Saudi SABER: Cases of port detention caused by expired PC certificates have increased significantly

## Phenomenon Since September, among the Saudi customs clearance anomalies we have handled, the proportion of cases where SC cannot be generated due to expired PC certificates has risen noticeably. A typical scenario: companies conduct certification according to project timelines, obtain a PC at the time of first export, then ship continuously for the next two years without ever checking the PC's validity period. ## Where the problem lies SABER's certificate structure is "PC governs the product, SC governs the shipment": a PC is valid for 1 year, while an SC is one certificate per shipment. When applying for an SC, the PC status is mandatorily verified; if the PC has expired, the SC cannot be generated—and this error is usually discovered only before shipment or even after arrival at port. ## Cost comparison | Item | Amount range | Time required | | --- | --- | --- | | PC renewal | Several thousand yuan | 4–7 working days | | Demurrage (per container/day) | Several hundred to over a thousand yuan | Accumulates daily | | Example: 12 containers, 9 days of demurrage | About 23,000 yuan | 9 days | ## Why it happens in clusters First, the PC validity period is not reflected in daily business documents—it can only be seen by logging into SABER; second, PCs for multi-model products often expire in batches, making it easy for a hidden situation of "some models expired" to arise; third, since 2026 Saudi Arabia has become stricter in verifying certificate status, leaving less margin for error. ## Recommended actions 1. Establish a PC expiry ledger, recording validity periods by model, and initiate renewal 45 days in advance. 2. Verify PC status once before booking, and include it in the shipping checklist. 3. When renewing, conduct a concurrent review of standard versions to avoid "renewed but the report is already outdated." ## Note This article is an industry observation and operational recommendation and does not constitute legal advice. Specific requirements are subject to the rules of SASO and the SABER platform.