KSA Industrial Automation Company carries out control system commissioning in Saudi Arabia for PLC, DCS and SCADA projects, from the functional factory acceptance test to site acceptance and plant start-up. Each stage ends with a signed record against your functional description. Schedules follow your project programme, and we work to your ITPs.
What you receive: a written proposal with the test stages, responsibilities, documents and price within one working day of receiving your I/O list, P&IDs or functional description. Request a quotation
What do FAT, SAT and commissioning each mean?
FAT is the factory acceptance test, SAT is the site acceptance test, and commissioning is the work that brings the plant under control. They answer different questions, so we plan them as three stages. We act as a commissioning contractor for instrumentation as well as control logic, checking each loop from field device to control system before SAT.
- Functional FAT. Before shipment or before the software reaches site, we run your control logic, screens and alarms against simulated signals and prove they match the functional description.
- SAT. On site, we repeat the tests with the real field devices, the real network and the installed hardware.
- Commissioning. We start the equipment in sequence, tune loops, resolve punch items and support the first production run.
The panel builder's hardware FAT proves the cabinet: wiring, insulation and enclosure verification. Ours proves the software, which is a separate test with a separate record. The two fit together, and a clean hardware FAT saves hours of fault finding on ours.
Control system commissioning: what we deliver
The table sets out the stages and the evidence each one produces.
| Stage | What is tested | Standard / evidence | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional FAT | Logic, interlocks, sequences, alarms and screens against simulated I/O | IEC 61131-3 logic; ISA-18.2 and ISA-101 where relevant; signed FAT protocol | Per project schedule |
| Pre-commissioning | Power-up, network checks, I/O verification and loop checks | ISA/IEC loop check folders | Per project schedule |
| SAT | Real field devices, communications, redundancy, SCADA and historian | Client ITPs; signed SAT protocol | Per project schedule |
| Start-up support | Sequenced start, loop tuning, trip tests, operator support | Punch list with categories | Per project schedule |
| Cybersecurity check | Accounts, ports, remote access and backup of every project | IEC 62443 basics | Within SAT |
| Handover | As-built software, backups, manuals and operator training | Handover dossier | Within the programme |
What is a factory acceptance test report?
A factory acceptance test report is the signed record that the system did what the functional description says before it left the workshop or the engineer's bench. Ours lists each test with its inputs, the expected result, the actual result and a pass or fail mark. Anything that fails goes onto a punch list.
Every deviation is classed so that nobody argues at the gate. Category A items must close before the system ships or starts. Category B items can close during commissioning, with a named owner and a date. Your witness signs each page, and the report becomes the baseline for SAT.
How is SAT different from FAT on a Saudi project?
SAT is run on site with the real plant, so it finds what no bench test can: a swapped cable pair, a transmitter ranged wrongly, a network switch that drops packets, a valve that moves the wrong way. We therefore repeat the FAT cases on live hardware and add the tests that only site can run.
Commissioning, FAT/SAT and loop checks are handled per project schedule. The sequence is the same on small pump stations and large plants. Loop checks come first, as set out in loop checking and instrumentation. Then equipment tests, then sequence tests, then the integrated run. Where the plant is live, as in a PLC migration, we plan the cut-over inside your shutdown window and prepare a tested way back.
How does a commissioning job run, step by step?
- Enquiry. You send the I/O list, P&IDs or functional description and the project programme.
- Test planning. We write the FAT and SAT procedures with the expected result for each case, and send them for approval.
- Software readiness. The PLC programming and SCADA work is frozen under revision control before testing starts.
- Functional FAT. We run the cases with your witness and issue the signed report.
- Delivery and pre-commissioning. We verify power, networks and every I/O point on site.
- SAT. We repeat the cases on the installed plant and record each result.
- Start-up and tuning. We start the plant in sequence, tune the loops and close the punch list.
- Documentation and support. You receive as-built software, backups, test records and operator training, with call-out support afterwards.
Who we commission for
KSA Industrial Automation Company has worked in Saudi Arabia since 1995 and is approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. Our work for all three sits within management systems certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. The approvals page explains how that translates into documentation on your project.
Our teams commission water and wastewater plants, petrochemical and process units, cement and food factories, and utility yards. We work in all regions of Saudi Arabia, and our Dammam base reaches Eastern Province sites within one working day when you need us on site.
Commissioning questions
Who provides control system commissioning in Saudi Arabia?
KSA Industrial Automation Company provides control system commissioning in Saudi Arabia, covering functional FAT, SAT, loop checks and start-up for PLC, DCS and SCADA systems. We have been active since 1995 and work on Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider and ABB platforms.
What affects the cost of commissioning?
Cost follows the number of I/O points and loops, the number of control loops to tune, the number of FAT and SAT witnesses, whether the plant is live, the shutdown windows available and the document requirements. A signal list and your ITPs let us price each stage separately.
How long does commissioning take?
Duration depends on the I/O count, the readiness of the installation, the access you can give us and how many punch items remain. Small systems finish within days, and large plants run to the project programme. We state the stage durations in the proposal against your schedule.
Can you commission a system that another contractor programmed?
Yes. We review the code, functional description and drawings, run our own test cases, correct what we find with your approval, and issue the same signed records. Where the original author is available, we work with them to close faults faster.
Do you provide a FAT and SAT procedure for client approval?
Yes. We write both procedures from your functional description, with each test case, expected result and pass criterion, and send them for approval before testing begins. Your witness signs the results, so the records stand as evidence for handover.
What should I send to get a quotation?
Send your I/O list, P&IDs or a functional description, with the project programme and any client ITPs. Tell us whether the plant is new or live. The proposal then sets out the test stages, responsibilities, documents and price.
Looking for control system commissioning in Saudi Arabia? Send us your project programme and test requirements and receive a quotation within one working day.
Email: inquiry@ksaindustrialautomation.com | Request a quotation