Saudi Arabia’s Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) issued SASO 2663:2026 on May 20, 2026, revising energy efficiency classification for washing machines and introducing mandatory water efficiency labeling. The update compresses the energy rating scale from five to three tiers and extends its technical logic to industrial drum-type equipment—potentially affecting brick curing machines, textile pre-treatment systems, and tissue converting hydropulper units. This development warrants attention from manufacturers, exporters, and integrators supplying into or operating within Saudi industrial and appliance markets.

Event Overview

On May 20, 2026, SASO published SASO 2663:2026, the revised national standard for household and similar washing machines. The standard reduces the energy efficiency classification from five levels to three levels and adds a mandatory water efficiency labeling requirement. No further implementation timelines, transitional provisions, or scope clarifications have been publicly released as of the publication date.

Industries Affected

Washing machine manufacturers and exporters: Directly impacted by revised classification thresholds and new labeling obligations. Compliance requires updated testing protocols, recalibrated labeling documentation, and potential redesign of control algorithms or motor-drive systems to meet the tighter top-tier efficiency benchmarks.

Industrial drum equipment suppliers (e.g., brick curing machines): Though not explicitly covered under SASO 2663:2026’s stated scope, the standard’s technical logic—including metrics for energy-per-cycle and water-use-per-kilogram—is being referenced in emerging SASO consultations for industrial thermal and mechanical processing units. Suppliers may face future alignment requirements during product certification or market access reviews.

Textile and tissue converting equipment integrators: Fabric pre-treatment lines and hydraulic pulpers used in tissue converting rely on drum-based agitation and water circulation. Observably, SASO is applying analogous performance logic—particularly around water reuse ratio and specific energy consumption—to these systems in draft technical guidance circulated to select stakeholders. Integration projects initiated after mid-2026 may require preliminary water/energy baseline reporting.

What Relevant Enterprises or Practitioners Should Monitor and Do Now

Track official SASO communications on scope extension

Monitor SASO’s official portal and notified body bulletins for any formal announcement extending SASO 2663:2026—or its methodology—to industrial drum equipment. As of now, no such extension is codified; however, SASO has indicated in recent stakeholder briefings that the standard serves as a reference model for upcoming industrial efficiency frameworks.

Review current product specifications against the new three-tier energy thresholds

Manufacturers should benchmark existing models against the newly defined Class A, B, and C boundaries (to be published in full annexes). Early verification helps identify whether firmware updates, insulation improvements, or pump/motor substitutions are needed before planned model refresh cycles.

Assess water metering and data logging readiness

The mandatory water efficiency label implies verified measurement of water volume per cycle. Entities supplying to Saudi markets should confirm whether their production units include calibrated flow sensors—and whether firmware supports exportable, audit-ready logs aligned with SASO’s upcoming test procedure (SASO IEC 60456 addendum expected late 2026).

Engage certified local representatives ahead of potential conformity assessment updates

SASO-certified conformity assessment bodies may revise internal checklists following this update. Companies with pending or scheduled certifications should proactively consult their local representatives to clarify whether retesting or supplementary documentation will be required for models certified under SASO 2663:2017.

Editorial Perspective / Industry Observation

Analysis shows this revision is less a standalone regulatory shift and more an early signal of SASO’s broader strategy to harmonize residential and industrial resource-efficiency metrics under unified performance logic. It is currently best understood as a policy signal—not yet an enforceable mandate—outside the scope of household washing machines. From an industry perspective, the emphasis on water efficiency, alongside energy, reflects Saudi Arabia’s National Water Strategy priorities, suggesting similar dual-resource criteria may appear in forthcoming standards for HVAC, irrigation, and process heating equipment. Continuous monitoring is warranted because SASO increasingly uses appliance standards as technical anchors for adjacent sectors.

Conclusion: SASO 2663:2026 marks a procedural tightening for washing machine compliance and introduces a methodological precedent with ripple effects across industrial equipment categories reliant on drum-based mechanical processing. It does not yet impose direct obligations on brick, textile, or tissue machinery—but signals a directional shift toward integrated energy-and-water performance evaluation. Currently, it is more appropriately understood as a forward-looking benchmark than an immediate compliance trigger for non-appliance sectors.

Source: SASO Official Gazette, Standard SASO 2663:2026, published May 20, 2026.
Items under observation: SASO’s potential issuance of technical guidance or draft standards extending the SASO 2663:2026 methodology to industrial drum equipment; timing and scope of associated conformity assessment updates.