On July 18, 2026, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) made an emergency adjustment to the mandatory standard for intelligent PV module cleaning equipment. IS 2873:2026 officially replaced the previous version, IS 2873:2021, and enforcement began simultaneously. This change directly affects whether equipment applying for SASO CoC certification can enter the Saudi market on schedule. It deserves particular attention from PV cleaning equipment manufacturers, export trading companies, certification and testing personnel, and professionals involved in Middle East project delivery, as the standard thresholds, testing requirements, and certificate renewal arrangements have undergone substantial changes.

What certification requirements have been adjusted in the new standard?

According to confirmed information, SASO issued a technical bulletin on July 18, 2026, announcing that IS 2873:2026, the “Safety and Performance Specification for Intelligent PV Module Cleaning Equipment,” would replace IS 2873:2021.

Compared with the previous version, the new standard adds three requirements: IP65X protection for dusty environments, continuous-operation endurance at 60℃ under high-temperature conditions, and salt spray corrosion testing.

In terms of implementation, the new requirements became mandatory immediately. All PV cleaning equipment applying for new SASO CoC certification must be submitted for testing in accordance with IS 2873:2026. Certificates issued under the previous version will no longer be accepted for renewal.

The impact is spreading across multiple business processes

Manufacturers shipping to Saudi Arabia are affected first

From the perspective of the business chain, equipment manufacturers planning to enter the Saudi market are the first to be affected. Products applying for new certification must be tested directly against the new version of the standard. This means that product design, prototype preparation, testing arrangements, and certification documentation must all be reviewed against the new requirements. For companies still preparing for certification under the previous version, existing schedules and testing timelines may need to be adjusted.

Export and trading processes need to be reorganized around market-entry timelines

Direct trading companies and export teams are mainly affected in terms of order acceptance and delivery expectation management. Since certificates issued under the previous version can no longer be renewed and the new requirements are already in force, companies must distinguish more carefully between products with valid certificates, newly applied-for products, and products being prepared for testing when confirming shipment schedules, certification status, and delivery windows with customers. This helps prevent inaccurate market-entry assessments.

Certification testing and supply-chain coordination costs will be amplified

From an industry perspective, the new requirements related to dust, high temperatures, and salt spray will affect testing and submission, prototype preparation, document organization, and supply-chain coordination. Confirmed information also indicates that this adjustment will significantly affect the market-entry timelines and testing costs of Chinese manufacturers in the Middle East. Accordingly, relevant service providers, supporting supplier teams, and project delivery coordinators need to reassess certification cycles and coordination sequences.

Which practical issues require closer attention now?

First confirm whether ongoing projects fall within the scope of “new applications”

For companies currently developing business in the Saudi market, the immediate priority is to verify the certification stage of each specific product. The new requirements apply to cleaning equipment making new applications for SASO CoC certification. Companies should therefore promptly review ongoing projects, equipment scheduled for testing, and orders under negotiation, and identify which projects can no longer continue using the preparation approach based on the previous version.

Prototypes, parameters, and test documentation must be reviewed against the new requirements

In practical terms, the newly added IP65X, high-temperature continuous-operation, and salt spray corrosion testing requirements mean that the prototype status, technical parameter specifications, and test documentation prepared before submission should all undergo a targeted review. Particular attention should be paid to whether the new testing conditions are satisfied and whether existing technical documents can support testing and submission. These two issues cannot simply be treated as equivalent.

The renewal route for certificates under the previous version is now closed

Companies holding certificates issued under the previous version should not assume that their existing certificate status means there will be no impact on subsequent business. The confirmed fact is that certificates under the previous version are no longer accepted for renewal. Companies involved in continuous supply, subsequent batch arrangements, and customer compliance communications should incorporate certificate transition issues into their plans as early as possible, rather than focusing only on whether the current order has been completed.

Communication with customers and partners must return to execution details

In practice, the risks brought by this type of standard transition often lie not only in the wording of the standard itself, but also in whether customer understanding, internal production scheduling, testing appointments, and delivery commitments are consistent. Companies should focus on how official statements are implemented in actual business operations, including application milestones, document alignment, and expected delivery timelines. Policy signals should not be directly equated with completed business preparations.

This is more like an immediate tightening signal for market access

Based on the analysis, this information is not merely a general announcement of a forthcoming standard. It concerns an adjustment to market-entry requirements that has already taken effect. Its core meaning is that Saudi Arabia’s compliance threshold for PV cleaning equipment has shifted from the previous requirements to the new version, and the transition has been implemented very directly.

Looking further ahead, this change is better understood as something that has already created a practical short-term impact while also serving as a directional industry signal for the medium and long term. In the short term, new certification applications and renewal arrangements for existing certificates have changed immediately. Over the medium and long term, it remains important to observe whether companies adjust their product preparation, certification resource allocation, and delivery planning for the Middle East market accordingly. Based on the information currently available, these subsequent developments should continue to be monitored rather than judged prematurely.

Assessments of Middle East business should return to certification and delivery realities

Overall, SASO’s update to IS 2873:2026 and its immediate mandatory implementation have moved the certification requirements for intelligent PV module cleaning equipment entering the Saudi market to the new version. For the industry, this is not simply an update to the wording of a standard. It is a practical change that will directly affect testing and submission, certificate transitions, project scheduling, and customer communications.

At present, this information is better understood as a market-entry change that has already taken effect, as well as an industry development requiring continued observation of subsequent implementation details. For relevant companies, the key to assessing the impact lies not in verbal expectations, but in whether specific products, specific certificate statuses, and specific delivery milestones can be aligned with the new requirements.

Basis of this article and directions for subsequent verification

This article was generated based on the information title, event date, and event summary provided by the user. The information used includes: the date of July 18, 2026; the technical bulletin issued by SASO; the replacement of IS 2873:2021 by IS 2873:2026; the newly added IP65X protection requirement for dusty environments; the 60℃ high-temperature continuous-operation endurance requirement and salt spray corrosion testing requirement; the immediate mandatory implementation of the new requirements; and the discontinuation of renewal acceptance for certificates issued under the previous version.

Following the standard verification process for this type of industry information, subsequent review should continue by comparing official announcements, documents issued by standards organizations, company announcements, industry association information, and reports from authoritative media. Since no specific official source link was provided in the input, the relevant statements still need to be verified against publicly available documents released subsequently. Areas requiring continued attention include the detailed implementation of the new standard, the scope of certification applicability, and feedback from companies regarding actual testing and delivery implementation.