Saudi Quality Mark: documents and factory-assessment preparation

Define the products and factories first

A Saudi Quality Mark (SQM) application concerns specified products and the manufacturing controls behind them. SASO identifies mandatory categories, while other eligible products can apply voluntarily. Check the current category and granting procedure before planning the file.

Create a scope sheet listing the product names, models, brands and production sites. Mark whether the enquiry is for a new licence, renewal or extension. This gives the manufacturer, importer and adviser the same starting point.

Prepare the application document checklist

Use SASO’s current application forms and check the product-specific granting procedure. Organise the file under the headings below; additional evidence may be required for your category.

• Application paperwork: the licence application on company letterhead and the Quality Mark licence agreement, completed and signed as required.
• Company and factory: commercial registration, relevant industrial licence, factory location map and organisational chart. Identify each site included in the proposed scope.
• Quality-system evidence: quality manual or management-system documents, quality-control plan and results of internal product checks (self-monitoring).
• Product identification: technical specifications, catalogues, product labels and photographs, trademark ownership certificate and product barcodes.
• Laboratory evidence: complete product test reports from a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for the relevant product and testing scope.

Check the laboratory and report coverage

Before arranging new testing, ask which standards and editions apply to your product and whether the proposed laboratory and reports will be accepted. An accreditation certificate alone does not establish that every test the laboratory offers is within its accredited scope.

Compare the report’s model, brand, manufacturer and sample description with the application file. Keep the full report, including results and annexes. Explain any differences in model names or manufacturing sites instead of assuming that a similar product is covered.

Prepare records that can be traced to the product

For your internal readiness review, choose one proposed model and follow its documents from specification to the recorded checks on a finished item. Can the responsible person identify the relevant procedure and explain which records belong to that model? Note anything that needs clarification.

Confirm the period of self-monitoring records required for your product with the reviewing body. SASO’s general application checklist asks for these results but does not specify a universal three-month period.

Provide the quality manual or management-system documents and any relevant certification you already hold. Do not assume that a separate ISO 9001 certificate is mandatory for every application, or that holding one replaces the required factory and product evidence. Check the applicable granting procedure.

Understand the application and assessment stages

Use these stages to organise preparation and responsibilities. The detailed sequence, sampling and assessment arrangements depend on the applicable granting procedure.

• Prepare: define the product and factory scope, gather documents, review existing reports and arrange any required testing.
• Apply: register the establishment and submit the product details and supporting files through SASO’s MANEH certification platform; follow up document-review questions.
• Assess: coordinate the factory assessment and any required sampling or testing, and address any nonconformities raised.
• Decision: the granting authority reviews the assessment evidence and decides whether to issue the licence. Submission or a completed audit does not guarantee approval.

Track what is available, missing or needs updating

Create one row for each checklist item, with columns for the product or site covered, filename, document date or version, responsible person and next action. Use the following status labels for your own preparation; they are not official approval statuses.

• Available: a readable, complete copy has been collected and its scope can be identified.
• Missing: the document has not yet been provided; record who will supply it.
• Needs updating: the file is incomplete, out of date or inconsistent with the proposed product or factory details.

Example: two models made at different sites

Illustrative example: a supplier proposes models A and B, but the test report names only A and the quality records describe one factory. Put both models and both sites on the scope sheet. Ask which evidence covers B and whether the second site needs separate documentation or assessment.

This does not mean that every model needs an individual test. It means that model and site coverage must be explained and accepted through the relevant assessment route.

Before sending your preparation enquiry

Send the scope sheet, document tracker, available reports and product photographs. Identify missing items and unresolved coverage questions clearly so the next steps can be reviewed.

Before making shipment commitments, confirm which product and consignment requirements apply to your route. The Quality Mark preparation file is not a substitute for checking any applicable SABER requirements.

GoCertify can help organise this preparation and follow up questions. A preparation review is not a licensing decision, and existing ISO certification does not itself grant permission to use the Saudi Quality Mark.