The Saudi Quality Mark (SQM) is a conformity mark exclusively owned and granted by the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) to ensure the quality and safety of the products within its scope before placing them in the Saudi market. It is issued for establishments that apply a quality management system and adhere to the requirements of the relevant technical regulations.
The Saudi Quality mark scope
The Saudi Quality Mark SQM can be issued for many categories of products prepared for sale in the Saudi market either imported or locally manufactured including building products, mechanical products, chemical products, electrical products, and food products but it is mandatory for only the following products:
- Ready-mix Concrete
- Cement
- Ceramic Tiles/ Porcelain Tiles
- Steel Bars
- Iron Plate
- Gas Appliances and Accessories
- Aluminum Composite Panel
- Electrical Extension Cords
- Plugs, Switches, and Sockets
- Solvents used in dissolving plastic
The requirements for obtaining the Saudi Quality Mark
- The establishment must be licensed to manufacture or distribute one of the products that fall under the Saudi Quality Mark scope.
- Accepting the conditions and committing to the regulatory requirements relevant to granting the mark.
- Applying an effective quality management system.
- The concerned product conforms to the relevant standard.
- Identifying the trademark for the concerned products and notifying the granting authority of any changes in the trademark, the product, production methods and equipment.
- Committing to the conditions of using and labeling the mark according to what is stipulated in the granting procedures.
- Providing the granting authority with the information to carry out the required audits.
- Submitting an application and a complete technical file.
The required documents to apply for the SQM
The Saudi Quality Mark, unlike the Certificate of Conformity (CoC), is not issued via Saber. Suppliers shall apply for it on jeem 1 electronic platform by initiating a request and submitting the following documents:
- Commercial register
- Industry license
- Brand registration
- Factory location map
- Quality manual
- Product catalog
- Products barcode numbers
- Product test report
- Quality control flowchart
- Internal test report
The SQM issuance process
The Saudi Quality Mark
Application review
The authority reviews the submitted application.
If there are any notes or required edits the applicant can see them through the system and is allowed to complete the requirements.
When the file is complete the technical study can be carried out.
The technical study
The technical study includes factory visits, product testing in an accredited laboratory, and auditing the establishment quality manual, management system, and production lines.
The final review and granting decision
After reviewing the test and audit reports and if found to meet the requirement a recommendation for granting the Quality Mark license is submitted for final review.
Accordingly, the Quality mark license is issued to be valid for three years.
The periodical audits and testing
The granting authority carries out a periodic audit for the establishment that obtained the license at specific intervals throughout the year.
The granting authority has the right to withdraw random samples of the products that obtained the mark directly from the market, production lines, or warehouses, in order to test them to ensure that they conform to standards.
The granting authority periodically audits the records of the establishments that obtained the license through continuous monitoring of the results of conformity assessment.
License Suspension and cancelation
License suspension: when the Saudi Quality Mark license is suspended for a specific period of time, the establishment can use the mark again after the granting authority ensures that the reasons for this suspension have been avoided.
License cancellation: when the Saudi Quality Mark license is permanently canceled, the establishment shall submit a new application to obtain the license again.