Low voltage power cables
PVC and XLPE insulated power cables for distribution and fixed installation, classified by conductor material, cross-section and voltage rating.
Electrical Cable Certification
SABER Certificate for Electrical Cables in Saudi Arabia
Exporting electrical cables to Saudi Arabia? BenzilaCert helps manufacturers, exporters and Saudi importers assess the applicable Saudi standards, IECEE requirements, laboratory testing, SABER PCoC and shipment certification.
Send to scope a cable file:
- Cable Type & Voltage
- Test Reports
- Model & Size List
Product Types
Types of Electrical Cables We Support
Cable families differ in construction, voltage rating and intended use — and those differences decide the route. They do not all follow the same one.
Medium voltage cables
XLPE insulated cables for distribution networks, commonly with screening and armouring. Above 1 kV the voltage class is declared as U0/U and the file is built on type tests.
Read moreControl and instrumentation cables
Multi-core control cables and screened instrumentation cables, where screening, core identification and intended use affect the applicable standard.
Building wire
Single-core insulated wire for fixed building installation, usually the highest-volume and most size-heavy part of a cable catalogue.
Flexible cords and cables
Flexible cables for appliances and portable equipment. These are often assessed differently from fixed-installation cable.
Fire-resistant and low-smoke cables
Circuit integrity and reaction to fire are separate claims with separate reports, and neither is implied by the other.
Applicable Requirements
Saudi Certification and IECEE Requirements
Which route applies depends on the cable design, its voltage rating, the Saudi HS code and the intended use.
A cable is assessed against the technical regulation its Saudi HS code falls under. That regulation names the standards, and the standards decide what the test evidence has to show.
SASO publishes an IECEE National Recognition list that includes electrical cables. Where that route applies, an existing IECEE CB certificate and report may support part of the requirement — see our IECEE certificate page for how a CB certificate is used on a Saudi file.
Confirm before relying on it
Whether the IECEE route applies to a particular cable, and how much of the requirement it covers, depends on the current scope and on the approved certification body’s assessment. Check the position for your product rather than assuming it from the category.
Classification
Saudi HS Code for Electrical Cables
Classification follows construction, not catalogue naming.
Conductor material, insulation type, voltage rating, core count and whether connectors are fitted all affect how a cable is classified. A power cable, a flexible cord and an instrumentation cable can sit under different headings, which means different regulations and different evidence.
We do not publish a single HS code for cables, because there is no code that covers the category. The code is confirmed per product — see our HS code check for how that is done.
Testing
Laboratory Testing Requirements
Seven checks a cable assessment commonly draws on. Which apply depends on the cable and the standard the regulation names.
| Check | What it looks at |
|---|---|
| Conductor resistance | Conductor material, cross-section and resistance against the declared size |
| Insulation properties | Insulation resistance and the behaviour of the insulation material |
| Voltage withstand | Dielectric performance at the declared voltage rating |
| Mechanical properties | Tensile strength, elongation and ageing of insulation and sheath |
| Thermal properties | Behaviour at the declared maximum conductor temperature |
| Flame propagation | Fire performance, where the cable carries a flame or fire claim |
| Construction and marking | Core count, identification, sheath marking and declared construction |
Accreditation scope matters
A report is assessed against the laboratory’s scope of accreditation for the named test, not against the laboratory in general. See ISO 17025 lab testing.
Documents
Documents Required for Cable Certification
Ten items an assessment commonly draws on. Not every one applies to every cable.
- Product datasheet for each cable type, with the declared construction
- Manufacturer name and address as they will appear on the certificate
- Confirmed Saudi HS code for each cable family
- Model and size list — every cross-section and core count to be covered
- Conductor specification: material, stranding and cross-section
- Declared voltage rating for each type
- Insulation and sheath material specification
- Laboratory test reports to the standards the regulation names
- An existing IECEE CB certificate and report — if applicable
- Cable photographs and the sheath marking as printed
Not sure which of your cable sizes are covered?
Send the model and size list with your existing test reports. We will tell you what the reports cover and what is missing.
Process
How to Obtain Cable Certification
Five steps, from the product details to a shipment certificate.
Send the product details
Cable type, voltage rating, conductor sizes and the model list. Enough to tell which cable families are in scope and which are separate.
Confirm the HS code and the regulation
Classification follows construction, insulation, voltage rating and whether connectors are fitted. The code selects the applicable technical regulation.
Review testing and IECEE requirements
Check what the applicable standard calls for, what your existing reports cover, and whether the IECEE route applies to the cable in question.
Complete the applicable product certification
Prepare the technical file and the model and size list, then submit for assessment by the approved certification body.
Arrange shipment certification
Once a product certificate is in place, each consignment is applied for against it, with the invoice sizes matching the certified list.
Inspection
Factory Inspection and Quality Mark
Neither applies to every cable. Both are settled at classification.
Some conformity assessment schemes rely on type testing and documentation alone. Others call for a production visit. Where factory inspection applies it needs scheduling early, because it involves someone travelling to the plant — see factory inspection for Saudi certification.
Separately, the Saudi Quality Mark is a different scheme from SABER product certification. Where buyers or tenders ask for it, it is applied for in its own right.
Cost & Timeline
Certification Cost and Timeline
Five separate charges, quoted separately.
The SABER platform fee, the certification body’s assessment, laboratory testing, factory inspection where it applies, and professional assistance are all charged separately. Testing is usually the largest variable on a cable file, because it depends on how many cable families and sizes need evidence.
We quote per file rather than publishing a cable certification price, and we do not give guaranteed completion dates — the certification body and the laboratory set their own timelines. See SABER certificate cost for how a quotation is itemized.
Common Problems
Common Cable Certification Problems
Six recurring issues in cable files, and what each one comes down to.
The whole catalogue classified as one code
Power cable, flexible cord and instrumentation cable can fall under different classifications. One code applied across a mixed catalogue sends part of it down the wrong route.
A test report covering different sizes
Reports are issued for the cross-sections actually tested. Sizes outside that range may need their own evidence or a justified grouping the certification body accepts.
A fire claim with no fire evidence
Flame retardant, fire resistant and low smoke are claims printed on the sheath. Where the regulation requires it, each needs test evidence behind it.
Conductor specification that does not match
A declared cross-section that the measured conductor resistance does not support is one of the clearer ways a cable file is queried.
Inconsistent manufacturer information
The plant named on the test report, the datasheet and the application should be the same site, named the same way.
Sheath marking that disagrees with the file
The printed marking on the cable is checked against the declared construction, size and voltage rating.
Keep Going
Related pages
The parent electrical category, the CB route, and the certificates a cable file is assessed toward.
FAQs
Electrical cable certification questions
IECEE, size grouping, existing IEC reports, fire-resistant cable and the shipment stage.
Do electrical cables need SASO certification for Saudi Arabia?
Many do, and it is decided by the Saudi HS code rather than by the product name. Where the code falls under an applicable technical regulation, the cable generally needs a product certificate registered on SABER, followed by a shipment certificate per consignment.
Is an IECEE CB certificate required for cables?
SASO publishes an IECEE National Recognition list that includes electrical cables, so the IECEE route may apply depending on the product and the current scope. Whether it applies to your cable, and how much of the requirement an existing CB certificate covers, is confirmed from the classification and the certification body’s assessment rather than assumed.
Can one certificate cover all my cable sizes?
Potentially, where the sizes form a grouping the standard and the test basis support, and subject to the certification body’s approval. It is not automatic — the cross-sections actually tested and the declared range both matter.
Will my existing IEC test reports be accepted?
Possibly in part. Reports to the standards the regulation names, from a laboratory accredited for those tests, may support the file. What is accepted is decided by the approved certification body, and gaps are usually about scope rather than about the laboratory.
Do fire-resistant cables need extra testing?
Where a fire, flame or smoke performance claim is made, evidence for that claim is normally expected in addition to the general cable requirements. Which tests apply depends on the claim and the applicable standard.
Is a factory inspection required for cables?
It depends on the conformity assessment scheme the applicable regulation sets. Some routes rely on type testing and documentation; others call for a production visit. It is settled at classification.
What shipment documents are needed for a cable consignment?
The commercial invoice and packing list with the sizes as certified, the product certificate number, and the transport and origin documents as they become available. See our SABER documents checklist for the full list.
Find out what your cable range actually requires
Send the cable types, voltage ratings, conductor sizes and any test reports you already hold. We will review how the range is likely to be classified, what evidence it needs and what is missing.
Electrical Cable Certification
Request an Electrical Cable Certification Assessment
Tell us about the cable types, voltage ratings and sizes you ship. We reply within one business day with the likely route and what to send next.