G-Mark (Gulf Region)

The Gulf Standards Organization was established by the GCC member states to harmonise technical regulations across the six-country bloc, and the G-Mark is the visible output of that harmonisation for product safety. Mandatory GSO technical regulations for low-voltage electrical equipment (based on the IEC 60335 and IEC 60065 series), electromagnetic compatibility, and toy safety govern what must be tested and declared before products may enter any GCC customs territory. In practice, a product certified under an approved G-Mark programme by a GSO-recognised certification body carries a mark that is accepted across all six member states, making the GCC one of the few regional blocs where a single third-party certificate unlocks six national markets simultaneously.

For Saudi Arabia specifically, the G-Mark and broader product conformity requirements have been reorganised under the SABER (Saudi Product Safety Program) platform since 2019. All regulated products — whether covered by the G-Mark programme or by other Saudi product safety regulations — must have their certificates uploaded to SABER before shipments can clear Saudi customs. The Shipment Certificate issued through SABER links the product certificate to a specific consignment and must be obtained for each shipment, not just annually. Companies new to the Saudi market frequently overlook this consignment-level step and face unexpected customs holds.

Test reports from laboratories accredited under the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) are generally accepted by GSO certification bodies for conversion to G-Mark certificates, which means existing CE test reports based on equivalent IEC standards can often be reused, reducing testing costs. However, GSO has adopted some regional deviations — particularly for climate-related performance requirements for certain air conditioning and refrigeration products — that require supplementary testing. Sustalium maintains a checklist of GSO deviations by product category and tracks your G-Mark certificate expiry and SABER registration status to prevent shipment disruptions.