Saudi Arabia has announced the introduction of a mandatory standard for charging ports on all electronic devices, which will come into effect on January 1, 2025.

As part of the first phase of this transition, new smartphones and accessories such as headphones, keyboards, and speakers will be required to be equipped with USB-C ports.

The second phase, starting on April 1, 2026, will apply to laptops and portable computers, including tablets.

This decision, issued by the Saudi Organization for Standards, Metrology, and Quality in collaboration with the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission, aims to simplify device usage and reduce electronic waste.

Similar measures have already been implemented in the European Union and other countries such as Brazil. It is expected that the transition to USB-C will save consumers approximately 170 million Saudi riyals (around 45 million USD) and reduce the number of unnecessary chargers by 2.2 million units annually.

ORIENT news