Control Panel Lead Time in Saudi Arabia: What to Expect
Control panel lead time in Saudi Arabia runs from about one to two weeks for a distribution board to three to six weeks for switchboards, MCC and stainless-steel panels. The clock starts when drawings and the bill of materials are approved. Approval speed and long-lead components move the date more than workshop speed does.
What you receive: send your drawings or panel schedule, and your quotation within one working day gives the lead time for each panel type, counted from approved drawings. Request a quotation
By Eng. Babu Parkash, Panel Engineering, Saudi Control Panels Company. Published October 2026.
What are typical lead times for each panel type?
The table gives our current ranges, counted from approved drawings and bill of materials to ready-for-dispatch after FAT.
| Panel type | Rating or scope | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|
| LV switchboards, MDB, SMDB | Up to 6,300 A, Form 1 to 4b | 3 to 5 weeks |
| MCC panels | Fixed or withdrawable, up to 4,000 A busbar | 4 to 6 weeks |
| PLC and automation panel hardware | Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider hardware per drawings | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Custom, pump, ATS and VFD panels | To specification | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Distribution boards | Up to 800 A | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Stainless steel and outdoor panels | SS304 or SS316, IP55 to IP66 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Build-to-print and OEM assembly | From customer drawings and bill of materials | 2 to 6 weeks |
The ranges are market-based. Your quotation confirms the figure for your configuration.
What stretches a control panel lead time?
Five items decide whether a job lands at the short end or the long end of its range.
- Drawing approval. The clock starts at approval. Every round of comments adds days that the workshop cannot recover.
- Long-lead components. Large air circuit breakers, special drives and some relays have their own delivery time. Order them with the purchase order.
- Design changes after release. A new feeder or a changed rating after purchasing means re-drawing and re-ordering.
- Quantity and size. More sections, more wiring and more starters take more hours, even though cutting and drilling run in parallel.
- Testing and witness. A FAT with a witness who needs a date can hold dispatch until that date.
The first two usually explain most delays. Faster reviews and early orders cost the buyer nothing, and they are the only levers that work after the order is placed. When a schedule is tight, ask the builder to list every item whose delivery is not under its control, and agree an owner and a date for each one in the first week.
A realistic plan also leaves room for the test. If a witness will attend the FAT, book the date when the order is placed, and keep two days either side for retests, since a punch list item closed on the day keeps dispatch on time.
Worked example: a 2,000 A main distribution board in four weeks
Worked example: the dates below are made up to show how a plan is laid out. A buyer approves drawings for a 2,000 A MDB with eight outgoing feeders on Sunday of week 0.
| Week | Activity | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Drawing and bill of materials approved | Purchase orders released |
| Week 1 | Components arrive; enclosure and busbar work starts | Frames and busbars ready |
| Week 2 | Breakers mounted; power circuits wired | Main assembly complete |
| Week 3 | Control wiring, labels, protection settings | Ready for test |
| Week 4 | Factory acceptance test, punch list, dispatch | Signed FAT report |
Four weeks sits inside the three to five week range for switchboards. If the buyer sends comments on the drawing and approval slips by one week, dispatch moves by one week. If the main breaker takes an extra three weeks to arrive, the board waits for it unless an agreed alternative is accepted. The plan shows where the buyer has control: approval and early ordering.
How can you shorten the control panel lead time?
Use the levers that cost nothing.
- Send complete data. A single-line diagram, panel schedule and fault level avoid questions that pause the quotation.
- Approve drawings in one round. Name one reviewer and set a response date.
- Freeze the design. Hold changes until the next revision, and issue them together.
- Name witnesses early. Fix the FAT date at order stage.
- Accept equivalents. If the specified model is on long delivery, allow a technically equal alternative from the same maker range.
For repeated designs, a standard drawing set cuts build time because wiring lists and test sheets are ready. See build to print panels for how repeat orders are run.
Does the size of the workshop affect your delivery?
Yes, because panels share people, test bays and floor space. Our our Dallah Industrial workshop in Dammam, in the Dallah Industrial area, build more than 150 panels per month, which lets us slot jobs in parallel instead of waiting for a free bay. Ask any builder how many jobs run at the same time and what happens when two FATs fall on one day.
Detail on ratings and scope is on the pages for LV switchboards and MDB, MCC panels and custom control panels. Each lists the range, standard and test steps.
Questions about control panel lead times
How long does it take to build a control panel?
It depends on the type. A distribution board takes one to two weeks, a PLC or custom panel two to four weeks, and a switchboard or MCC three to six weeks, counted from approved drawings. Quantity and component delivery set the exact date.
When does the lead time start?
It starts when drawings and the bill of materials are approved and the order is confirmed. Time spent on quotation, clarification and drawing review is separate. Ask for the start definition in writing, because "from order" and "from approved drawings" differ by days or weeks.
Can lead times be shortened?
Often, yes. Send complete data, approve drawings in a single round, freeze the design, order long-lead items with the purchase order and fix the FAT date early. These steps remove the waiting time that makes up most of a schedule.
Do stainless steel and outdoor panels take longer?
Stainless steel and outdoor panels typically take three to five weeks, a little longer than painted indoor boards because of the fabrication, welding and finishing steps. The ranges depend on IP rating and size.
Who gives a firm date for my panel?
Your quotation gives the firm date. We issue it within one working day of receiving your drawings or panel schedule, with the lead time counted from approved drawings, the FAT date shown and any long-lead component named.
Need a control panel lead time you can plan around? Send the drawings or panel schedule and we will confirm the weeks for each panel in our quotation within one working day.