Article 3 of the Saudi Standards and Quality Law
المادة 3 من نظام المواصفات والجودة · الباب الثاني: أحكام عامة
The article sets seven guiding principles for standardization, including participation of relevant bodies, transparency, compliance with international agreements, and non-discrimination between local and imported products.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعتمد التقييس على المبادئ التوجيهية الآتية:
1- مشاركة الجهات ذات العلاقة في إعداد وتبني واعتماد المواصفة.
2- الشفافية في إجراءات إعداد وتبني واعتماد المواصفة والوثيقة ذات الصلة للعموم.
3- توافق المواصفة السعودية مع الوثيقة ذات الصلة.
4- مستوى التقدم والتطور التقني في مجال المنتجات.
5- الإسهام في التنمية المستدامة.
6- الالتزام بمبادئ وقواعد منظمات التقييس الدولية والإقليمية والاتفاقيات الدولية ذات الصلة التي تكون المملكة العربية السعودية طرفاً فيها.
7- عدم التمييز بين المنتجات المحلية والمستوردة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 3 explained in plain English
This article sets the guiding principles on which standardization rests, that is, the activity of adopting and approving standards. There are seven principles:
- Participation: the participation of the relevant bodies, being the government agencies and the private sector concerned with the standard, in preparing, adopting and approving the standard.
- Transparency: the procedures for preparing, adopting and approving the standard and the related document are to be transparent to the public.
- Harmonization: the Saudi standard is to be consistent with the related document.
- Keeping pace with technology: taking into account the level of technical progress and development in the field of products.
- Sustainability: contributing to sustainable development.
- International commitment: compliance with the principles and rules of international and regional standardization organizations and the international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party.
- Non-discrimination: no discrimination between local and imported products.
The last principle matters to importers and manufacturers alike: standards may not be used to favor the local product over the imported one, or the reverse.
These principles are linked to Article 2, which makes the aim of the law setting a general framework for standardization and quality, and to Article 4, which sets the aims of standardization, such as protecting health, safety and the consumer and facilitating trade by removing unnecessary technical barriers. Someone who believes a standard violates these principles may consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases or in international and foreign investment cases.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh imports electrical appliances from abroad, and a company that manufactures similar appliances locally competes with it. Under the principles of this article, the standards must not discriminate between the products of the two companies, so imported and local appliances are subject to the same criteria.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 3 of the Saudi Standards and Quality Law
Do Saudi standards discriminate between local and imported products?
No. One of the guiding principles of standardization is non-discrimination between local and imported products.
Does the private sector take part in preparing standards?
Yes. One of the principles is the participation of the relevant bodies, being the government agencies and the private sector concerned with the standard.
Are the procedures for preparing standards public?
One of the principles is transparency of the procedures for preparing, adopting and approving the standard and the related document to the public.
More articles on Standardization Objectives and Principles
- Article 1
This article defines terms used in the Standards and Quality Law, such as standard, Saudi standard, standardization, quality, quality mark and inspector.
يقصد بالعبارات والمصطلحات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمامها ما لم يقض السياق غير ذلك: النظام: نظام المواصفات والجودة. اللوائح: اللائحة ال
- Article 2
The aim of the Standards and Quality Law is to set and define a general framework for standardization and quality.
يهدف النظام إلى وضع وتحديد إطار عام للتقييس والجودة.
- Article 4
The article sets the main aims of standardization, including protecting life, health, safety and the environment, protecting the consumer, promoting competitiveness and fair trade, and facilitating trade.
يهدف نشاط التقييس بصفة رئيسة إلى الآتي: 1- ضمان مستوى عالٍ من حماية حياة وصحة وسلامة البشر والحيوانات، وحماية النباتات الممتلكات والأمن والبيئة. 2- الإسهام في ت
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.