SABER DESKSaber Desk · Free article
Saudi RoHS: the IEC 63000 technical file your PCoC depends on
What Saudi RoHS is
Saudi Arabia's RoHS technical regulation — issued by SASO in July 2021 and phased in from 2022 — restricts hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the Saudi market. It deliberately tracks the logic of EU RoHS: the same substance families, limits aligned with the EU levels, and a documentation-based conformity route resting on IEC 63000, the international standard for the technical documentation that demonstrates restricted-substance compliance.
The practical difference from Europe: in Saudi Arabia you do not self-declare into the void. RoHS conformity is assessed inside your SABER Product Certificate of Conformity — the Certification Body reviewing your PCoC file expects the RoHS documentation to be in it.
The six restricted substances
The regulation restricts the six classic RoHS substance families: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), and the brominated flame retardants PBB and PBDE — with limits aligned to the EU thresholds. Exemption logic follows the familiar pattern (annex-listed applications; categories such as large industrial installations and military equipment sit outside), but treat exemptions as claims to be verified for your product, not assumed.
Scope and phase-in dates
Enforcement arrived in category waves through 2022–2023. As compiled by major testing houses from the SASO regulation:
| Category | Enforced from |
|---|---|
| Small household appliances | July 2022 |
| Large household appliances | October 2022 |
| IT and telecom devices | December 2022 |
| Lighting | March 2023 |
| Electrical tools and equipment | June 2023 |
| Toys and sports equipment | September 2023 |
| Monitoring and control equipment | December 2023 |
For an electronics importer in 2026 the message is simple: the phase-in is over — if your product is electrical or electronic and in a covered category, RoHS documentation is a standing requirement of every new PCoC and every renewal.
How compliance is checked (inside the PCoC)
There is no separate Saudi RoHS certificate to frame on the wall. The route is: your technical file demonstrates restricted-substance compliance per IEC 63000 → the Certification Body assesses it as part of the PCoC review → the PCoC issues. That placement has a consequence: a weak RoHS file does not fail "a RoHS application", it stalls the PCoC — and with it every shipment. Sequencing guidance and the other prerequisites are in the two-certificate guide; the cost of discovering any prerequisite late is trap 6 of the seven customs traps.
Building the IEC 63000 file
IEC 63000 is a documentation discipline, not a lab ritual. A file that passes review typically contains:
- A structured bill of materials down to homogeneous materials for the relevant parts.
- Supplier declarations of conformity for components and materials, current and signed — the backbone of the file.
- Analytical test reports where risk justifies them — solder, platings, cables, PVC parts and other classic risk areas; full-product chemical testing is not the default expectation.
- An assessment rationale — which parts rely on declarations, which on testing, and why that mix is defensible.
- Change control — the file follows the product: a new supplier or material re-opens the relevant branch.
What to demand from the factory
Ask for the IEC 63000-structured file, not "a RoHS certificate". One-page "RoHS certificates" without the underlying declarations and reports rarely survive a serious CB review. Specify: declarations per component family, test reports for the risk parts, and a commitment to notify material changes — put it in the purchase order, before production.
Where files fail
- A marketing certificate instead of a file — no BOM linkage, no declarations behind it.
- Stale declarations that predate a component change.
- EU file reused blindly — usually a good start, but the Saudi file must match the model being registered and its current BOM.
- Ignoring RoHS at renewal — the PCoC renews yearly; the file must still reflect the product being shipped.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a separate Saudi RoHS certificate?
No. RoHS conformity is demonstrated by your IEC 63000 documentation file and assessed inside the SABER PCoC by the Certification Body.
Do I need chemical testing on the whole product?
Not by default. The file rests on supplier declarations plus targeted testing where risk justifies it — solders, platings, cabling and similar classic risk areas.
My product complies with EU RoHS — am I done?
Mostly, in substance: Saudi limits align with the EU levels. But the documentation must be assembled per IEC 63000 for the exact model in your SABER registration, and it is reviewed by the Certification Body, not self-declared.
Which products are exempt?
The regulation carries annex-listed exemptions and excludes categories such as large industrial installations and military equipment. Verify any exemption for your specific product with your Certification Body rather than assuming it.
Go deeper, in both languages
The free sample covers the prerequisite stack, PCoC basics and 3 of the 7 traps — one English PDF and one Arabic PDF. The full Compliance Guide has the whole enforced path, every fee and timeline, all 7 traps with fixes, the invoice-matching checklist and a first-year budget worksheet.
Saber Desk is an independent reference — not a certification body, and not affiliated with SASO. We do not issue certificates. Fees and processing times are the official figures published on saber.sa unless marked as observed practice; confirm HS codes and required standards for a specific shipment with your Certification Body. Edition: August 2026.