SASO reviewed the technical regulation for building materials, which consists of two parts; the first is for sectors of metals and their alloys for building and construction, and the second part is for insulation materials and cladding materials for buildings. SASO reviewed the regulation through a workshop held in Asharqia Chamber on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
The workshop was initiated by the Director General of SASO's branch in the Eastern Region, Dr. Tamis Al-Hammadi, who stressed the need for companies to comply with the standards and requirements of the regulation, as part of SASO's initiatives for safety of products within the National Transformation Program 2020. The workshop comes in line with the Kingdom's joining World Trade Organization (WTO), and the commitment the Kingdom has to take on to make its relevant regulations comply with the principles of WTO Agreement especially on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). These principles stipulate that no unnecessary technical requirements should be placed on the flow of commodities among member countries, and that no distinction shall be made between products of different origin in terms of technical requirements and conformity assessment methods, through the issuance of technical regulations that include legitimate requirements and standardization of work procedures.
For his part, the quality and conformity expert Eng. Mohammad Huraira talked about the regulation's requirements of the sectors of metals and their alloys for construction as well as insulation materials and cladding materials for building. He pointed out that the regulation came into force and that it includes clarifying commitments to the supplier and to the technical requirements. Moreover, it will clarify the responsibilities of regulatory bodies.
During the workshop, which witnessed significant presence, Eng. Huraira said the regulation prohibits manufacturing, importing, and displaying products non-conforming with the regulation or even announcing them. The product will undergo conformity assessment procedures at all levels. He stressed the importance of the conformity of high-risk products with the basic standards and requirements of Saudi Quality Mark in order to protect the consumer, and maintain his/ her health, from anything that may affect safety, health and environment.
Eng. Huraira pointed out that the implementation of the regulation will be mandatory. When any violation is found, market survey authorities will take all necessary measures to remove the violation and its effects from the market.
Furthermore, he clarified that the technical regulation is a document, approved by the Board of Directors, that sets out the characteristics of products and their associated processes and methods of production, including administrative provisions that are in force and must be adhered to. It may include or discuss specifically terms, definitions and packaging. In addition, requirements for placing badges or labels on products, services, processes or methods of production may be included or discussed.
Regarding the standard specification, Eng. Huraira said that it is a document that defines the characteristics of the product, material, service, or anything that is subject to measurement. In addition, it determines its specifications, characteristics, quality, dimensions, measurement or security and safety requirements. It also includes terms, symbols, testing methods, sampling, packaging, data labels and marks.
The workshop also tackled the mechanism of obtaining the Quality Mark through a presentation by Mohammed Hakami, in which he pointed out that the Quality Mark is an important means to guide the consumer towards commodities conforming with Saudi standard specifications. Moreover, the Mark lets products gain the satisfaction and confidence of the consumer, which contributes to increasing sales.
Mr. Hakami pointed out that the advantages of the Quality Mark are to build appropriate commercial bases to facilitate the conclusion of export agreements with foreign countries, and it ensures continuous development and improvement of the product by following modern scientific methods that work to improve the product and enhance its competitiveness in the global markets. Moreover, it qualifies establishments to receive local and international quality awards. In addition, it enhances the reputation of establishments obtaining it locally, regionally and internationally. Furthermore, it facilitates the entry of commodities, obtaining the Mark, through customs outlets. It also helps to facilitate the export of products obtaining the Mark, support the national economy, raise the competitiveness of Saudi products in the local and international markets and work to increase Saudi exports. He stressed that the procedures to obtain the Quality Mark take place through the formal application by the establishment to request a license to use the logo of the Quality Mark or obtain a certificate of conformity, as it can apply through the electronic services on SASO's official website and follow the steps that must be taken by the establishment.
The workshop concluded with interactions and qualitative discussions from participants, which had a role in enriching the workshop and making it special.