Doing Business In Saudi Arabia - Bna

Sale of arms and ammunitions is managed through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
program of the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. Military Training Mission
(USMTM) established at Dhahran in 1953 (now located in Riyadh) provides training,
advice and assistance to the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation in a variety of
areas, including the management of the Kingdom’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS).
Temporary Entry Return to top
For temporary entry of goods for promotional purposes, importers need an invoice with
the value of the goods endorsed by the U.S.-Saudi Business Council or the chamber
of commerce, and a certificate of origin. The invoice should state that the goods are
being imported for exhibition purposes only and will be re-exported.
Saudi Customs requires a deposit for these goods (equivalent to the applicable tariff
rate on the total value of the goods). This deposit is refundable when the exhibition is
over and upon showing a document that the owner of the equipment officially
participated in a trade show. Additionally, the customs authorities will collect handling
charges. Reimbursement takes between two to four weeks.
Labeling and Marking Requirements Return to top
Labeling and marking requirements are compulsory for any products exported to Saudi
Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) is responsible for
establishing labeling and other guidelines in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Commerce
and Industry implements SASO guidelines through its inspection and test laboratories
at ports of entry in Saudi Arabia.
Labeling is particularly important for companies marketing food products, personal
care products, health care products, and pharmaceuticals. SASO has specific
requirements for identifying marks and labels for various imported items. Labels must
be in Arabic for any imported foodstuff item, which should basically reveal the same
information on the container as in the foreign language, i.e. ingredients, country of
origin, manufacturer, shelf life, instructions for use, etc. All food products, whether
imported for commercial purposes, display, or for sampling, must be fit for human
consumption and should meet established shelf life requirements. The product(s)
must have a label or sticker showing the statutory information such as product name,
country of origin, producer's name and address, production and expiry/use by dates, in
Arabic and English languages (samples imported must be labeled at least in English).
It is vital that American exporters adhere to SASO quality standards and labeling
regulations to avoid rejection of products at a Saudi port of entry. The method for
writing production and expiry dates is to put the day of the month first, followed by
month and year. Use of the system commonly followed in the United States, where
the month is shown first, is not acceptable in Saudi Arabia. Products that do not meet
5/13/2008