Saudi Arabia Requires New ICT Device Standard for Certificates from Nov. 1

Saudi Arabia requires new certificates for information and communication technology devices to meet standard SASO 3114:2026 from Nov. 1, 2026.

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) made its new standard for telecom and computer devices mandatory for new certificates from Nov. 1, 2026.

The new standard is SASO 3114:2026, titled "Requirements for Specific ICT Equipment". ICT means information and communication technology. It replaces the older standard SASO CITC GEN-002¹.

In short, a new certificate for these devices must now show that they meet SASO 3114:2026. Certificates issued under the old GEN-002 standard stop working by March 31, 2027 at the latest.

What has SASO changed for ICT devices?

SASO announced the change in a circular to the users of Saber, its online certificate platform. The circular says SASO has updated the standard listed in Annex No. 1 of the Technical Regulation for Communications and Information Technology Devices¹. A technical regulation is a binding product rule. Its annex lists the standards that products must meet.

Until now, that annex pointed to SASO CITC GEN-002. SASO has replaced it with SASO 3114:2026, "Requirements for Specific ICT Equipment"¹. The circular says the new standard was approved and published on SASO’s official website and in Wasif, SASO’s online standards store¹.

The change does not create a new rule for these devices. The devices already needed certificates under the technical regulation. What changes is the technical standard behind those certificates.

Which rule does SASO 3114:2026 sit under?

The standard belongs to the Technical Regulation for Communications and Information Technology Devices. SASO’s list of technical regulations shows this regulation was approved on Dec. 28, 2023 and published on Aug. 16, 2024².

The same list shows other rules that shape how products are checked. The General Regulation for Conformity Models was approved on Sept. 28, 2023 and published on Nov. 17, 2023². This regulation sets the general ways products are tested and approved in Saudi Arabia. A Technical Regulation for Electromagnetic Compatibility was approved and published on the same dates². So SASO 3114:2026 is one standard inside a wider set of Saudi product rules. A device can still need to meet other technical regulations as well.

What did the old GEN-002 standard cover?

GEN-002 carried the same title as the new standard: "Requirements for specific ICT Equipment". It appeared under that title in a 2023 notice that Saudi Arabia sent to the World Trade Organization (WTO)³. That notice, G/TBT/N/SAU/1297, dealt with a different measure: common USB Type-C charging ports for phones and other devices³.

The WTO notice listed GEN-002 beside a companion standard, SASO-CITC-GEN001, "General Requirements"³. Both were named as relevant documents for radio and information technology equipment. The charger rule itself covered goods such as mobile phones, tablets and wireless routers from January 2025, and laptops from April 2026³.

The charger rule is background only. It shows the kind of everyday devices that GEN-002 dealt with. The SASO circular on the new standard does not change the charger dates.

When did the grace period end?

SASO gave sellers time to adjust. The circular set a grace period until Oct. 31, 2026¹. During that time, certificates could still be issued against the old standard.

The grace period is now over. From Nov. 1, 2026, no certificate of conformity may be issued for the covered products unless they meet the updated requirements¹. A certificate of conformity is the document that shows a product meets Saudi rules.

The circular places this duty on importers and local manufacturers¹. The circular was addressed to them through Saber.

What happens to certificates issued under GEN-002?

Existing certificates do not end on Nov. 1. The circular says valid certificates issued under GEN-002 will be cancelled no later than March 31, 2027¹.

This covers two kinds of document¹:

• Certificates of conformity, which show that a product model meets Saudi rules.
• Shipment certificates, which cover shipments of goods entering Saudi Arabia.

The words "no later than" matter. SASO may cancel the old certificates on or before that date. A seller cannot count on using a GEN-002 certificate right up to the end of March 2027.

Who must act on the new ICT standard?

The circular names importers and local manufacturers as the groups who must comply¹. In practice, the change also reaches makers abroad who sell to Saudi Arabia. Their Saudi importer cannot get a new certificate unless the product meets SASO 3114:2026.

For an importer, the effect is direct. A device model with only a GEN-002 certificate cannot get a new certificate from Nov. 1. Its shipments will need certificates based on the new standard once the old ones are cancelled.

For a local manufacturer, the same rule applies to goods made in Saudi Arabia. New certificates must be based on the updated standard¹.

Testing laboratories and certification bodies also feel the change. They must now check products against SASO 3114:2026 before a certificate can be issued.

How does a shipment get through after Nov. 1?

The circular sets out the order of events for a device covered by the standard¹. The steps run like this:

1. The product is checked against SASO 3114:2026, the updated standard.
2. A certificate of conformity is issued for the product, which is possible only if it meets the new standard.
3. Shipment certificates for that product then rest on the new standard.
4. Any remaining GEN-002 certificates are cancelled by March 31, 2027 at the latest.

From that point, every shipment of a covered device rests on the new standard. Goods with only old certificates risk delay, because those certificates will no longer be valid.

Where can sellers read SASO 3114:2026?

The circular says the standard is published on SASO’s website and in the Wasif standards store¹. Wasif is SASO’s online store for Saudi standards.

The circular went out through Saber, SASO’s certificate platform, to its users¹. Any new certificate requested there from Nov. 1 must be based on the new standard.

Key points on SASO 3114:2026 for ICT devices

The table below gathers the main facts from this article.

The next fixed date is March 31, 2027. By then, every certificate of conformity and shipment certificate based on GEN-002 will be cancelled. Covered devices will then enter Saudi Arabia only on certificates based on SASO 3114:2026¹.

Sources

1. ↩ updateStandardSpecification.pdf https://saber.sa/Assets/Home/updateStandardSpecification.pdf
2. ↩ Technical regulations https://www.saso.gov.sa/en/laws-and-regulations/technical_regulations/pages/default.aspx
3. ↩ GetDocument https://eping.wto.org/en/DOL/GetDocument?dolLink=G/TBTN23/SAU1297&notificationId=86886