RIYADH, May 2024 — Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has issued a technical notice requiring energy efficiency and standby power testing under IEC 60335-2-102 for electric office furniture hardware, effective 1 June 2026. The regulation directly impacts exporters, manufacturers, and service providers in the global office furniture supply chain—particularly those supplying to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market—due to its binding compliance requirements, labeling mandate, and limited local pre-testing capacity.

Event Overview

SASO announced on 15 May 2024 that, starting 1 June 2026, all imported electric lifting table actuators, smart drawer slides, and other furniture hardware classified under the scope of Furniture Hardware must comply with IEC 60335-2-102 for energy efficiency and standby power consumption. Compliance requires successful testing and affixing of the SASO Energy Label. As of publication, only three accredited testing laboratories in China are authorized to conduct localized pre-compliance testing; their schedules are fully booked through July 2024.

Industries Affected

Direct Trading Enterprises: Exporters and trading companies selling electric furniture hardware into Saudi Arabia face heightened regulatory risk and lead-time pressure. Non-compliant shipments after 1 June 2026 will be rejected at customs. Since SASO does not accept test reports issued outside the authorized labs—or without SASO-recognized accreditation—the inability to secure timely testing slots increases documentation delays and potential rework costs.

Raw Material Procurement Enterprises: Firms sourcing motors, control boards, or low-power ICs for actuator or slide assemblies must now verify component-level energy performance early in procurement. Suppliers’ datasheets rarely specify standby power draw per IEC 60335-2-102, meaning procurement teams need to request custom test data or engage in joint validation—adding complexity to vendor qualification processes.

Manufacturing Enterprises: OEM/ODM producers of electric desk systems and smart storage solutions must revise product designs to meet stricter limits on no-load and standby power. This includes optimizing firmware sleep modes, selecting ultra-low-quiescent-current regulators, and redesigning power supply topologies—potentially affecting bill-of-materials cost, time-to-market, and certification timelines.

Supply Chain Service Providers: Certification consultants, logistics coordinators, and label compliance agencies must update service offerings to include IEC 60335-2-102 gap analysis, lab coordination with the three authorized Chinese facilities, and SASO Energy Label artwork verification. Their capacity constraints—mirroring those of the labs—mean prioritization of high-volume or high-margin clients is already occurring.

Key Focus Areas and Recommended Actions

Confirm Product Scope and Classification Early

Not all motorized furniture components fall under the new requirement. Enterprises should cross-reference SASO’s official product classification list (published alongside the 15 May notice) and validate whether their specific models—including variants with different voltage ratings or control interfaces—are captured. Misclassification may result in unnecessary retesting or missed deadlines.

Secure Pre-Testing Slots Before Q3 2024

Given current lab backlogs extending into July 2024—and anticipated demand surge in H2—the window for securing first-round pre-tests is narrowing. Companies should initiate engagement with authorized labs now, including submission of preliminary technical files and prototype samples, to avoid Q4 2024 bottlenecks.

Integrate IEC 60335-2-102 into Design Review Cycles

Design teams should treat IEC 60335-2-102 not as a final-stage compliance checkpoint but as a design constraint from concept phase onward. This includes specifying minimum efficiency thresholds for drive motors, defining maximum allowable standby current (< 0.5 W typical), and documenting firmware sleep-state behavior for lab reviewers.

Editorial Perspective / Industry Observation

Observably, this regulation marks SASO’s strategic shift from safety-focused conformity (e.g., IEC 60335-1) toward integrated energy performance governance—a trend aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s sustainability goals. Analysis shows that while the standard targets relatively niche subcomponents today, its enforcement mechanism—centralized labeling, mandatory pre-testing, and narrow lab authorization—sets a precedent likely to extend to broader categories like lighting-integrated furniture or IoT-enabled storage systems by 2027. From an industry perspective, this is less about isolated compliance and more about systemic readiness for energy-aware product development across the GCC export corridor.

Conclusion

The SASO IEC 60335-2-102 mandate signals a maturing regulatory environment in the Middle East—one where energy efficiency is no longer voluntary differentiation but non-negotiable market access. For global suppliers, success hinges not on reacting to the deadline, but on embedding energy performance intelligence into R&D, procurement, and quality assurance workflows well ahead of 2026. A measured, phased response remains more sustainable—and more competitive—than last-minute remediation.

Source Attribution

Official source: Technical Notice No. SASO/TN/2024/017, published by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) on 15 May 2024. Available at www.saso.gov.sa.
Note: SASO has indicated that detailed implementation guidelines—including test method interpretations, label specifications, and transitional arrangements for stock-in-trade—will be published in Q3 2024. These remain under active monitoring.