Risk Assessment
• BOM
• Material Declaration Specification (IEC 62474)

Requirements are different among different NBs (National Bureau of Standards), Consult ComplyMarket about the best-notified body for your business.

Certification Issuance Options

1. Importers undergo training to submit the SABER application by product family, rather than for individual products.
2. The notified body receives the application and requests the RoHS technical documents from the manufacturer.
3. There are two cases to consider:

• • Option A
  • Option B

Option A: For products without a Bill of Materials (BOM), a testing report of three high-risk components is required.

1. The certification process requires completion of an application form, request certification form, and certification agreement.
2. Conditions for establishing and maintaining certification include paying fees, providing product information, and allowing access for surveillance activities.
3. A production quality plan is a set of documents detailing quality practices, resources, and processes for a specific product.
4. Construction design drawings illustrate the product's function, construction, dimensions, and annotation.
5. A bill of materials (BoM) with material specifications is a list of raw materials, sub-assemblies, parts, and quantities needed to manufacture an end product.
6. The RoHS test report (IEC 62321 standards) must cover the full product, including the bill of materials (BoM), and can use a representative sample.
7. An ISO QMS certificate or QMS system documentation is necessary to show the organization's policies and processes for creating and delivering products/services to customers.
8. If the submitted test report represents a type of product, a declaration of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) similarity may be required to confirm similarity between tested and untested models.
9. A Product Identity Declaration (PID) may be needed if the product is submitted under a new brand name or model number that is different from the approved designation.
10. A user manual must be provided in both Arabic and English, which includes step-by-step instructions for assembling, installing, and using the product, as well as an introduction to its main features and troubleshooting instructions.
11. A copy of the product rating label must be included, clearly identifying the brand, model number, electrical characteristics, and country of origin.

Option B: For products with a BOM, a declaration of conformity is sufficient.

1. To obtain certification, a completed application form and signed certification agreement must be provided, along with payment of fees.
2. The certification agreement covers conditions for establishing and maintaining certification, including providing information about changes to the certified product and allowing access for surveillance activities.
3. A production quality plan must be included, which details standards, quality practices, resources, and processes relevant to the specific product.
4. Construction design drawings must be provided, showing how the product functions and its dimensions and annotation.
5. A bill of materials including material specification sheet is required, listing all raw materials, sub-assemblies, intermediate assemblies, sub-components, parts, and quantities needed to manufacture the end product. Additionally, a RoHS product risk assessment (IEC 63000) is required to identify critical components that may pose a risk to the final product.
6. An accredited RoHS test report (IEC 62321 standards) must cover at least three critical components identified by the risk assessment, and the sample selected can be representative of the product type.
7. An ISO QMS certificate or documentation of the organization's policies, processes, and procedures for creating and delivering products/services is required.
8. A declaration of EEE similarity may be required to confirm the similarity between tested and untested models, if the submitted test report represents a type of product.
9. A product identity declaration may be necessary if the applicant requests approval for a product under a new brand name or model number not approved by the original manufacturer.
10. A user manual with step-by-step instructions in Arabic and English, an introduction to the main features, and troubleshooting instructions is required.
11. A product rating label that clearly identifies the brand, model number, electrical characteristics, and country of origin must be included.
12. Certifications are valid for one year for both option A and B.

Common Requirements

To import a product, the following documents and certifications are typically required:

1. ISO 9001 certificate from the manufacturer, or an equivalent certification.
2. Warning, caution, and manuals for the safe and proper use of the product.
3. Certificate of origin, which must comply with SASO circular 23/03/2022, and must be issued by the Chamber of Commerce.
4. Declaration of conformity, signed by the manufacturer, which can be generic, and may include an attached Excel sheet listing all product models.
5. Generic risk assessment document for the final product type, which should cover:
   • Chemical risks in case of long-term contact with the product.
   • Physical risks in case of contact with the product, such as slips, trips, and falls.
   • Electrical risks, including electrical shocks.
   • Fire hazards.
   • Any other expected or unforeseeable risks associated with the product.

Option C (SQM):

1. Esay Process for customers and more competitiveness
2. Capability to apply for governmental tenders
3. With SQM, you will have the complete control on the importing process and only shipments certificate will be required and ist free of charge
4. There will be no need for importers to get PCOC. Importers will no longer need to pay any money under the SQM certifcate and they will need only the shipping certifcate
5. Avoid the proble that the current system will allow importers to see the technical files in SABER System from 30th of September 2022
6. The SASO Quality Mark (SQM) is a symbol of conformity that is granted to products that comply with relevant national standards set by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) in Saudi Arabia. It serves as proof that the manufacturer has implemented an effective quality management system to ensure ongoing compliance with these standards.
7. To obtain the SQM license, manufacturers must undergo a comprehensive evaluation of their product and quality system through auditing, testing, and inspection.
8. The SQM is both a voluntary and mandatory mark. If manufacturers want to increase consumer confidence in their products not regulated by SASO, the SQM can be chosen as a voluntary mark. However,
9. Some products are subject to regulation and that require the SQM as a mandatory mark. These products include:
10. Building materials, Part I: Reinforcing Steel (rebar) for buildings

• • • Building materials, Part III: Cement and concrete
    • Building materials, Part IV: Bricks, tiles, ceramics, and sanitary ware
    • Gas appliances and their accessories

Ahmed Sakr

Product Compliance Consultant 

ComplyMarket UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)