What is the difference between CITC and SASO?

The two bodies coexist without overlap. CITC (Communications, Space and Technology Commission) is the telecoms and radio regulator: spectrum, transmitter type approval, frequency plans. SASO (Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization) is the national standards body: electrical safety, EMC outside radio, energy efficiency, product conformity in general. An electronic product with a radio function typically falls under both: CITC certification for the transmitter, SASO conformity for safety and EMC, declared together on the SABER platform.

What is the SABER platform for?

SABER (saber.sa) is the Saudi digital conformity portal, operational since 2019. It is the single interface between the importer, the notified bodies (Conformity Assessment Bodies), SASO and customs. The importer registers the product, uploads the test reports, obtains a PCoC (Product Certificate of Conformity) issued by a SASO-approved CAB, then, for each shipment, a SCoC (Shipment Certificate of Conformity) linked to the bill of lading. Without a valid SCoC, the goods do not clear customs.

Can an IEC CB-Scheme report be reused for SASO?

Often yes for the technical core. Many SASO Technical Regulations reference IEC standards (61010, 60950 / 62368, 60335 depending on the product). A CB-Scheme report issued by an IECEE-recognised lab can serve as the technical basis used by the CAB to issue the PCoC, subject to review of Saudi national deviations. The Saudi certificate itself is still issued through SABER by a SASO-approved CAB; the CB report does not carry certificate status.

Does CITC type approval replace SASO certification?

No. CITC type approval covers radio conformity: emissions, frequency plans, power, spectral behaviour. It does not address electrical safety or EMC outside radio. For a consumer product with a Wi-Fi or cellular module, both dossiers run in parallel: CITC for the radio, SASO via SABER for the rest. The CITC certification number must appear on the product label in addition to the SASO marking.

Is Arabic labelling mandatory?

Yes for information aimed at the end user: commercial name, warnings, safety instructions, regulatory indications. Bilingual Arabic / English is the usual practice, but Arabic must be present and legible. An English-only label is a frequent reason for customs blockage or withdrawal during market surveillance. User manuals shipped with the product follow the same rule.

Which frequency bands are open under CITC?

The Saudi frequency plan is published by CITC in its national table of allocations. Saudi Arabia was notably an early adopter of the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band in the MEA region. 5G n78 (3.5 GHz) is deployed, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands are open with their own EIRP limits, and some sub-GHz LPWA bands are constrained compared with European or US plans. Any band declaration must be checked against the current CITC table, not against an ETSI or FCC dossier.

Can a foreign manufacturer file directly on SABER?

No. SABER is designed for a Saudi-resident actor, typically the importer or an appointed commercial agent. The foreign manufacturer must contract with a resident representative who opens the SABER account, files dossiers, pays the fees and bears legal responsibility for declared conformity. Without a SABER representative, product registration and SCoC issuance are impossible.

What are the most frequent pitfalls?

Four recur: missing SABER registration discovered at customs, English-only labelling, CITC band declaration not aligned with the Saudi plan (unauthorised Wi-Fi channels, mis-allocated sub-GHz LPWA), and SABER representative appointed too late or with limited responsiveness. To that adds the CITC / SASO confusion: some importers launch SASO only and assume CITC follows automatically, then block their first shipment.

CITC and SASO: certification in Saudi Arabia

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 27 May 2026 ~11 min read

Guide · CITC / SASO, Saudi Arabia

Certifying an electronic product for Saudi Arabia rests on two distinct regulators and one shared platform. CITC (Communications, Space and Technology Commission) handles radio and telecoms, SASO (Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization) handles safety, EMC and product conformity in general, and the SABER platform makes the procedure tangible: registration, issuance of the PCoC, then of the SCoC for each shipment. This page presents the institutional map, the role of SABER, the link with IEC standards via the CB-Scheme, the CITC-specific rules (frequency plans, label requirements for the certification number), Arabic labelling obligations, and a synthetic comparison with CE and FCC.

Institutional map

The Saudi market is governed by several authorities whose scopes complement each other without overlap. Understanding this allocation is the first step in identifying the certificates to obtain.

Actor	Scope	Type of decision
CITC (Communications, Space and Technology Commission)	Radio, telecoms, spectrum, transmitter type approval	CITC type approval number
SASO (Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization)	Electrical safety, EMC outside radio, energy efficiency, standardisation	Technical Regulations, regulatory basis for PCoCs
MoCI (Ministry of Commerce and Investment)	Trade, import, accreditation of importers	Legal framework for importation
Customs (ZATCA)	Physical control of shipments entering the Kingdom	SCoC verification, blocking where applicable
SABER	Digital platform run by SASO and its operational arm	Product registration, issuance of PCoCs and SCoCs by the CABs

CITC is an independent authority, originally established to regulate telecoms and progressively extended to spectrum and space. SASO is the standardisation body, the functional equivalent of the British BSI or the French AFNOR, but with a product-certification regulatory power that none of its European counterparts exercises directly.

The SABER platform, launched in 2019 and then generalised, is the single interface for conformity declaration. It does not replace CITC: a radio product must obtain its CITC type approval in addition to its SASO PCoC. But it centralises everything that falls under SASO and provides the attestation that customs require for each shipment.

SABER platform, the compulsory gate

SABER (saber.sa) is the digital environment in which the SASO product-conformity procedure runs.

Actors on the platform

Importer or local representative, Saudi-resident: opens the SABER account, files products, pays fees, receives certificates. Without this actor, no filing is possible.
Conformity Assessment Body (CAB): body notified by SASO to assess a product and issue the PCoC. The list of approved CABs is published by SASO. The importer is free to choose, within the product categories the CAB is approved to handle.
SASO: runs the platform, supervises CABs, issues the Technical Regulations that define the requirements applicable to each product category.
Customs: queries the platform when goods arrive to verify the existence and validity of the SCoC associated with the shipment.

The two SABER certificates

Certificate	Scope	Issuance frequency
PCoC (Product Certificate of Conformity)	Attests that a product model complies with the applicable SASO Technical Regulations	Once per model, typically valid one year, renewable
SCoC (Shipment Certificate of Conformity)	Attests that a given shipment consists of products covered by a valid PCoC	For each shipment, linked to the bill of lading and the invoice

The PCoC is the functional equivalent of a product conformity certificate. The SCoC is a Saudi-specific construct: it ties a physical cargo to a product certificate, and it is what customs check. This two-tier logic is a frequent source of error: a valid PCoC is not enough if no SCoC has been issued before the goods arrive.

Typical procedure flow

1. Saudi importer creates a SABER account.
2. Importer registers the product (description, HS code,
   country of origin, available test reports).
3. Importer selects a SASO-approved CAB.
4. CAB reviews the dossier (CB-Scheme report, EMC report,
   safety report, CITC certificates for radio where applicable).
5. CAB issues the PCoC, uploaded into SABER, typically one-year validity.
6. For each shipment: importer requests a SCoC on SABER,
   referencing the PCoC and the bill of lading.
7. Goods shipped, SCoC presented at Saudi customs.
8. Customs check SABER, release the goods.

The two-certificate split reflects the dual purpose of the scheme: ensure product conformity (PCoC) and trace each physical inbound flow (SCoC).

SASO and reference to IEC standards

SASO publishes its own Technical Regulations by product category (toys, low-voltage electrical equipment, IT equipment, household appliances, etc.). A significant share of these TRs directly or indirectly references IEC standards: IEC 62368-1 for audio, video and IT electronics, IEC 60335-1 for appliances, IEC 61010-1 for instrumentation, CISPR 32 for EMC emissions, CISPR 35 and the 61000-4 series for immunity.

The practical consequence is important for a European manufacturer: a CB-Scheme report issued under the IECEE CB-Scheme is generally accepted by SASO-approved CABs as the technical basis for issuing the PCoC. This does not exempt the manufacturer from:

checking the Saudi national deviations annexed to the TRs, which may introduce specific requirements (reference mains voltage, climatic conditions, marking),
supplying test reports whose scope matches the CB-Scheme coverage (a gap in scope translates into supplementary tests),
treating radio separately: the CB-Scheme does not cover radio in the CITC sense, which follows its own type-approval regime.

The benefit is nevertheless real: a significant part of the SASO dossier can be built from the tests already run for CE marking or for IEC conformity in another country. See parallel EU and US certification for the pooling logic, partly transposable to the Saudi case.

CITC type approval, the radio leg

CITC certifies radio transmitters intended for the Saudi market on a per-model type approval scheme. The scope covers any product that emits intentionally: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular modules, LPWA, active RFID, remote controls.

Saudi frequency plans

The Saudi frequency plan is published by CITC in its national table of allocations, regularly updated. Several points distinguish it:

Band	EU (ETSI)	US (FCC)	Saudi Arabia (CITC)
Wi-Fi 6 GHz (6 GHz unlicensed)	Open with restrictions varying by member state	Opened by the FCC	Opened, one of the early adopters in the MEA region
5G n78 (3.5 GHz)	Deployed	Partially deployed	Deployed, the core band of Saudi operators
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi	EN 300 328, EN 301 893	Part 15.247, U-NII	Open, EIRP limits to be checked in the CITC table
Sub-GHz LPWA (868 / 915 MHz depending on region)	868 MHz opened by ERC 70-03	915 MHz opened by Part 15.247	Restricted allocation, check the CITC table before declaring

Operational conclusion: a radio firmware configured against an ETSI or FCC dossier does not necessarily respect the Saudi plan. The CITC table must be consulted, and the regulatory-domain tables embedded in the product must include a properly populated entry for Saudi Arabia.

CITC certification number on the label

The type approval number issued by CITC must appear on the product label, in an area visible without disassembly. The requirement is analogous to the FCC ID in the United States or the KC number in Korea. A missing CITC number on the marking is grounds for customs blockage even if the SCoC is valid, because customs may cross-check the physical label with the declared content.

Arabic and bilingual labelling

Arabic is the official language, and Saudi consumer law requires that end-user information be legible in Arabic.

Scope

commercial name and product description on the packaging,
warnings and safety instructions on the product and in the manual,
electrical specifications (voltage, frequency, power) on the rating plate where safety requires,
user manual shipped with the consumer product,
specific regulatory markings (for instance WEEE pictograms and energy efficiency for categories concerned).

Common practice

Bilingual Arabic + English is the market practice for almost all imported electronic products. Arabic must be technically correct (simple transliteration is insufficient for safety information). Manuals translated by automated tools without human review are a recurrent source of disputes in market surveillance, because a poorly rendered safety instruction in Arabic can be reclassified as a defect of information.

Position and permanence

As for most regulatory markings, the Arabic text must be permanent (resistant to the product life cycle), legible without magnification, and placed on a surface accessible without disassembly. The CITC regulatory mention and the SASO marking share these constraints.

Local SABER representative

The Saudi-resident importer or local representative is the entry point of the whole scheme.

Duties

open and maintain the SABER account, keep credentials, manage payments,
file products on the platform, supply documentation (test reports, product sheets, schematics, manufacturer declaration),
interact with the CABs during PCoC review,
request the SCoCs for each shipment, consistent with the bill of lading,
retain documentation and make it available in case of inspection by SASO, CITC or customs.

Possible profiles

official Saudi distributor, where one exists and accepts the duty,
local subsidiary of the manufacturer, if legally constituted in Saudi Arabia,
specialised certification agent, the common pattern for foreign manufacturers without direct commercial presence.

The representative's responsibility is legal and continuous: they are the contact point that SASO and CITC use for clarification requests, and they bear the obligation to update the dossier if a new Technical Regulation enters into force.

SASO energy efficiency

For certain categories (air conditioning, refrigerators, washing machines, some electrical equipment), SASO imposes a dedicated energy-efficiency label, distinct from the EU label. The grading typically ranges from 1 to 6 stars or in alphabetic grades depending on the category, and the label must be affixed visibly in stores and on the packaging.

Standard consumer electronics (telephony, IoT, audio, IT) is not directly concerned, but a manufacturer covering white goods or a high-power mains product must check whether the relevant Technical Regulation introduces a specific energy-labelling requirement.

Halal and adjacent categories

Halal labelling is generally out of scope for pure electronics. It becomes relevant for adjacent products that touch food or cosmetics: food-contact packaging integrating electronics, connected medical or cosmetic devices, some kitchen accessories. In those cases, an additional halal certification may be required, handled by specialised bodies (in practice the SFDA for medical devices, halal bodies for the rest). For standard electronics, the mention does not appear in the CITC or SASO scope.

CITC and SASO compared with CE and FCC

Criterion	CE (EU)	FCC (US)	CITC + SASO (Saudi Arabia)
Scope	Marking covering several directives (RED, LVD, EMC, RoHS, etc.)	Radio conformity (Part 15, Part 22, etc.), safety via OSHA / NRTL	CITC for radio, SASO for the rest, certified separately
Central mechanism	Self-declaration by the manufacturer, archived technical file	TCB type approval for radio, NRTL listing for safety	CITC type approval + PCoC / SCoC issuance via SABER
IEC report reuse	IEC 62368-1 and others accepted as is or via EN	Acceptable for safety (UL, IEC basis)	CB-Scheme broadly accepted by SASO CABs
Product identifier	Notified body number where applicable	FCC ID	CITC type approval number + SABER certificate numbers
Local representative	EU authorised representative if manufacturer outside EU	FCC agent	Importer or SABER representative, Saudi-resident, mandatory
Labelling language	Language of the member state of placing on the market	English	Arabic (Arabic / English bilingual in practice)
Validity	No duration, as long as the product remains compliant	No duration for the FCC grant	PCoC typically one year, SCoC per shipment

Reading the table makes the Saudi specificity visible: a two-certificate logic (model + shipment) and a central digital system (SABER) that has no direct counterpart in the EU or US. For the EU / US comparison itself, which is denser, see CE vs FCC.

Mutual recognition and MRAs

Mutual recognition agreements between Saudi Arabia and the EU or the United States remain limited. Recognition runs essentially through two channels:

IECEE CB-Scheme: broadly recognised by SASO CABs for the safety and EMC part. It is the main lever for pooling tests.
Witness testing under CAB or CITC supervision: a residual practice, mostly for radio, when a foreign report is not covered by the CB-Scheme.

There is no general EU - Saudi Arabia agreement equivalent to the EU - US MRA. A CE-certified product must therefore rebuild its SASO dossier via a CAB and obtain CITC type approval for the radio. The CB-Scheme report accelerates the procedure but does not substitute for the certificate.

Step-by-step procedure for a radio consumer product

Typical sequence for a European manufacturer tackling Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Freeze product specifications (hardware, firmware, antenna, accessories) and identify the applicable regimes: CITC (radio), SASO (safety, EMC, possibly energy labelling).
Designate a SABER representative, Saudi-resident, under a written contract. Without a representative, no filing.
Map the applicable SASO Technical Regulations and the IEC standards referenced. Identify the CB-Scheme reports already available.
Select a CAB approved by SASO for the product category. The list is published by SASO.
Prepare CITC type approval: collect existing radio reports (ETSI, FCC), compare with the CITC table, run complementary tests where needed (Saudi bands, EIRP). File via the local representative.
PCoC issuance: the CAB reviews the SASO reports, issues the PCoC, uploads it on SABER.
Design the final label: CITC number, SASO marking, bilingual Arabic / English for end-user information, energy mention where applicable.
First shipment: SCoC issuance on SABER by the representative, goods shipped, customs check on arrival.
Maintenance: annual renewal of the PCoC, SCoC issuance per shipment, follow-up on product changes (any radio change may invalidate the CITC type approval).

For cross-cutting orders of magnitude on each phase, see certification timeline.

Common pitfalls

Pitfall	Consequence
Shipping without a valid SCoC	Customs blockage, goods held, storage fees
Obtaining a PCoC but forgetting the CITC type approval for radio	Product declared SASO-compliant but radio not authorised, market-surveillance withdrawal
Labelling in English only	Customs rejection or market-surveillance withdrawal, packaging rework
Declaring a band plan copied from ETSI or FCC without CITC check	Radio non-compliance, type approval refused or suspended
Designating the SABER representative late in the project	Account not operational at first shipment, industrialisation delay
Outsourcing Arabic translation to an automated tool without review	Imprecise safety instructions, exposure to consumer dispute
Overlooking SASO national deviations on the TRs	Incomplete CB-Scheme report, supplementary tests mid-review
Omitting the CITC number from the physical label	Customs blockage even with a valid SCoC