The Governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) Dr. Saad Bin Othman Al-Kasabi stated that Saudi Arabia, through its ambitious Vision 2030, has successfully positioned its economy among the most competitive in the world. He made these remarks during a workshop on conformity assessment procedures for Saudi imported products held in Munich, Germany, where he addressed numerous European suppliers and manufacturers. Dr. Al-Kasabi highlighted that the local Saudi markets feature over 41,000 products from 130 European Union factories, all of which have obtained the quality label. Moreover, he noted that electric vehicles manufactured in EU countries account for 63 percent of the models that meet Saudi specifications. The governor expressed pride in the increase of commodities conforming to standards in the Saudi market, which saw a rise of over 35 percent in the past five years, reaching 82.7 percent in 2022. The workshop allowed SASO to engage with manufacturers and suppliers, aiming to facilitate international trade and ensure the highest quality and safety levels for products in local markets. The event was attended by Soliman Alhumeidan, Saudi Commercial Attaché in Germany, representatives from the German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO), as well as various German companies and manufacturers. The workshop covered an introduction to the Saudi Product Safety Program (SALEEM). It highlighted the key services provided by SASO, including the Saber electronic platform, the Saudi Quality Mark, and the procedures for issuing conformity certificates. Discussions also took place regarding the challenges faced by German manufacturers and suppliers and ways to address them in line with the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO). This workshop was part of a European tour conducted by a SASO delegation, which included visits to Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Spain. The tour's objective is to strengthen cooperation with European counterparts, fostering mutual interests and building partnerships to enhance product safety and quality levels. — SPA
