Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in Saudi Arabia

SASO (Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization) sets product technical regulations for electrical lifts (mandatory from 26 March 2018) and for escalators and moving walkways (2022). Suppliers need a certificate of conformity from a SASO-notified body before placing products on the market, and an ISO/IEC 17020 inspection body accepted by SASO must inspect the installation before use. The 'competent authorities' are the municipalities and Civil Defense, which register lifts, renew registration annually on the periodic inspection result, and license maintenance companies. Standards family: EN for the lift product - the electrical-lift regulation's annex references SASO-EN 81-20 and SASO-EN 81-50 and the escalator regulation SASO-EN 115-1/-2 - but mixed at building level: the Saudi General Building Code SBC 201 (2024) carries an IBC-structured Chapter 30 'Elevators and Conveying Systems' (hoistways, emergency operation, machine rooms, lobbies, fire service access and occupant evacuation elevators), and the SBC 301 structural code's referenced standards include ASME A17.1 (2007) per a secondary copy.

Who regulates lifts

Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) for products; municipalities and the General Directorate of Civil Defense as competent authorities

Periodic inspection

Lifts: SASO-accepted inspection body at least once every year; registration with the competent authority renewed annually on the result (TR Art. 12/8, 14/3). Escalators/moving walks: periodic inspection at least once a year (TR Art. 9/3).

Installer and maintenance licensing

Maintenance companies must be licensed; the competent authorities (municipalities / Civil Defense) grant the lift maintenance licence (TR Art. 15/2).

Laws, codes and standards

SASO Technical Regulation for Electrical Lifts Used in Buildings and Facilities (Version 1, Amendment 1) — Technical Regulation for Electrical Lifts Used in Buildings and Facilities
Mandatory · SASO Statute (Council of Ministers Resolution 216 of 17/06/1431H); approved at SASO Board meeting 161 (18/07/2017); mandatory from 26 March 2018 · SASO
SASO Technical Regulation for Escalators and Moving Walkways (Version 1 (2022)) — Technical Regulation for Escalators and Moving Walkways
Mandatory · SASO Board decision 184 of 28/08/1443H (31/03/2022); published in the Official Gazette May 2022 · SASO
SBC 201 Chapter 30 (2024) — Saudi General Building Code - Chapter 30 Elevators and Conveying Systems
Mandatory · Saudi Building Code (SBC 201 - Code Requirements) · Saudi Building Code National Committee
GSO EN 81-20 (2025) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger lifts
Voluntary · GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
GSO EN 81-50 (2025) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Examinations and tests - Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components
Voluntary · GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
SASO 466 / 467 / 468 / 481 / 482 / 490 / 491 / 584 / 978 — Elevators for individuals or goods (national series: general, safety, installation, electrical safety tests and measures, acceptance tests after installation, periodic inspections, periodic maintenance, procedures for installation, periodical checks and approval of inspection bodies)
Referenced by law · Annex 1 of the SASO electrical lifts technical regulation · SASO
SASO-EN 115-1 / SASO-EN 115-2 — Safety of escalators and moving walks - Part 1: Construction and installation; Part 2: Rules for the improvement of safety of existing escalators and moving walks
Referenced by law · Annex 1 of the SASO escalators and moving walkways technical regulation · SASO (adoption of CEN EN 115)
SASO-EN 81-20 — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger lifts
Referenced by law · Annex 1 of the SASO electrical lifts technical regulation · SASO (adoption of CEN EN 81-20)
SASO-EN 81-50 — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Examinations and tests - Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components
Referenced by law · Annex 1 of the SASO electrical lifts technical regulation · SASO (adoption of CEN EN 81-50)
SASO-ISO 4190-1 / SASO-ISO 4190-2 — Lift installation - Part 1: Class I, II, III and VI lifts; Part 2: Class IV lifts
Referenced by law · Annex 1 of the SASO electrical lifts technical regulation · SASO (adoption of ISO 4190)

Lift associations and bodies

General Directorate of Civil Defense
Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)

Last verified 2026-10-17. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.