In the Arabic Gulf region, the 7 member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Yemen. They have since 2015 had common regulations for amongst other electrical equipment, managed by the Gulf Standards Organization (GSO). The regulations are based largely on relevant European Directives regarding requirements for safety and electromagnetic compatibility.
In general, the products are subject to manufacturers/importers own declaration of conformity (DoC), except for a number of electrical household products (including also chargers/adaptors, plugs and socket outlets) being subject to certification by a designated Notified Body such as Nemko, i.e. before the products can be placed on the market and allowed to move freely between the 7 GCC member states.
Like European CE-marking, the products complying with the requirements must carry the special Gulf Conformity Mark shown above. Also like in Europe, test reports showing compliance with the national/regional standards give presumption of conformity with the general safety requirements in the regulations.
National requirements not covered by the common regulations, such as energy efficiency, must be handled separately.
At the recent GSO 2024 Annual Meetings in Dubai, the GSO announced that the scope of electrical products subject to the G-mark scheme will be extended to the following 10 types of products: -Food waste disposers, -Ice cream machines, -Outdoor barbeque grills, -All types of household fans, -Garden blowers and vacuums, -Shavers and clippers, -Equipment for use with aquariums and pools, -High pressure cleaners, -Drivers for electrical shutters, awnings and blinds, -Multifunction shower cabinets.
For further information and/or assistance with conformity assessment for G-marking, please contact Yasaman.Vadoudi@nemko.com
(Article is based on the information shared by Yasaman Vadoudi and edited by T.Sollie)