Article 9 of the Saudi Standards and Quality Law
المادة 9 من نظام المواصفات والجودة · الباب الثالث: إعداد واعتماد وتبني المواصفة والوثيقة ذات الصلة
International and regional standards and related documents are the basis for adopting Saudi standards; a national standard may be the basis where none exists or it is unsuitable, in the Authority's judgment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تعتبر المواصفة الدولية والمواصفة الإقليمية والوثيقة ذات الصلة هي الأساس في تبني المواصفة السعودية. وفي حال عدم وجود مواصفة دولية أو مواصفة إقليمية في مجال معين أو كانت غير فاعلة أو غير ملائمة لتحقيق ما تسعى إليه الهيئة من أهداف أو مستوى الحماية المطلوب أو لعوامل مناخية أو جغرافية أو تقنية أو لتلبية حاجات المملكة المالية والتنموية أو التجارية؛ فإن المواصفة الوطنية تصبح الأساس الذي يُعتمد عليه وفق ما تقدره الهيئة.
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 9 explained in plain English
This article answers the question: where does the Saudi standard come from?
The rule: the international standard, the regional standard and the related document are the basis for adopting the Saudi standard. The international standard, under Article 1, is the one adopted by an international standardization body, and the regional standard is the one adopted by a regional standardization body.
The exception: the national standard, that is, one adopted by a standardization body in a given country, becomes the basis relied on, as the Authority judges, in the following cases:
- There is no international or regional standard in a particular field.
- The international or regional standard is ineffective or unsuitable for achieving the Authority's aims or the required level of protection.
- Climatic, geographical or technical factors call for it.
- Meeting the Kingdom's financial, development or trade needs.
Practical effect: the Saudi standard is mostly built on an international or regional standard, which makes things easier for manufacturers and importers who already comply with international standards. But in some cases, such as taking account of hot weather, the Authority may rely on another country's national standard as a basis, and the decision on that is for the Authority's judgment.
Someone who needs to know the reference on which the standard for his product was built may contact the Authority or consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases.
Practical example
An air-conditioner factory in Riyadh notices that the international standard does not take very high temperatures into account. Under the article, if the Authority judges that the international standard is unsuitable because of climatic factors, it may adopt a national standard as the basis for the Saudi standard.
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 9 of the Saudi Standards and Quality Law
Are Saudi standards based on international standards?
Yes. The rule is that the international standard, the regional standard and the related document are the basis for adopting the Saudi standard.
When can a national standard be relied on instead of an international one?
When there is no international or regional standard, or it is ineffective or unsuitable, or for climatic, geographical or technical factors, or to meet the Kingdom's financial, development or trade needs, in the Authority's judgment.
More articles on Preparing and Approving a Saudi Standard
- Article 7
Preparing the standard and related document is the Authority's responsibility through technical teams; the Board or its delegate approves and adopts them, effective from the date it sets.
1- تتولى الهيئة مسؤولية إعداد المواصفة والوثيقة ذات الصلة، وفقاً للإجراءات التي تحددها اللوائح. 2- تشكل الهيئة فرقًا فنية تتولى إعداد المواصفة والوثيقة ذات الصل
- Article 8
The Authority must notify relevant bodies of the procedures for preparing and approving the Saudi standard and, where necessary, the related document, and for releasing them to the public.
تقوم الهيئة بإشعار الجهات ذات العلاقة بإجراءات إعداد المواصفة السعودية واعتمادها والوثيقة ذات الصلة (عند الضرورة)، وإجراءات طرحهما للعموم.
- Article 10
Saudi standards and related documents begin with the symbol SASO in English (م ق س in Arabic) and are written in Arabic, which governs interpretation.
1- تبدأ المواصفة السعودية أو الوثيقة ذات الصلة باختصار بالرمز التعريفي (م ق س) باللغة العربية وSASO)) باللغة الإنجليزية. 2- تستخدم اللغة العربية في كتابة المواص
- Article 11
Saudi standards and related documents are published in the Authority's publications, on its website or by other means, and the Authority may authorize others to sell them under the regulations.
1- تنشر المواصفة السعودية والوثيقة ذات الصلة في إصدار خاص على مطبوعات الهيئة أو موقعها الإلكتروني أو في أي وسيلة أخرى تراها الهيئة. 2- يجوز للهيئة تفويض من تراه
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.