Saudi Express is a shipping company from the UAE to Saudi Arabia that collects your furniture, car and goods in any of the seven emirates and drives them in closed trucks through the Ghuwaifat crossing on the UAE side and Al Batha on the Saudi side, right to your door or warehouse in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or any other Saudi city. We dismantle, pack and inventory your belongings, file the customs declaration on the Fasah platform and apply for the personal-effects exemption when you qualify. A road shipment usually arrives within 2 to 7 days depending on the emirate and the Saudi city, and furniture moving starts from SAR 950. Bookings by phone or WhatsApp on 0560533140.
- Crossing: Ghuwaifat in Abu Dhabi faces Al Batha in the Eastern Province, the only land crossing between the two countries
- Road transit: 2 to 4 days to the Eastern Province, 3 to 5 days to Riyadh, 5 to 7 days to Jeddah and Makkah
- Furniture: starts from SAR 950, or SAR 95 per cubic metre in a shared truck
- Cars: start from SAR 2,090 on a carrier; the car must be no more than 5 years old
- Air: starts from SAR 46 per kg and arrives in 2 to 4 days door to door
- Exemption: used furniture is duty-free for first-time residents if it arrives within 6 months of their arrival
UAE to Saudi Arabia shipping prices
Shipping from the UAE to Saudi Arabia starts from SAR 47 for a small parcel up to 5 kg, SAR 950 for a room or a small set of furniture, SAR 2,090 for a sedan on a car carrier and SAR 1,900 for a 20-foot sea container. Treat them as entry points: your actual quote is set by the volume, the collection emirate and the delivery city in the Kingdom.
Volume matters more than the number of items. We price household goods by the cubic metre because a truck fills up by space long before it reaches its weight limit. A three-bedroom home may need 25 cubic metres when beds and wardrobes are taken apart and boxes are stacked tightly, and twice that when pieces travel assembled. That is why a quick WhatsApp walkthrough of your rooms, in pictures or video, is enough for us to estimate the volume before moving day, so the price is clear in advance rather than a surprise at the border.
The second factor is where your emirate sits relative to the crossing. Abu Dhabi is closest to Ghuwaifat, followed by Dubai, then Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, while Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are the furthest away. The third factor is the Saudi city: Dammam and Al-Ahsa are close to Al Batha, Riyadh is in the middle, and Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and Abha are on the far side of the Kingdom. The fourth is how the load travels: a whole truck reserved for your move, or a slice of a groupage load split with other customers, which is much kinder on the budget for a few boxes or a single room.
This table brings together the starting prices of the most requested services from the UAE to the Kingdom:
| Service | Details | Starts from (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Small parcel | up to 5 kg, by road in a consolidated load | 47 |
| Room or limited furniture | dismantling, packing, loading and delivery in the Saudi city | 950 |
| Household goods by volume | space in a shared truck, priced per cubic metre | 95 per m³ |
| Sedan car | car carrier with export and import paperwork | 2,090 |
| SUV / 4×4 | car carrier with tie-down and clearance | 2,850 |
| Enclosed carrier | for luxury and recent cars | 4,250 |
| 20-foot container | by sea from Jebel Ali to Jeddah or Dammam | 1,900 |
| Air freight | actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater | 46 per kg |
| Full truck for a home or office | closed trailer just for you | Ask for the price by call or WhatsApp |
How long does shipping from the UAE to Saudi Arabia take?
Road freight from the UAE to Saudi Arabia takes 2 to 4 days to Dammam, Khobar and Al-Ahsa, 3 to 5 days to Riyadh, 4 to 6 days to Qassim and 5 to 7 days to Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, counted from loading day. Air freight usually arrives within 2 to 4 days door to door.
A shipment passes four stages. First comes the packing day at your home or warehouse. Second is the drive inside the UAE to Ghuwaifat on the E11 federal highway, roughly 340 km from Abu Dhabi and about 460 km from Dubai, and more from the northern emirates. Third are the exit formalities at Ghuwaifat followed by entry at Al Batha. Fourth is the drive inside the Kingdom to your city, which is the longest leg for anyone living in the west or south.
The stage that is hard to predict is the border. On a normal day a truck with complete paperwork clears in a few hours, but before Eid and school holidays the truck queues grow long. So we lodge the customs declaration on Fasah and book the truck appointment before it moves, and your consignment does not get stuck because of a missing document or a box left off the list.
Which emirate do we collect from?
We collect from all seven emirates, and each one has its own road, distance to the border and nearest airport or seaport. The table below shows the differences, and each emirate has a detailed page about its districts and typical shipments:
| Emirate | Approximate distance to Ghuwaifat | Nearest airport or seaport |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | about 340 km through Al Dhafra | Zayed International Airport and Khalifa Port |
| Dubai | about 460 km via Sheikh Zayed Road | Dubai International Airport and Jebel Ali Port |
| Sharjah | about 480 km | Sharjah Airport, Port Khalid and Khor Fakkan |
| Ajman | about 490 km | Ajman Port, with Sharjah Airport close by |
| Umm Al Quwain | about 510 km | Umm Al Quwain Port; nearest airport is Sharjah |
| Ras Al Khaimah | about 540 km | Ras Al Khaimah Airport and Saqr Port |
| Fujairah | about 590 km across the Hajar Mountains | Fujairah Airport and Port of Fujairah |
Distance shows up in both price and transit time, but it does not change the procedure: every shipment exits at Ghuwaifat and enters at Al Batha whatever the emirate. What changes is the loading time. In Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah we start loading early so the truck reaches the crossing the same day or the following morning, while from Abu Dhabi a truck can be at the border a few hours after its doors are sealed.
Al Ain is a special case. It belongs to Abu Dhabi but sits on the border with Oman, so the road from there to Ghuwaifat runs south through Al Dhafra. We also collect from Al Ain and from the Western Region towns of Ruwais, Madinat Zayed and Al Sila, the last being the closest settlement of all to the crossing.
The road route from the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghuwaifat and Al Batha
Road freight is the main way to move goods from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, and its only gateway is the Ghuwaifat crossing in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region, facing Al Batha in Al-Odeid governorate of the Eastern Province. Exit formalities happen at Ghuwaifat, entry formalities at Al Batha, and the two sides are a short drive apart.
Several steps must be finished before the truck nears the border. On the UAE side, Abu Dhabi Customs requires the declaration to be prepared in advance and a transit permit to be issued before the truck reaches Ghuwaifat. On the Saudi side, the customs declaration is lodged on Fasah, an appointment is booked for the truck, and a foreign truck needs an electronic transport document from the Transport General Authority whose number is entered in Fasah. With that in place the truck passes inspection and matching, then continues its journey.
One rule that many customers do not know: a non-Saudi truck may deliver its load to its destination inside the Kingdom, but it may not carry goods between Saudi cities. So when a shared truck carries consignments for several cities, the load is unloaded at a warehouse inside the Kingdom and redistributed on Saudi trucks to Riyadh, Jeddah, Qassim and elsewhere. That explains why a shared shipment takes a day or two longer than a dedicated truck.
The truck type depends on the load. A closed box body is standard for furniture and household goods because it keeps out dust and sun. Curtain-side trailers suit palletised cargo that needs side loading. Refrigerated trucks carry food and medicines, flatbeds and low-beds carry heavy machinery, and car carriers move vehicles.
Sea freight from UAE ports to Dammam and Jeddah
Sea freight from the UAE to Saudi Arabia suits full containers and heavy cargo. It usually leaves Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port for King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with 2 to 3 days at sea, or for Jeddah Islamic Port with 5 to 7 days at sea, plus clearance and delivery time.
Shipping by sea between neighbouring countries may sound odd, but it makes sense in two cases. One is when the destination is Jeddah or the Western Region and the load fills a container, since the sea saves crossing the entire Kingdom by truck. The other is very heavy or oversized cargo. For one family’s household goods, road freight is usually faster and simpler because a container needs port formalities at both ends.
The UAE’s east-coast ports, such as Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, open directly onto the Gulf of Oman, which makes them an option for some cargo bound for Jeddah and other Red Sea ports. We choose the port and shipping line according to the destination and the next available sailing.
Air freight from the UAE to Saudi Arabia
Air freight from the UAE to Saudi Arabia suits small and urgent consignments. It starts from SAR 46 per kg and arrives within one to two days airport to airport, or 2 to 4 days door to door after clearance.
Air cargo can leave from several UAE airports: Dubai International and Al Maktoum in Dubai, Zayed International in Abu Dhabi, and the airports of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Al Ain. In the Kingdom, flights land in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah and other cities. We collect the parcel from your door and deliver it in the Saudi city.
Air freight is charged on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater, and to get volumetric weight you multiply the carton’s three dimensions in centimetres and divide the result by 6,000. A 60×40×40 cm carton counts as 16 kg even if it weighs only 8. That is why air suits documents, small electronics, clothing and permitted personal medicines, but not furniture. Note too that loose batteries and large quantities of perfume face special airline conditions.
Shipping cars from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and the import conditions
Cars travel from the UAE to Saudi Arabia on open or enclosed carriers via Al Batha, starting from SAR 2,090 for a sedan and SAR 4,250 on an enclosed carrier. But before the price, check that your car may be imported at all: Saudi Arabia does not allow used passenger cars and light vehicles older than five years from their year of manufacture.
The five-year rule is the first question we ask on every car request because it settles the matter, and the current year is not counted. Alongside it come other conditions: the car must be left-hand drive, must not have suffered major accident, flood or fire damage, must not be an ex-taxi or ex-police vehicle, and must meet the approved GCC specifications. It also needs a shipment certificate of conformity through the SABER platform and, for light vehicles, a fuel-economy label.
On the UAE side the car receives an export certificate and export plates from the licensing authority of its emirate, together with the purchase invoice or sale contract, a copy of your ID or residence permit, and an authorisation if someone else hands over the car. On the Saudi side, customs duty is 5% of the car’s value, and 15% VAT is added on the value plus duty, with the value reduced according to the car’s age. If duty was already paid when the car entered the UAE, the clearing agent determines the treatment from its documents.
If you only want to drive your UAE-registered car into Saudi Arabia for a visit without importing it, that is a temporary entry with different paperwork, and valid insurance inside the Kingdom is required. We explain the difference between import and temporary entry on our car shipping page.
Moving furniture from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and the personal-effects exemption
Used household furniture and personal effects can enter Saudi Arabia free of customs duty when the exemption conditions are met: the items are for personal use, they come from your country of residence, and they arrive within six months of your arrival to live in the Kingdom. The exemption covers Saudi citizens returning after living abroad for at least six months and expatriates arriving to reside in the Kingdom for the first time.
This exemption is what makes moving a whole home from the UAE worthwhile, but three points need attention. First, cars and other means of transport are not personal effects; they have their own duties and conditions. Second, quantities must be personal; twenty identical appliances still in their original boxes will not be treated as household goods. Third, an expatriate needs proof of arriving to reside for the first time, such as a Saudi work visa or residence permit.
At home the work starts with dismantling beds and wardrobes and numbering their parts, wrapping sofas in blankets and stretch film, setting plates and glassware in reinforced cartons with dividers, and wrapping TVs and mirrors in protective layers. We write a numbered inventory listing the contents of each carton, because that same list goes with the customs declaration. On arrival we reassemble the furniture in your new home.
Large appliances such as washing machines and fridges should be drained and dried two days before shipping, and a washing machine drum should be locked with its transit bolts if you still have them. Split air conditioners need a technician to remove them and recover the gas before loading.
Documents needed to bring a shipment into Saudi Arabia
Documents vary with the type of shipment, but in every case the basics are the owner’s ID, the contents list and the customs declaration on Fasah. This table sums up what each type needs:
| Shipment type | Main documents | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture and personal effects | passport, Saudi residence permit or visa, detailed inventory | for the exemption: proof of first-time residence or of living abroad |
| Car | export certificate, purchase invoice, ID, shipment certificate of conformity | no older than 5 years, left-hand drive |
| Commercial goods | commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, importer CR | SABER or SFDA certificates depending on the tariff line |
| Personal parcels | sender and receiver ID and a description of contents | medicines only with a prescription and in personal quantities |
Customs may ask for any document in a language other than Arabic to be translated, and every invoice must match what is actually in the shipment. We review the paperwork before loading and send it to the clearing agent, so the declaration reaches Al Batha ready.
Prohibited and restricted items in Saudi customs
The main items banned from shipment to Saudi Arabia are narcotics, alcoholic drinks, pork and pork products, gambling equipment, weapons, ammunition and fireworks without a permit, counterfeit currency and printed material that breaches Saudi regulations. These cannot enter in any quantity.
Other items are restricted and enter with a permit or under conditions: medicines need a prescription and must be in personal quantities, drones need a permit, wireless devices need type approval, plants, seeds and soil fall under agricultural quarantine, pets need a health certificate and import permit, and food in commercial quantities must meet SFDA requirements. If your home contains any of these, tell us before loading so we can decide what ships and what stays.
Saudi cities we deliver to from the UAE
We deliver UAE consignments to almost every city in the Kingdom, and transit time depends on the distance from Al Batha. This table shows the main destinations, the route and the approximate time from loading day:
| Saudi city | Route from Al Batha | Approximate time |
|---|---|---|
| Dammam, Khobar, Dhahran, Jubail | north along the coastal road | 2 to 4 days |
| Al-Ahsa, Hofuf, Al Mubarraz | via Salwa to Hofuf | 2 to 4 days |
| Riyadh and Al Kharj | via Al-Ahsa then the Riyadh road | 3 to 5 days |
| Buraidah, Unaizah, Ar Rass | north via Riyadh | 4 to 6 days |
| Jeddah, Makkah, Taif | west via Riyadh | 5 to 7 days |
| Madinah and Yanbu | via Qassim or Riyadh | 5 to 7 days |
| Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, Tabuk | via Riyadh then south or north | 6 to 8 days |
The Eastern Province is quickest because it is nearest to the crossing, and many commercial loads head there first. Families relocating to Riyadh usually receive their goods on the third or fourth day, while Jeddah and Makkah take longer because the truck crosses the Kingdom from east to west. In shared loads we group consignments heading to the same region to shorten distribution time.
Commercial goods from the UAE: SABER, Fasah and certificates of origin
Commercial cargo from the UAE needs a Saudi importer with a commercial registration, a SABER certificate of conformity for regulated products, a customs declaration on Fasah, a commercial invoice and a certificate of origin. The usual customs duty is 5% on most goods, plus 15% VAT.
Many traders assume everything coming from the UAE is duty-free because of the GCC customs union, which is not accurate. The exemption applies to national products made in the UAE with at least 40% local value added and a GCC certificate of origin. Goods imported from China, for example, and re-exported from Dubai are not treated as national products. That is why we ask for the invoice and certificate of origin before booking, to know how the goods will be treated.
We move palletised goods by full trailer or part load, food in refrigerated trucks, and spare parts, building materials and equipment in the truck that suits each. We also offer temporary warehouse storage when receipt of the goods is delayed or they need to be distributed in batches.
Steps to ship from the UAE to Saudi Arabia
- Call us on 0560533140 and send photos or a list of what you are shipping, plus the emirate and the Saudi city.
- We estimate the volume and send you the price, a loading date and the list of documents required.
- We arrive on schedule to dismantle, pack, inventory the cartons and load the truck.
- We lodge the declaration on Fasah and arrange the transit permit and the truck appointment.
- The truck crosses Ghuwaifat then Al Batha, and we follow it until it leaves the port.
- We deliver to your home, reassemble the furniture and check every carton against the list.
What delays shipments most is step four. The customs declaration is built on the inventory, so if items are added at the last minute the declaration must be amended before the truck leaves. That is why we ask you to decide what ships before loading day.
Tips before shipping from the UAE to Saudi Arabia
- Settle your UAE commitments: pay housing bills and traffic fines, as some of them block the issue of a car export certificate.
- Keep key items with you: passports, certificates, daily medicines and jewellery do not go in the truck.
- Reduce the volume: sell or donate old furniture before moving, because every cubic metre has a cost.
- Photograph your appliances: a photo of each appliance and its condition before packing makes checking on delivery easy.
- Arrange housing in the Kingdom: a clear address and a place ready to receive the goods avoids extra days in storage.
- Ask about the exemption early: the six-month window starts from your arrival date, so do not postpone shipping your furniture for long.
If you are moving an office or a shop, plan to move equipment and records in two batches: a first one with what you need to keep working straight away and a second with the rest, so your business does not stop during the move. For urgent items, see our air freight page.
