Saudi Arabia's conformity regime for ICT equipment changes on 1 November 2026, and most of the commentary treats it as a handset story. For integrators bidding wireless access, fibre-access and customer-premises scope into Saudi projects, it is a document-control story: three dates, one scope list, and a certificate file that quietly goes out of date.
Study 1 — The Countdown
SASO's notice sets the sequence. The grace period closes on 31 October 2026. From 1 November, importers and local manufacturers must not issue a certificate of conformity for covered products unless they meet SASO 3114:2026. Valid certificates and shipment certificates issued under the old GEN-002 standard are discontinued no later than 31 March 2027.
| Milestone | Days remaining from 12 Oct 2026 | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Grace period ends | 31 Oct 2026 · 19 days | |
| New-standard-only certificates begin | 1 Nov 2026 · 20 days | |
| GITEX GLOBAL, Dubai (reference) | 7 Dec 2026 · 56 days | |
| GEN-002 certificates discontinued | 31 Mar 2027 · 170 days |
Fig. 1 — Days remaining from 12 October 2026. Source: SASO / SABER notice; TÜV Rheinland; GITEX GLOBAL official listing.
Study 2 — What the Standard Actually Names
SASO 3114:2026, published on 19 May 2026, names six product groups. Wired switching and passive connectivity are not among them, which is where a careless reading goes wrong in either direction: the safety and EMC route can still apply, and the HS code decides.
| Named in SASO 3114:2026 | Saber safety / wireless route | |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile phones | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tablets and mobile computers | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mobile routers and CPE | ✔ | ✔ |
| ONT and home access gateways | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wi-Fi distribution devices | ✔ | ✔ |
| Other cellular-enabled devices | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wired switching and passive connectivity | ✖ | — |
Fig. 2 — ✔ named or in scope · ✖ not named · — determined by HS code. Source: Bay Area Compliance Laboratories; ACB Certification; Global Validity; UL Solutions. Confirm against the Saber portal before shipment.
Study 3 — The Wider Shift Underneath
The standard sits inside a larger change. UL Solutions reports that wireless type approval no longer comes from CST: SASO-approved certification bodies now issue a Saber Product Certificate covering safety and wireless together. The HS codes in mandatory wireless scope rose from 20 to 63, and 135 HS codes now carry safety and EMC requirements.
| Scope measure | HS codes | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless approval scope — before | 20 | |
| Wireless approval scope — now | 63 | |
| Safety / EMC scope — now | 135 |
Fig. 3 — HS codes under mandatory certification. Source: UL Solutions, 28 August 2026. UL notes the lists are subject to change.
Study 4 — Where the Exposure Sits
The risk is in the certificate file, not the datasheet. A product certified under GEN-002 stays shippable only until 31 March 2027, and a certificate applied for after the grace period must meet the new standard on day one.
| Shipment position | Exposure |
|---|---|
| Certified to SASO 3114:2026 | ●○○○○ |
| Valid GEN-002 certificate, ships before 31 Mar 2027 | ●●○○○ |
| Valid GEN-002 certificate, ships after 31 Mar 2027 | ●●●●○ |
| No certificate, applying under GEN-002 after 31 Oct 2026 | ●●●●● |
Fig. 4 — Analyst assessment derived from the SASO deadlines; not a regulatory classification.
Analyst Note
Three actions for a pre-sales or procurement team carrying Saudi scope into the next two quarters. First, sort every BOM line by named category and HS code, not by product description. Second, pull the certificate file for each approved vendor and read two fields: the standard it was issued under, and its validity date. Anything issued under GEN-002 needs a replacement plan before 31 March 2027, a date that can land inside the delivery window of a project awarded this quarter. Third, raise wireless access in the specification conversation early: Bay Area Compliance Laboratories' summary reports a Wi-Fi 7 requirement for Wi-Fi distribution devices on each supported band, so any design specified at Wi-Fi 6 deserves a check against the standard text. The wired layer sits outside the named scope, but that is not an exemption from the safety and EMC route. Teams that can show a documented, traceable chain from certificate to shipment, with validity dates on file, carry less risk into evaluation than teams that discover the gap at clearance. Worth tracking: GITEX GLOBAL, Dubai, 7–11 December 2026.
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BW Solution Tech — Technology & Supply Partner, London · Dubai. This brief is independent market analysis prepared for our partner network and is not investment or legal advice.