GSO released the 2028 model-year technical regulation list (MY2028-D3) in September 2026, the first annual refresh of Gulf market-access rules since the MY2027-D4 version of October 2025. The roughly 65-item core GSO uniform list is stable, but national add-on requirements changed markedly — most prominently in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia expanded its national add-on table from four to ten entries, adding six technical requirements: ECE R135 pole side impact (M1 and N1 up to 3.5 t); ECE R140 electronic stability control (M1 and multi-purpose); ECE R13 Annex 21 heavy-vehicle stability function (N2/N3 and O trailers); ECE R16 seat belts and restraint systems; ECE R17 seats, anchorages and head restraints; and the ISO 18541 series on repair and maintenance information (RMI). The UAE separately added controls on hydrogen-fuel vehicles.
For special-purpose vehicle exporters, the additions raise the compliance bar for units destined for Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf. ESC and stability provisions reach into heavier N2/N3 chassis and O trailers, while the RMI obligation requires manufacturers to open OBD and repair data to independent operators — a documentation duty that travels with the type approval, not just the shipment.