US-based safety science company UL said it has won approval from Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (Saso) for issuing product certification in the kingdom.

Saso is a judicial firm in Saudi Arabia that works towards ensuring that products sold in the country are genuine and safe for use.

As a certified body of Saso, UL can now issue the necessary product certifications to help clients bring their safety-certified goods into the kingdom, said a statement.

The accreditation was given to UL Demko and UL LLC, which are UL’s head legal entities for Europe and Americas regions respectively, qualifying UL as a company to work directly with distributors to help them gain overall approval from Saso to launch their products in Saudi Arabia, it said.

To ensure that only compliant products can be placed in the Saudi Arabian market, Saso recently declared that its new conformity programme, Saleem, will become mandatory starting from June.

To simplify the certification process, Saso also launched an online hub, Saber, which is now active, forcing businesses to act fast to meet the requirements to import their products, it added.

Hamid Syed, vice president and general manager, UL Middle East, said: “Businesses who want to establish and maintain their presence in Saudi Arabia are expected to register their products with the help of a certification body – which is where we come in.”

“As an approved conformity assessment body, UL Demko and UL LLC can equip manufacturers in the Americas and Europe with the expert guidance and safety certifications which will allow them to introduce their products in the Saudi Arabian market,” he said.

Along with reviewing and approving products, UL will also be able to offer Saso Type Approval Certificates that are valid for one year, and Shipment Certifications of Conformity to companies, said a statement.

The accreditation came shortly after UL was recognised as a notified body under Emirates Standards and Metrology Authority (Esma), an accreditation which allows the global safety science firm to help companies to achieve important certifications like Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (Ecas) and Emirates Quality Mark (EQM) to sell their products in the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service