The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality organization (SASO) recently issued an important circular, clarifying that smart watch products containing a mobile phone SIM card and a camera are permitted to be imported into Saudi Arabia, provided that they strictly comply with commercial use specifications and must not have any surveillance or espionage functions.

According to the circular issued by SASO, such products have been uniformly classified under Harmonized System (HS) Code 851762900002, and have been activated on the SABER electronic platform. SASO requires all recognized Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to carefully review the product's technical files when accepting certification applications, and verify that the imported smart watches are not intended for surveillance or espionage purposes. CABs shall not issue Conformity Certificates for products suspected of espionage use; they may only issue certificates for commercial smart watches that comply with the requirements of the Technical Regulation for Communications and Information Technology Devices.

The circular also emphasizes that certification bodies must verify the nature of the product and its technical specifications before issuing certificates, confirming that the product does not contain any prohibited surveillance or espionage features.

To facilitate identification by certification bodies and importers, SASO attached a technical guide to the circular, detailing the differences between commercial smart watches and prohibited surveillance/spy watches, such as:

The technical guide provides detailed descriptions covering aspects such as the basic classification of devices, appearance analysis, internal component analysis, technical and behavioral analysis, inspection and analysis tools, and rapid inspection without disassembly. For more information, please contact BACL.

BACL Saudi Service and Introduction：

BACL is the world-renowned conformity assessment body for SASO and the GCC. It is also an officially recognized energy efficiency testing laboratory by SASO and can provide customers with testing services for SASO 2870, SASO 2902 and SASO 2927 standards. BACL has many years of experience in the conformity assessment of Saber PCOC and SCOC, and can help you obtain certificates to export goods smoothly.

BACL Services:

BACL can provide you efficient and reliable global market certification services, such as IECEE CB Scheme NCB and CBTL, United States(NRTL, FCC, ENERGY STAR), Canada(ISED, SCC), EU(CE), United Kingdom (UKCA AB & AOC), Northern Ireland(UKNI), Korea(KC), Japan(MIC), Singapore(IMDA),China Hong Kong(OFCA), China Taiwan (NCC, BSMI), Egypt (NTRA, GOEIC), South Africa(SABS), Vietnam (MIC), Saudi Arabia (SASO, CITC), Philippines (NTC), Thailand (NBTC), Malaysia (SIRIM), India(BIS, WPC, TEC)and other services to assure your products still smoothly entering into the international trade market even when the international trade barriers are becoming increasingly fierce.