On 12 February 2026 the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) again issued a notice to conformity assessment bodies (CBs), stressing that the audit requirements of the Technical Regulation for Telecommunications and Information Technology Equipment must be enforced strictly and that certificates issued in breach of the rules will be penalised severely.

The notice sets out several key compliance requirements intended to further standardise the route by which telecom and IT equipment enters the Saudi market.

Non-consumer products barred from the commercial route

SASO states that any product not intended for consumer use, including the public telecom network antennas and related equipment listed in Table 2 (base stations, microwave equipment, SIM cards and similar), may not apply for a certificate of conformity through the commercial product route. Such products are designated for non-commercial purposes and must be imported by individuals, companies, government entities or licensed service providers authorised by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) through the non-commercial route. Applications submitted through the commercial route will be rejected outright.

Model information must match exactly

The industrial and commercial model names of a product must correspond exactly to the product information listed in the declaration of conformity. For family models, a single certificate of conformity may cover sub-models only where the differences from the parent model are limited to colour or memory size. Sub-models are normally distinguished by a suffix of digits or letters in the model name.

Additional verification for CST-regulated devices

For products subject to additional CST requirements, such as devices requiring a licence or prior registration, SASO requires CBs to verify that the applicant has already met those requirements.

For mobile phones, tablets and mobile computers, for example, the product must meet all the technical requirements of CST standard SASO-CITC-GEN002 and a device approval conformity form must be provided for verification. The form has to be certified by the manufacturer together with the three designated service providers: STC, Zain and Mobily.

Stronger supervision, heavier penalties

The renewed emphasis on the regulatory requirements reflects a continued tightening of Saudi controls over imports of telecom and IT equipment. CBs that fail to audit and certify as required will face strict penalties. Importers, manufacturers and certification bodies should monitor the regulations closely to ensure compliant market access.