28 March, 2018, Arab States notified WTO of a draft technical Regulation to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, aiming to protect human health and environment as well as the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste. This regulation will take effect for products placed on the market in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Draft regulation contains 45 pages, including a list of prohibited substances in materials. Except for the maximum allowable concentration of cadmium (0.01% by weight), the following substances of which are 0.1%:

1. Lead;

2. Mercury;

3. Hexavalent chromium;

4. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB);

5. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE);

6. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP);

7. Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP);

8. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP);

9. Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP).

Also, the restriction on DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP will apply to industry and medical devices, including in vitro, monitoring and control instruments from 22 July 2021, but not apply to cables or spare parts for the repair, reuse, updating of functionalities or upgrading of capacity of electrical and electronic equipment which placed on the market before 22 July 2019 and medical devices before 22 July 2021.

The regulation will come into effect 180 days after the publication of the official Gazette of the states.

|Further Information:

Arab Draft Technical RoHS Regulation

WTO Notice

|Our Service:

EU RoHS Regulation

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Test