Exporting plastic drinkware and lunch boxes to Saudi Arabia: SABER certificates, food-contact rules and labels
Most delays on Saudi shipments are not test failures. They are certificates started after the goods are already on the water. The paperwork is predictable if it starts with the order.
How SABER works
SABER is the Saudi online platform for product conformity, run under SASO. For a regulated product the importer registers it in SABER and needs two documents:
- A product certificate of conformity for each product or model, issued by a certification body approved by SASO.
- A shipment certificate for each consignment, issued through SABER against that shipment's invoice and documents. Customs clearance needs both.
Usually the importer applies. The factory supplies the technical file: test reports, product photos and data, the label artwork and, where the certification body requires it, access for a factory audit.
Which rules apply to drinkware and lunch boxes
Food-contact kitchen items are covered by SASO's technical regulation on food safety for tools and equipment used in the kitchen. Its scope includes plastic plates, dishes and cups, and items made of plastic, silicone, metal and other materials that touch food.
Product scope is decided by HS code and product type, and regulations are updated. Before production, ask your certification body to confirm in writing which regulation and which certification type apply to each model. That one email avoids most surprises.
The test reports the factory supplies
- Food-contact test reports from an accredited laboratory, on the actual material and colour of the model — a report on a clear sample does not cover a new colour made with a different masterbatch.
- Separate reports for each part that touches food or drink: body, lid, seal, straw, steel insert.
- The standards are the ones your certification body names; ask before testing, not after.
Fix the material and the colourant before testing. A change after the report is issued means a new report.
Labels and packaging
Labels must be in Arabic, or in Arabic and English, and fixed so they are not easily removed. Expect to show:
- Product name and model number.
- Brand or manufacturer.
- The food-contact symbol (glass and fork) or equivalent wording.
- Country of origin, as "Made in China".
- Warnings and instructions for use where they apply — for example microwave, dishwasher or hot drinks.
Artwork is also checked for imagery that conflicts with local rules, such as religious symbols. Send the Arabic text and the artwork with the order; we print it on the bag, colour box or label to your file.
Other Gulf states
The other Gulf states have their own conformity requirements, and a Saudi certificate does not automatically cover them. If one product goes to several Gulf markets, tell us at the enquiry, so the test reports and the label can be planned once for all of them.
When to start
- At the enquiry: name the destination country and the importer of record.
- Before tooling or sampling: confirm the regulation and the certification type with the certification body.
- After colour approval: test the approved material and colour.
- Before loading: the product certificate in place; the shipment certificate requested against the final invoice and packing list.
Our certifications page lists the documents we hold and the market documentation we support.