Saudi Arabia Updates Technical Regulation for Packaging to Align with Product Safety Law

On 22 July 2025, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of changes to its Technical Regulation for Packaging. The update, circulated under G/TBT/N/SAU/1286/Add.1, confirms that the provisions of the regulation have been aligned with the recently issued Product Safety Law. The notification includes the revised regulation and the updated list of standards.

Scope and General Requirements

The revised regulation sets out mandatory requirements for all packaging products placed on the Saudi market, whether manufactured locally or imported. It applies to packaging used for containing, protecting, handling, and presenting goods, with specific exclusions for packaging related to food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices, which are regulated under separate technical rules.

Key Regulatory Updates

Key updates include:

• Alignment with the Product Safety Law ensuring packaging meets safety, environmental, and consumer protection standards without discrimination between local and foreign products.
• Detailed compliance obligations for manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers, and distributors, including requirements for technical documentation, conformity assessment, labelling in Arabic, and product traceability.
• Enhanced basic requirements for design, materials, reusability, recycling, and the prohibition of hazardous substances, including limits on heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium.
• Clear conformity assessment procedures and recognition of both Saudi and internationally harmonized standards.
• A comprehensive list of 43 national, regional, and international standards, covering environmental optimization, material recycling, barcoding, accessible design, and packaging performance criteria.

Transition and Comments

Economic operators must ensure compliance within the transition period set by the regulation. Products failing to meet the requirements may be subject to withdrawal from the market, fines, or other enforcement measures.

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has invited WTO members and stakeholders to submit comments within 30 days from the notification date.