Approvals for the Middle East

Gain Market Access to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

TÜV Rheinland is an accredited certification and inspection body to carry out the necessary Conformity Assessment Procedures needed for imports into the Middle East. At present all items exported to Saudi Arabia are subject to mandatory certification, and the Conformity Certificate must be issued before entering the country by an accredited entity to declare compliance. In exporting to Kuwait, every consignment of regulated products must be accompanied by a Technical Inspection Report (TIR) issued by an approved Certification Inspection Body. As a certification and inspection body, TÜV Rheinland will use its worldwide network of laboratories and offices to test, inspect, and certify imports to the Middle East before being shipped.

Benefits at a Glance

With TÜV Rheinland product approval, you will:

  • Gain quicker market access
  • Competitively position your products with our independent third party approval
  • Benefit from our fast turn around times, years of experience and expertise

Our Services for Approval for the Middle East

  • Regulatory research and consultation
  • Documentation requirements and management
  • Coordination of in-country testing and local representation
  • Preparation and submittal of country-specific application packages
  • Comprehensive project tracking and monitoring
  • Multi-country turn-key approvals
  • Central knowledge database to meet all regulatory needs
  • Compiling the technical files and submittal with the target market country regulators or certification bodies
  • Project management with weekly updates on target market approval status from receipt of technical file, start of tests (if any), review certification and planned lead times
  • Early updates on target market labeling, packaging requirements, required translations and regulatory statements
  • Training, research and seminars

Saudi Arabia

Consumer Goods

Most goods intended for import to Saudi Arabia require a certificate of conformity, or CoC. This verifies your product's compatibility with national regulations - from consumer protection to religious rules. The Saudi Arabian customs and excise office, incidentally, requires a new certificate of conformity for every delivery made. When making repeat deliveries, however, existing documentation can be used again - greatly simplifying the certification process. Exceptions to the CoC rule include goods sent to government bodies. Our subsidiary DIN CERTCO is accredited by the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO).

Telephone Technology

All devices intended for use in the public telephone network require authorization from the Communication and Information Technology Commission, or CITC.

Energy Efficiency

Since April 2010, devices with relatively high levels of energy consumption must now be tested and certified for energy efficiency. This is in addition to the CoC requirements. The product must be registered with the SASO, before it can receive the efficiency label.

  • Air conditioners
  • Refrigerators, freezers, and combination units
  • Washing machines

Medical Products

Saudi Arabia is currently developing its own approval procedures for medical products. During this transitional phase, manufacturers must obtain approval from one of the five founding members of the GHTF - Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, or Japan. Additional national requirements apply to products introduced to the Saudi Arabian market. TÜV Rheinland is one of the few independent agencies authorized by the SFDA to review the relevant approval criteria. For up-to-date information, please consult our Web pages on medical products and technology.

Kuwait

Required Approval for Kuwait

KUCAS, the Kuwait Conformity Assessment Scheme, is the local system for product approval established by the Kuwaiti Public Authority for Industry (PAI). You must obtain a Technical Inspection Report (TIR) for your product. This is issued by a designated inspection and certification agency. Should you fail to obtain this report, your product will be tested in local laboratories - and held at customs until approved. Products with negative test results will be rejected.

Simplified Procedures for Repeat Deliveries

The Technical Inspection Report can include various products within a shipment. Repeat deliveries of the same product can be easily documented. The TIR is based on international technical standards - such as IEC regulations for electrical products, in conjunction with various local guidelines.