Key takeaways
- Most Gulf jargon falls into six groups: marketplaces, payments, logistics, regulation, marketing seasons and localization.
- FBN (noon) and FBA (Amazon) mean the marketplace stores and ships your stock. FBP and Easy Ship mean you keep it.
- mada is Saudi Arabia's national debit network. COD is cash on delivery, and RTO is a parcel that comes back unpaid.
- SABER is the Saudi product-conformity platform. ZATCA runs tax and customs, and MISA licenses foreign investors.
- White Friday is Amazon's November sale and Yellow Friday is noon's. Ramadan is the other big season.
The first week of selling in the Gulf can feel like learning three languages at once. Your forwarder says 头程 and CFS, noon says FBN, and Saudi customs says SABER and ZATCA.
The good news is that the core list is short. Learn about 77 terms and you can read any rate card, seller dashboard or customs email with confidence.
Below, each term appears in English, Chinese and Arabic, with a one-line definition and a link to the guide that covers it.
77
Gulf ecommerce terms in this glossary
6
Topic groups, from marketplaces to localization
3
Languages per term: English, Chinese, Arabic
How should you use this glossary?
Skim the group you're working on, then click through when a term matters to you today. Each table covers one stage of selling, so you meet the words in the order you'll need them.
Platform and programme names like FBN, SABER or mada usually stay in Latin script in Arabic interfaces. So the Arabic column gives the term an Arab colleague or customs officer would actually say. The Chinese column uses the words common in seller media and forwarder quotes.
Marketplace terms
Marketplaces are where most new sellers start, and these are the words you'll see while opening an account and choosing how to ship.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace | 电商平台 / 第三方平台 | سوق إلكتروني | A site where many sellers list products and the platform brings the shoppers. See the best Middle East marketplaces. |
| noon | noon | نون | The Gulf's home-grown marketplace, with stores in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that also deliver to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Start at the noon guide. |
| Seller Central | 卖家后台 | لوحة تحكم البائع (Seller Central) | Amazon's seller dashboard for listings, orders, ads and payouts. See how to sell on Amazon. |
| Global Selling | 亚马逊全球开店 | البيع العالمي من أمازون | Amazon's programme that lets sellers outside the Gulf open Amazon.sa and Amazon.ae accounts. See Amazon Middle East for Chinese sellers. |
| NGS (noon Global Shipping) | noon 跨境直供 (NGS) | شحن نون العالمي | Sell on noon from China: you deliver to noon's Shenzhen hub and noon ships each order to the buyer. See noon Global Shipping. |
| FBN (Fulfilled by noon) | noon 官方仓 (FBN) | الشحن من نون (FBN) | You send stock to noon's Gulf warehouses, and noon stores, packs and delivers it. See noon fulfilment. |
| noon Express | noon Express 快速达标识 | نون إكسبريس | The fast-delivery badge that FBN listings get, often delivered within 24 hours. Compare it in FBN vs FBP. |
| FBP / DirectShip | 自发货 / 海外仓发货 (FBP) | الشحن بواسطة البائع (FBP) | You keep the stock and noon's courier collects each order from you. See FBN vs FBP. |
| FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) | 亚马逊物流 (FBA) | الشحن من أمازون (FBA) | Amazon stores and ships your stock from its Saudi or UAE warehouses. See Amazon FBA in Saudi Arabia. |
| Easy Ship | Easy Ship (亚马逊上门取件) | الشحن السهل (Easy Ship) | You keep stock and pack orders; Amazon's courier picks up and delivers. See Amazon Easy Ship. |
| Referral fee | 佣金 / 销售佣金 | رسوم الإحالة / العمولة | The percentage of each sale the marketplace keeps, set by category. See noon seller fees and Amazon referral fees. |
| Buy Box | 黄金购物车 | صندوق الشراء | The main "Add to cart" button on a listing that several sellers share; one seller wins it at a time. See the Amazon guide. |
| New-seller incentives | 新卖家扶持 / 新手福利 | حوافز البائعين الجدد | Fee credits and rebates marketplaces offer to attract new sellers. See Amazon new-seller incentives. |
| Fully / semi-managed | 全托管 / 半托管 | نموذج الإدارة الكاملة / الجزئية | Temu- and SHEIN-style models where the platform sets prices and runs sales, fully or partly. See Temu and SHEIN in the GCC. |
| Quick commerce | 即时零售 | التجارة السريعة | Delivery in minutes from dark stores, such as noon Minutes or talabat mart. See quick commerce in the GCC. |
Payment terms
Gulf shoppers pay in more ways than most sellers expect, and these terms cover how money comes in at checkout and how it reaches you.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| mada | mada 卡 (沙特借记卡网络) | مدى | Saudi Arabia's national debit card network; most Saudi bank cards run on it. See mada fees. |
| Apple Pay | Apple Pay | آبل باي | The phone wallet many Saudis use, often with a mada card inside. See Apple Pay in Saudi Arabia. |
| STC Pay | STC Pay | إس تي سي باي | A popular Saudi digital wallet, now part of STC Bank. See STC Pay on Shopify. |
| KNET | KNET | كي نت | Kuwait's national debit network, the default way to pay online there. See KNET. |
| BNPL (buy now, pay later) | 先买后付 | اشترِ الآن وادفع لاحقاً | The shopper splits the price into instalments while you get paid upfront. See the BNPL guide. |
| Tabby / Tamara | Tabby / Tamara | تابي / تمارا | The two leading Gulf BNPL providers. See Tabby vs Tamara. |
| COD (cash on delivery) | 货到付款 (COD) | الدفع عند الاستلام | The shopper pays the courier at the door, by cash or card. See cash on delivery. |
| COD remittance | COD 回款 | تحويل مبالغ الدفع عند الاستلام | The courier passes the cash it collected on to you, minus its fee. See COD providers. |
| Order confirmation | 订单确认 (电话 / WhatsApp) | تأكيد الطلب | Checking a COD order with the buyer before you ship it. See COD verification. |
| RTO (return to origin) | 退件 / 拒收 | الإرجاع إلى المرسل / رفض الاستلام | A parcel the buyer refused or never received, coming back to you. See how to cut RTO. |
| Payment gateway | 支付网关 / 收单 | بوابة الدفع | The service that takes card payments on your own store. See payment gateway fees. |
| Payout | 回款 / 结算 | تحويل الأرباح / التسوية | The marketplace transfer of your earnings: weekly on noon, every 14 days on Amazon. See noon payouts. |
| Collection account | 收款账户 / 提现结汇 | حساب التحصيل | A cross-border account (PingPong, LianLian, WorldFirst) that receives marketplace payouts and lets you withdraw them to a Chinese bank in CNY (结汇). See payout providers. |
Shipping and logistics terms
Most of your margin is won or lost between the factory and the buyer's door, so here are the words you'll find on every forwarder quote.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| First mile / head haul | 头程 | الشحن من المصدر (الميل الأول) | Moving goods from your factory to the Gulf warehouse. See shipping from China to Saudi Arabia. |
| Freight forwarder | 货代 | وكيل شحن | The company that books space on ships and planes and handles the paperwork. Find one in the freight forwarder directory. |
| LCL (less than container load) | 海运拼箱 | شحن بحري جزئي (LCL) | Your cargo shares a container with others and you pay per cubic metre. See China to Saudi shipping. |
| FCL (full container load) | 海运整柜 | حاوية كاملة (FCL) | You rent a whole 20ft or 40ft container, which is cheaper per unit at volume. See China to UAE shipping. |
| CFS (container freight station) | 集装箱货运站 (CFS) | محطة الشحن بالحاويات (CFS) | The port warehouse where LCL cargo is unpacked; its per-cubic-metre charge comes on top of the freight rate. See China to Saudi shipping. |
| Dedicated line | 专线 / 中东专线 | خط شحن مخصص | A forwarder's door-to-door express service on one route, usually duties included. See China to UAE shipping. |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | 双清包税 | التسليم مع دفع الرسوم (DDP) | The seller or forwarder pays duty and import VAT, so the goods arrive cleared. See importer of record. |
| Importer of record (IOR) | 进口商 / 进口登记方 (IOR) | المستورد الرسمي (Importer of Record) | The party named on the customs declaration and liable for duty, VAT and compliance. See importer of record. |
| Customs clearance | 清关 | التخليص الجمركي | Getting goods released by customs after duties and checks. See importing to Saudi Arabia. |
| Customs broker | 清关代理 / 报关行 | مخلص جمركي | The licensed agent who files your customs declaration. Find one in the customs broker directory. |
| HS code | HS 编码 / 海关编码 | رمز النظام المنسق (HS) | The product code that sets your duty rate and certification rules. See GCC customs duties. |
| FASAH | FASAH 平台 | منصة فسح | ZATCA's customs single window, where Saudi import declarations are filed. See importing to Saudi Arabia. |
| De minimis threshold | 免税门槛 | حد الإعفاء الجمركي | The parcel value below which no customs duty is charged. See GCC de minimis thresholds. |
| Free zone | 自贸区 / 自由区 | منطقة حرة | A zone like JAFZA where goods can be stored or re-exported without paying UAE duty. See UAE free zones. |
| 3PL (third-party logistics) | 第三方物流 / 3PL | خدمات التخزين وتجهيز الطلبات (3PL) | A company that stores, packs and ships orders for you. See the fulfilment guide. |
| Overseas warehouse | 海外仓 | مستودع محلي في بلد البيع | Stock held in Dubai or Riyadh so orders arrive in a day or two. See overseas warehouses. |
| Last mile | 尾程 / 最后一公里派送 | التوصيل للميل الأخير | The final delivery from a local hub to the buyer's door. See Saudi couriers. |
| National Address | 沙特国家地址 | العنوان الوطني | Saudi Arabia's official address system, with a short code couriers use to find buyers. See Saudi National Address. |
Regulation and business setup terms
These are the agencies and documents behind every Gulf launch, and each one is a step you can plan for well in advance.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| SABER | SABER 认证平台 | منصة سابر | Saudi Arabia's online platform for product conformity certificates. See SABER for Chinese sellers. |
| Product Certificate (PC) | 产品证书 (PC) | شهادة مطابقة المنتج | The SABER certificate for a product model, usually valid for a year and reused across shipments. See the SABER certificate guide. |
| Shipment Certificate (SC) | 清关证书 / 批次证书 (SC) | شهادة مطابقة الإرسالية | The SABER certificate each shipment needs before it clears Saudi customs. See the SABER certificate guide. |
| SASO | 沙特标准计量质量局 | الهيئة السعودية للمواصفات والمقاييس والجودة | The Saudi standards body that writes the technical rules SABER enforces. See SABER and SASO. |
| SFDA | 沙特食品药品监督管理局 | الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء | The Saudi regulator for food, cosmetics, medical devices and supplements. See SFDA rules. |
| ECAS | 阿联酋产品符合性认证 (ECAS) | نظام تقويم المطابقة الإماراتي | The UAE's product conformity scheme, run by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). See UAE ECAS. |
| ZATCA | 沙特天课、税务和海关总局 | هيئة الزكاة والضريبة والجمارك | The Saudi authority for tax, VAT, e-invoicing and customs. See Saudi VAT. |
| VAT | 增值税 (VAT) | ضريبة القيمة المضافة | Sales tax added to the price, at a rate set by each Gulf country. See GCC VAT rates. |
| E-invoicing (Fatoora) | 电子发票 (Fatoora) | الفوترة الإلكترونية (فاتورة) | ZATCA's system for issuing tax invoices in an approved digital format. See ZATCA e-invoicing. |
| CR (commercial registration) | 商业注册证 (CR) | السجل التجاري | Your Saudi business licence, needed for a local bank account and local selling. See Saudi business registration. |
| Trade licence | 营业执照 (阿联酋) | الرخصة التجارية | Your UAE business licence, from a mainland authority or a free zone. See UAE ecommerce licence. |
| MISA | 沙特投资部 (MISA) | وزارة الاستثمار | The Saudi ministry where foreign owners register before getting a CR. See MISA registration. |
| Freelance Document | 自由职业证书 | وثيقة العمل الحر | A free licence for Saudi individuals selling online; not open to foreigners. See Freelance Document. |
| Anti-concealment (tasattur) | 反商业隐瞒法 (禁止挂靠) | مكافحة التستر | The Saudi ban on trading under a local's name or CR. See anti-concealment. |
| PDPL | 个人数据保护法 (PDPL) | نظام حماية البيانات الشخصية | The data-protection law in Saudi Arabia (the UAE has its own), covering customer data and marketing consent. See Saudi PDPL. |
| SBC e-commerce authentication | 沙特商业中心认证 (原 Maroof) | توثيق المتاجر عبر المركز السعودي للأعمال | The trust badge for Saudi-registered stores, which replaced Maroof. See Maroof and SBC. |
Want the full picture first? Start with the Saudi regulations overview.
Marketing and seasonal terms
The Gulf calendar has more peak seasons than most markets. Learn these names early, because deal deadlines fall weeks before the sales start.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Friday | 白色星期五 (中东黑五) | الجمعة البيضاء | Amazon's name for its late-November Black Friday sale in the Gulf. See White Friday. |
| Yellow Friday | 黄色星期五 (noon 黑五) | الجمعة الصفراء | Noon's version of the same November sale. See noon Yellow Friday. |
| 11.11 (Singles' Day) | 双十一 | تخفيضات 11.11 | The 11 November sale, now big on Gulf marketplaces too. See 11.11 in the GCC. |
| Ramadan | 斋月 / 斋月大促 | رمضان | The holy month and a top shopping season, with late-night browsing peaks. See selling in Ramadan. |
| Eid al-Fitr / Eid al-Adha | 开斋节 / 宰牲节 | عيد الفطر / عيد الأضحى | The two Eid holidays, both strong for gifts, fashion and home goods. See Eid al-Adha. |
| Saudi National Day | 沙特国庆日 | اليوم الوطني السعودي | 23 September, with green-themed promotions across the kingdom. See Saudi National Day. |
| Saudi Founding Day | 沙特建国日 | يوم التأسيس | 22 February, a heritage-themed sale moment. See Saudi Founding Day. |
| DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival) | 迪拜购物节 | مهرجان دبي للتسوق | Dubai's winter retail festival, running from early December to mid-January. See UAE National Day and DSF. |
| Mawthooq | 沙特网红广告执照 (Mawthooq) | موثوق | The Saudi licence influencers need to post paid ads. See Mawthooq licence. |
| UAE Advertiser Permit | 阿联酋广告主许可 | تصريح المعلن | The UAE Media Council permit for anyone advertising on social media. See UAE advertiser permit. |
Plan your year with the ecommerce calendar.
Localization terms
Localization is what turns a translated listing into one that sells, and these words come up when you brief designers and translators.
| English | 中文 | العربية | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabization | 阿拉伯语本地化 | التعريب | Rewriting your listings in natural Gulf Arabic, not word-for-word translation. See Arabic product descriptions. |
| RTL (right-to-left) | 从右到左排版 (RTL) | من اليمين إلى اليسار | Arabic layouts read right to left, so menus, icons and images flip. See RTL design. |
| VAT-inclusive price | 含税价 | السعر شامل الضريبة | Gulf shoppers expect prices to include VAT. See VAT-inclusive pricing. |
| Saudi riyal symbol | 沙特里亚尔新符号 | رمز الريال السعودي | The official riyal sign approved in 2025, placed left of the number. See the riyal symbol. |
| Hijri calendar | 伊斯兰历 (回历) | التقويم الهجري | The Islamic lunar calendar that sets Ramadan and Eid dates. See Hijri dates. |
Which Gulf terms trip sellers up most?
A few pairs sound alike but change what you pay or what you're responsible for. Watch these:
- DDP vs 双清包税. They're close, but a Chinese quote may not say who acts as importer of record, so ask before you book because the importer carries the legal liability.
- Product Certificate vs Shipment Certificate. Regulated goods in Saudi Arabia need both: the PC covers the product model, and the SC covers each shipment.
- FBN vs FBP, FBA vs Easy Ship. The first in each pair means the marketplace holds your stock, while the second means you do.
- White Friday vs Yellow Friday. It's the same season on a different marketplace, and each one has its own deal deadlines.
- LCL rate vs LCL total. The per-cubic-metre freight price leaves out CFS, documents and port fees, so always compare all-in quotes.
Notes for Chinese sellers
Your team probably already speaks fluent 跨境 jargon. Here's how it maps to the Gulf:
- 头程 and 尾程 work the same way, but Gulf last-mile partners often collect COD cash too, so ask how fast they remit it.
- 海外仓 in the Gulf usually means a 3PL in Dubai or Riyadh, or noon's and Amazon's own warehouses.
- 拒收 is the COD refusal problem, and it's why order confirmation on WhatsApp matters so much here.
- 挂靠 (using someone else's licence) is illegal in Saudi Arabia under anti-concealment rules. Use NGS, Global Selling or your own entity instead.
Ready to put the words to work? The China sellers hub maps the full route from factory to first Gulf sale.
Frequently asked questions
FBN stands for Fulfilled by noon. You send stock to noon's warehouse in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, and noon stores, packs and delivers each order. FBN listings show the noon Express badge, which helps them convert.
Sources & further reading
- SABER product conformity platform — Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)
- E-invoicing (Fatoora) — Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
- noon Global Shipping program — noon Seller Help Center
- Investor Guide (13th edition, 2026) — Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA)
- Mawthooq licence for social media advertising — General Authority for Media Regulation (GAMR)
- Personal Data Protection — Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)
This guide is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change — always confirm with the official source or a licensed advisor.
Maya
Maya is MiddleEastEcom's lead guide and editor. She researches GCC marketplaces, payments and regulations and turns them into practical playbooks for sellers.
Meet Maya
