On 5 February 2019, Asharqia Chamber organized a workshop on "the electronic portal (Saber)" that was launched by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization in order to facilitate the procedures for the entry of goods and the reduction of commercial fraud.
The workshop witnessed the presence of the Chairman of the Chamber, Abdul Hakim bin Hamad Al-Ammar Al-Khalidi, Board Member Saadoun Bin Khalid Al-Khalidi, and the Secretary General of the Chamber Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al Wabel.
Sultan Abu-Khashim, Advisor to the Governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, explained steps to take advantage of Saber's e-platform services, from registration and entry through the addition of products and the payment of fees for obtaining the required certificates of conformity and electronically matching consignment certificates.
Eng. Tarek bin Hamad Abu-Aisha, Director General of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization in the Eastern Region, stressed at the beginning of the workshop, which was attended by a large number of entrepreneurs and interested individuals, in the importance of the workshop to provide a comprehensive definition of electronic platform (Saber) and that the Authority opens its doors to all local importers to answer all their queries.
Abu-Khashim said that Saber is a platform that will speed up the time required to put products in the Saudi market and facilitate obtaining certificates of conformity for consumer goods whether imported or manufactured locally to enter the Saudi market.
It also protects consumers from buying counterfeit products and helps by making them available to the necessary information about the products from making consumers the right decision to buy or not.
He pointed out that non-conformity does not necessarily mean that the product is harmful to health and safety, but the product may be unclear information.
The platform is flexible and scalable, ensures product safety, as it stresses the need to ban unsafe products in the market.
It contains more than 30 bodies to grant certificates of conformity recognized by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.
Abu-Khashim said that the platform aims to protect commercial establishments against fraud and ensure that products are free from defects that may affect the health and safety of the consumer or his environment.
The Saber platform has been developed under the supervision of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization in cooperation with Thiqah Business Services Company to operate and develop it according to the highest standards of efficiency in terms of speed of completion in registration, as well as reducing the time taken to obtain the required certificates.
He added that Saber is in line with the launch of the product safety program, which is an integrated model (legislative, technical, regulatory) that aims to ensure the safety of local and imported products subject to Saudi standards.
He pointed out that it is an electronic platform multilateral and comprehensive of all products, and applicable from all responsible regulators in the Kingdom.
It is linked, for example, to the Customs Authority, to help accelerate the clearance of shipments to the domestic market.
For his part, said the Chairman of the Commercial Committee in Asharqia Chamber, Hani bin Hassan al-Afaliq,said that the workshop came within the framework of the joint efforts between the Chamber and the Orgnization to raise the awareness of the business sector in the Eastern Region on the Saber electronic platform and services to facilitate the entry of goods and reduce commercial fraud and other services that are within the speed of completion and protect investors and consumers.
He pointed out that the national economy is following a comprehensive reform plan launched by the Vision of the Kingdom of 2030.
It is based on the restructuring of the national economy in line with the global institutional and technological requirements.
The Saber portal is in line with the objectives of Vision 2030, as it accelerates the pace of goods entry, reduces commercial fraud, registers products, reduces the time it takes to process products, and obtains the required conformity certificates.
He said that Asharqia Chamber held this workshop in cooperation with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization as they are recognizing the importance of raising the awareness of the business sector from the suppliers and the owners of the local factories, the Saber electronic platform and how to benefit from its services and identify its role in facilitating the entry of goods and goods to the local market
He expressed its thanks to all the businessmen from the Eastern Region of the Authority for their efforts to upgrade the quality of products and services to enhance consumers' protection and competitiveness of the national economy.
