Last month, a client of mine shipped a batch of air conditioners to Saudi Arabia. They got stuck at customs for 10 days. Why? Missing an energy efficiency label in the SABER certificate. Fine plus demurrage: 3,000 USD down the drain.
Honestly, this isn't a one-off. SASO updated SABER requirements on June 1, 2026. Four new categories are now mandatory: ACs, refrigerators, washing machines, and lamps. Each unit must carry an energy efficiency label. Customs auto-scans the label at clearance. If the data doesn't match the registration, the shipment is held.
In my experience, most sellers focus on COO and invoice, completely missing this energy label trap. The process isn't hard: register the product on the SABER platform, then get it tested by an SASO-accredited lab. Cost: 200 to 500 USD per model. Lead time: 7 to 14 days. You must budget this upfront.
Here's an example: for an AC, the label must appear on both the unit's side panel and the outer carton. Miss one, and customs won't release. Demurrage runs 50 to 100 SAR per day, plus admin fees—easily an extra 1,000 USD per incident.
Think of it like this: Saudi used to just check if you had an ID; now they want a full medical report. Simply put, they're cracking down hard on energy compliance, especially during summer AC peaks. My actionable advice:
- Before shipping, check your HS code on SABER to see if it falls under the new categories.
- Affix the label to both the product itself and the smallest selling package.
- Keep the test report and SABER registration number handy; provide copies to your customs broker.
Still relying on old SDOC to slip through? Don't say I didn't warn you when your container gets held.