المملكة: 13 commitments for factories… "Specifications" Adopts regulations for autonomous vehicles

Determining technical requirements

This is to ensure that the vehicles and systems put on the Saudi market conform to the approved standards before allowing them to be traded or operated within the Kingdom.

The authority stressed that the implementation of this regulation aims to protect the health and safety of users and consumers and preserve the environment, by preventing any potential risks that may arise from autonomous vehicles or systems. related to it, stressing that full compliance with safety requirements is not an option but rather a mandatory legal and regulatory obligation.

She explained that the regulation obligated manufacturers, importers and distributors to a number of responsibilities, including proving technical conformity and maintaining the technical file for a period of no less than ten years, in addition to providing product data and usage instructions in Arabic, and taking immediate corrective measures upon discovering any danger or defect that may affect the safety of the vehicle or its users.

Obligations of operators Economists

The Authority stated that the new regulations set a clear framework for the responsibilities of economic operators in the autonomous vehicle market, as it is prohibited to place or display any product that does not conform to the regulation in the local market, and the operators are obligated to fully cooperate with the competent authorities and provide all documents and information that prove the product conforms to the Authority’s requirements.

The regulations stipulate the necessity of taking immediate corrective measures in the event that it is proven that the product does not conform or may pose a danger, including withdrawing the product from the market or recalling it from Customers, while informing the competent authorities about the incident and the corrective measures taken.

Among the operators’ obligations are also to ensure transportation and storage conditions that do not affect the quality or safety of the vehicles, and not to display any products bearing misleading data or expressions or that violate public order or public morals in the Kingdom.

The regulations stressed the need for the supply chain to be clear and documented, so that the parties from which the product was received or supplied can be identified upon request, to ensure that the product and its source are accurately tracked. When needed.

13 Factory Commitments

The regulation specified in detail 13 basic manufacturer commitments, ensuring the quality of the product and its continued conformity with Saudi and international specifications. The most prominent of these obligations is to ensure that the design and manufacturing conform to the requirements of the regulation and its annexes, and to carry out conformity assessment procedures before putting the product on the market.

The manufacturer must issue a declaration of conformity in accordance with what is stipulated in the General Regulations for Conformity Models, and keep it for a period of ten years after putting the product on the market.

The regulation stressed the need for the manufacturer to apply quality assurance procedures for serial production so that all produced vehicles remain in conformity with the approved specifications, taking into account any changes in the design or characteristics. Technical information that may affect the safety or performance of the product.

The authority obligated the manufacturer to conduct periodic tests on samples of vehicles put on the market to verify their conformity, and to investigate complaints submitted by consumers, while keeping accurate records of complaints, recalls, and actions taken.

The regulation stressed the need for every vehicle or product to carry the model number, serial number, or any unique identification indicator, so that the product can be tracked in the event of a defect being discovered, and in the event that it is impossible to provide such data. On the vehicle itself, it must be included in the packaging or booklet attached to it.

If the manufacturer discovers that the product he placed on the market does not conform to the standards or represents a danger to users, he is obligated to take urgent corrective measures, whether by repairing the defect or recalling the affected vehicles from the market immediately, while notifying the Authority of all details related to the violation and corrective measures.

The manufacturer’s obligations also included the necessity of placing the approved trade name and address on the product or its packaging to facilitate communication, and to ensure the provision of safety instructions. Instructions for use are in Arabic, in addition to evaluating all potential risks before putting the product on the market.

The regulations stress that the manufacturer must cooperate with the competent authorities and provide them with all the information they request regarding eliminating risks or treating products in which a defect has been discovered.

Importer Obligations

The regulations set 11 specific obligations for importers, the most prominent of which is ensuring that the manufacturer has fulfilled the required conformity assessment procedures and that the product conforms to the technical requirements. All.

The importer must issue a special declaration of conformity, and not enter any product into the Saudi market if he has reason to believe that it does not conform, and he must immediately inform the authority of any danger arising from the imported product.

The regulation also stressed the need for the importer to place his trade name and approved address on the product, its packaging, or in the documents accompanying it, and to ensure that all guidelines and instructions are attached in the Arabic language.

The regulation obliges importers By ensuring that the transportation and storage operations that fall within their responsibility do not affect the safety of the product, and conducting tests on marketed samples whenever necessary, while recording complaints and recalls accurately.

If the importer discovers that there is a defect or danger, he must take immediate corrective measures, including withdrawing the product from the market if necessary, while notifying the Authority of the full details of the violation.

The importer is also obligated to retain the manufacturer’s declaration and the importer’s declaration of conformity for a period of ten years after launching the product. And make them available to the competent authorities upon request, with full cooperation with the Authority in any supervisory or corrective measures.

Distributor Obligations

For its part, the regulations set clear obligations for distributors, which include verifying that the manufacturer and importer have fulfilled all required conformity procedures before displaying the product on the market, and not displaying any product whose conformity to the specifications is suspected.

Distributors must also ensure that transportation and storage conditions do not affect The quality or safety of vehicles, and to take the necessary measures in the event that evidence of non-conformity or potential danger emerges, including withdrawing or recalling the product from the market.

The Authority stressed the necessity of full cooperation with regulatory authorities, submitting the required documents to prove the conformity of products, and immediately reporting any violations or risks discovered during sales or distribution operations.

4 cases of the product meeting conformity requirements

The regulation indicated that the product is considered to meet its requirements in four main cases: Obtaining a certificate of conformity issued by the Authority or an acceptable body according to the conformity assessment model, obtaining the Saudi Quality Mark or its equivalent approved quality marks, obtaining a national or regional conformity badge that includes the scope of this regulation and the safety requirements contained therein, and accrediting the product in accordance with the nationally recognized regional regulation.

The Authority confirmed that products bearing the regional conformity badge are considered to meet the requirements, as long as that regional regulation is officially approved in the Kingdom.
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Safety and risk control procedures

The regulation obligates the manufacturer, importer and distributor to conduct periodic tests on products, follow up on complaints, and respond quickly to any indications of violation of specifications, especially those related to design or performance changes.

It also stressed the importance of providing instructions for use and safety instructions in Arabic to ensure users’ awareness of how to safely deal with self-driving vehicles.

In the event of discovering any danger resulting from a specific product, the manufacturer must immediately inform the Authority. And clarify all the details related to the problem and the corrective measures taken.

The regulations gave the manufacturer the right to appoint an authorized representative within the Kingdom to act on his behalf in matters related to conformity, provided that his duties are precisely defined and the responsibility for original conformity is not transferred to him.

Violations and penalties

The new technical regulations prohibited the manufacture, import, or display of any product that does not conform to the requirements, and it also prohibited the advertising of these products by any means.

It stressed that any party that obstructs or prevents inspectors from performing their supervisory duties is considered a clear violation, and is subject to the procedures and penalties stipulated in the relevant regulations.

The Authority stated that violations include placing or displaying products that do not meet technical requirements or lack conformity certificates, or not providing explanatory data or mandatory warnings to users, and preventing or obstructing the work of regulatory authorities, or refraining from providing them with the required information.

It stressed that the competent authorities will take all corrective measures to remove the violations and their effects from the market, while obligating the violating economic operator to bear all costs resulting from that.

The Authority confirmed that the penalties stipulated in the product safety system will be applied against violators, without prejudice to any more severe penalties contained in other relevant systems.