• The words and phrases mentioned below - wherever they appear in this Regulation - shall have the meanings specified before each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:

• Law: The Law of Specifications and Quality.

• Regulation: The Implementing Regulation of the Law.

• General Regulation for the Saudi Quality Mark: The regulation that defines the conditions and general rules for the procedures for granting a license to use the Saudi Quality Mark.

• Organization: The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.

• Council: The Board of Directors of the Organization.

• Governor: The Governor of the Organization.

• Authorized Person: The person who has the authority to issue a decision to approve, adopt, update, suspend, or withdraw the specification and the related document.

• Product: Any product placed or offered in the markets.

• Specification: An approved document that sets the rules, instructions, or characteristics for related products or processes and methods of production, and compliance with it is not mandatory.

• Related Document: A document concerned with technical characteristics, technical reports, evidence, and other documents approved by the metrology body and is not considered a specification according to the provisions of the Law.

• Relevant Entities: Government agencies, the private sector, the academic and research sector, and the non-profit sector concerned with the specification and the related document.

• Technical Team: A team formed from the relevant entities responsible for preparing Saudi specifications and related matters.

• Quality Mark: A mark indicating that the characteristics of the product meet higher technical requirements than those of the specifications, or meet other requirements set by the Organization.

• License: A conformity certificate issued by the Organization to the establishment, allowing it - under this certificate - to use the Quality Mark on the licensed products and goods, indicating that the establishment meets the requirements of this Regulation and the specified granting procedure, and that the licensed products and goods comply with the standard specifications and/or relevant technical regulations, based on the test reports conducted on them, and that the establishment has an effective management system that ensures the continued production of products and goods with the required quality.

The regulation aims to clarify the rules related to standardization and quality, the preparation and adoption of the specification and related documents, their review, and implementation.

The guidelines contained in the law form the basis upon which the specification and the related document are prepared, adopted, and approved.

• Exceptionally, for products and services that fall under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Authority, the Authority is the original competent authority and supervises standardization and quality activities, including:

  • 1- Preparing the specification and the related document.

  • 2- Adopting the specification and the related document.

  • 3- Approving the specification and the related document.

  • 4- Reviewing and updating the specification and the related document.

  • 5- Implementing the specification and the related document.

  • 6- Withdrawing the specification and the related document.

  • 7- Granting the quality mark to products that meet high levels of relevant technical requirements.

• The Authority shall prepare and update the specification and the related document according to the following procedures:

  • 1- Including the proposal for preparing the specification in the annual plan for Saudi specifications.

  • 2- Preparing the preliminary draft of the Saudi specification project.

  • 3- Sending the preliminary draft of the project to the relevant entities to receive feedback.

  • 4- Studying the comments received on the preliminary draft of the project.

  • 5- Preparing and approving the final draft of the specification project.

  • 6- Presenting the specification project to the authorized person for approval as a Saudi specification.

  • 7- Publishing on the official website of the Authority.

Technical teams shall be formed by a decision from the authorized person to prepare the specification and the related document, after conducting a feasibility study for the formation of the teams and communicating with the relevant authorities.

• The technical team formed to prepare the specification and the related document undertakes several tasks, including:

• 1- Studying proposals for specification projects received from both inside and outside the team in preparation for the annual plan of the technical team.

• 2- Preparing the Saudi specification in accordance with the approved annual plan.

• 3- Periodic review of the Saudi specifications that fall within its responsibilities, which have been previously issued or which are found to need review or have received comments, and ensuring their compliance with the requirements.

• 4- Adhering to the guidelines issued by the authority that regulate the process of preparing Saudi specifications and the related documents.

• 5- Providing technical advice requested from the team in the field of product or service specifications that fall within its responsibilities.