Yes. Toys imported commercially into Saudi Arabia are regulated products, and they go through the SABER platform before customs clearance. That is the direct answer. The nuance is that a "SABER certificate" is not one document. It is two sequential stages: a product certificate of conformity, then a shipment certificate of conformity. This article answers the question directly rather than repeating the step-by-step registration walkthrough already published elsewhere on this site.
One caution before the detail: requirements change. What follows describes the general shape of the system. Every specific that touches your product and your shipping date must be confirmed with an approved conformity assessment body or the competent Saudi authority before you produce and ship.
What is SABER, and how do SASO and GSO relate to it?
Many importers confuse the platform with the standard. They are different things. SABER is the Saudi online conformity platform used to register imported products and issue conformity certificates electronically. The platform does not decide whether a toy is safe. It is the channel through which conformity is recorded and evidenced.
SASO is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, the regulator. GSO is the standardization body of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which issues technical regulations and Gulf standards adopted in the Kingdom, including requirements covering toy safety. Put simply: the technical regulation says what the toy must achieve, and SABER is where you demonstrate that you achieved it. Neither replaces the other. A test report with no platform registration will not clear customs, and a platform account with no valid test evidence will not produce a certificate.
What are the two certificate stages, and in what order?
Order matters, and getting it backwards is a common cause of stuck containers. First comes the product certificate of conformity, issued for a specific model or product family on the basis of test reports and technical documentation. Only once the product is registered and certified can the shipment certificate of conformity be issued, consignment by consignment, linking the physical shipment to products that were already certified.
| Stage | Who obtains it | What it proves | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test reports and technical file | Factory, with a laboratory | The toy design meets the applicable safety requirements | Before applying for the product certificate |
| Product certificate of conformity | Importer via SABER, issued by an approved conformity assessment body | This specific model is registered and compliant | Before shipping; valid for a period the approved body defines |
| Shipment certificate of conformity | Importer, once per consignment | The contents of this particular shipment are already certified products | Before arrival; required for customs clearance |
| Labelling and marking | Factory, during production | Traceability, safety warnings and age grading | On product and packaging; checked at the port |
What does the conformity assessment body do, and why is the importer registered?
An approved conformity assessment body is an accredited third party that reviews the test reports and technical documentation and issues the certificate through the platform. The factory cannot certify itself, and neither can a trading agent. This article deliberately names no specific body. Lists of approved bodies change, so ask your customs broker for the current list at the time of your shipment.
Why the importer rather than the factory? Because the party legally answerable to Saudi customs is the holder of the Saudi commercial registration who brings the goods in. The platform account is tied to that entity. The Chinese factory supplies the evidence; the importer carries the registration and the obligation. In practice this means the importer must request documents early, at the sample and pre-production stage, not after the goods are packed and the booking is made.
What must the factory supply?
- Test reports from an acceptable laboratory, against the applicable toy safety requirements: mechanical and physical properties, flammability, migration of certain chemical elements, and small-parts or electrical requirements where relevant.
- Technical documentation: product description, drawings, bill of materials, model codes, and clear photographs of the product and its packaging.
- Labelling and marking: product name, country of origin, manufacturer or importer details, age grading and safety warnings, with language requirements that must be confirmed for the Saudi market.
- Code consistency: the model numbers on the Commercial Invoice, Packing List and Bill of Lading must match what is registered on the platform.
Reports built on international standards such as EN 71 may cover much of what is required, and additional testing may still be requested. Do not assume either way. Confirm with the conformity assessment body before production starts.
What happens at the port when it is missing?
The consignment does not clear. The container sits at Jeddah Islamic Port or King Abdulaziz Port (Dammam) while demurrage, storage and detention accumulate. Sometimes the situation can be repaired by obtaining the certificates late; sometimes stronger measures follow, up to re-export or rejection. The outcome depends on the nature of the shortfall and on the decision of the competent authority. No supplier, broker or article can promise you a particular result in advance.
Who is exempt, or handled differently?
Personal quantities and samples are generally handled differently from commercial consignments and may follow a simplified route. But the boundary between "personal" and "commercial" is a judgement call based on quantity, value, frequency and the nature of the consignee. Do not build an import plan on that distinction. Anything intended for resale or distribution is treated as commercial. Check your specific case with a customs broker or the competent authority before shipping, because this is exactly the area where practice varies.
Checklist before the goods ship
- Confirm the Saudi commercial registration and the platform account are active and in the importer name.
- Establish with an approved body which technical requirements apply to this exact product.
- Obtain valid test reports that match the model actually being shipped, not a similar one.
- Issue the product certificate of conformity before the ocean booking, not after.
- Check labelling and marking on a real production sample, not on an artwork file.
- Reconcile model numbers across invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading and platform record.
- Issue the shipment certificate of conformity before the container arrives.
- Re-confirm all of the above with the approved body, because requirements change.
How The China Toys helps
With more than 15 years of experience, a network of 500+ vetted factories, importers in 40+ countries and 500+ containers per year, we work on the side of the problem we actually control. We select factories that can produce credible test reports and a complete technical file, verify labelling and marking before full production, run quality inspection, consolidate goods from multiple factories, and arrange sea and air freight with customs clearance. We work to clear contract terms that protect you from surprises. The certificates themselves are issued through an approved conformity assessment body in the importer name.
To discuss a specific product: email [email protected], phone or WhatsApp +8617702000155, WeChat YOSRI 尤斯里. Our office is Unit N14, 904, No. 179 Tianhe North Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510620, Guangdong, China.
Frequently asked questions
Can my Chinese factory obtain the SABER certificate for me?
Normally no. Platform registration is tied to the Saudi importer holding the commercial registration, who is the party answerable to customs. The factory role is to supply test reports, technical documentation and correct marking. Confirm the arrangement with an approved conformity assessment body before you rely on it.
Is the product certificate alone enough for clearance?
No. The product certificate covers the model; every individual consignment also needs its own shipment certificate. The first is a precondition for the second, and the shipment certificate is the one that accompanies the goods through customs clearance.
Is an EN 71 test report enough for Saudi Arabia?
It may cover a large part of the requirements, but it is not a guarantee on its own. Acceptance depends on the technical regulation applicable at the time of shipment and on the assessment body review, and further testing may be requested. Ask the approved body before production begins.
What if the container arrives without a shipment certificate?
The goods will not clear and demurrage and storage charges will start accumulating. Late issuance sometimes resolves it; in other cases stronger measures follow, up to re-export. The competent authority decides case by case, so treat the certificate as a pre-shipment task, never a post-arrival fix.
