Saudi Arabia Notifies WTO of Updated Technical Regulation on Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has submitted an addendum to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding changes to its Technical Regulation on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The update, circulated under d G/TBT/N/SAU/1166/Corr.1/Add.1 on 23 July 2025, aligns the regulation with the country’s recently issued Product Safety Law. The WTO notification includes the revised regulatory text and the updated list of applicable standards.

Scope and Key Compliance Requirements

According to the WTO notification, the updated regulation strengthens the safety, health, and environmental compliance of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the Saudi market. It introduces clearer compliance obligations for manufacturers, importers, and distributors, including the preparation of technical documentation, Arabic-language safety instructions, and the application of mandatory conformity assessment procedures.

The regulation applies to a broad range of products, including household appliances, IT equipment, lighting devices, tools, toys, and monitoring instruments. Exemptions include medical devices, military equipment, and certain large-scale industrial machinery.

The technical limits for hazardous substances remain unchanged, setting maximum concentrations in homogeneous materials for:

• lead (0.1%)
• mercury (0.1%)
• cadmium (0.01%)
• hexavalent chromium (0.1%)
• polybrominated biphenyls (0.1%)
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (0.1%)
• selected phthalates (0.1%)

Implementation, Enforcement and Consultation

Economic operators are required to maintain records, conduct risk assessments, ensure continued conformity of serial production, and cooperate with market surveillance authorities. Non-compliant products may be subject to recalls, withdrawal from the market, or other corrective measures.

The updated regulation and its associated list of standards are available via the WTO and SASO platforms. Interested stakeholders have 30 days from the date of notification to submit comments.