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Logistics · Shipping

Shipping to the Gulf

Getting stock into Saudi Arabia and the UAE is easier than it looks. Start with the China to Saudi route, then compare other lanes, customs costs and partners.

5 guides
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Logistics · Shipping

Shipping from China to Saudi Arabia: Costs, Transit Times & Customs

China to Saudi Arabia is a well-trodden, workable route. Sea freight from China to Jeddah or Dammam takes about 22–30 days port to port. Air takes 2–7 days. Budget 5% duty and 15% VAT on the CIF value, plus a SABER shipment certificate for each commercial shipment.

10 min read
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Shipping from China

Move stock from Chinese factories to the Gulf, and know what it costs before you book.

Logistics · Shipping

Shipping from China to the UAE: Sea, Air & Express (2026)

China to the UAE is one of the fastest, cheapest lanes into the Gulf. Port to port, a full container from south China reaches Jebel Ali in 12–25 days and LCL in 25–35 days. Air freight takes 2–4 days. Most goods pay 5% duty and 5% import VAT when they enter the mainland, while free-zone stock pays nothing until it leaves the zone.

10 min read
Provider comparisons · Freight

China to Saudi Arabia Freight Costs: Express vs Air vs Sea (2026)

In October 2026, express from China to Saudi Arabia costs about USD 5–15 per kg and air freight USD 4.50–9.50 per kg. Sea LCL runs about USD 170–250 per cbm plus fees, and a 20ft container to Jeddah or Dammam USD 5,085–6,215. Duty and VAT come on top.

9 min read
Tools · Logistics

China to Saudi & UAE Shipping Cost Estimator

Enter your shipment's weight and volume to compare sea FCL, sea LCL, air freight and express from China to Jeddah, Dammam or Dubai. You get a cost range in USD and SAR or AED, transit times, cost per unit and the best mode for your load.

3 min read
China sellers · Compliance

SABER Certification for Chinese Exporters: The 2026 Guide

SABER is Saudi Arabia's online system for product safety certificates. Regulated products need a Product Certificate (PCoC, SAR 500 to register) and every shipment needs a Shipment Certificate (SCoC, SAR 350, valid 90 days). A Saudi importer with a CR holds the account; your factory supplies the test reports.

9 min read

Other routes into the Gulf

Ship from the USA or Dubai, or move goods between GCC countries.

Logistics · Shipping

Shipping from Dubai to Saudi Arabia: Parcels, Trucking, Duty & VAT

Small orders go by courier: about SAR 55–98 a parcel plus a SAR 15 customs fee, in 2–5 days. Stock goes by truck through the Al Ghuwaifat–Al Batha border, about 2–3 days to Riyadh. Non-GCC goods are re-declared in Saudi Arabia and pay Saudi duty (mostly 5%) and 15% VAT.

10 min read
Logistics · Shipping

Shipping from the USA to Saudi Arabia: Costs, Times & Customs

Express couriers reach Saudi Arabia from the US in about 3–6 days, air freight in about a week and ocean freight in 3–5 weeks. US goods pay the standard 5% duty and 15% VAT. Online orders under SAR 1,000, shipping included, pay no duty, just VAT and a SAR 15 fee.

7 min read
Logistics · Shipping

GCC Cross-Border Shipping: Customs, Duty, Couriers & Trucking

GCC-made goods cross between member states duty-free with a certificate of origin. Everything else is re-declared at each border and pays the destination's duty once, mostly 5%, plus that country's VAT. Parcels under the local duty-free limit clear by courier in a few days, and full trucks link most GCC capitals in 1–3 days.

8 min read

Customs and landed cost

Work out duty, VAT and fees so your prices still leave a margin.

Logistics · Customs

GCC Customs Duties for Ecommerce Sellers: Rates, VAT & Thresholds

Most goods entering the GCC pay one customs duty: 5% of the CIF value (goods plus freight and insurance). Import VAT comes on top and varies by country, from 0% in Qatar and Kuwait to 15% in Saudi Arabia. Low-value personal parcels are duty-free up to a limit set by each country, but stock you import for sale pays full duty.

10 min read
Tools · Customs

GCC Landed Cost Calculator: Duty, VAT & Fees

Enter your goods value and freight in USD, pick a Gulf country and shipment type, and the calculator adds customs duty, import VAT, customs fees and SABER costs. You get a total landed cost and a cost per unit in local currency.

4 min read

Choosing a shipping partner

Pick the right forwarder or courier for each shipment.

Service Providers · Freight

Best Freight Forwarders in the Middle East for Ecommerce Sellers

A freight forwarder books and manages your shipment from the factory to your Gulf warehouse. Pick one that fits your route and shipment size, then compare three all-in quotes to your door. Below are 11 independently researched forwarders that serve Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

2 guides
Provider Comparisons · Freight

How to Choose a Freight Forwarder for Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Choose the forwarder type that fits your shipment first: digital platform, traditional forwarder, DDP line or China consolidator. Then compare quotes on the full cost to your door, not the headline rate, and test the winner with one small shipment.

10 min read
Service Providers · Comparisons

Freight Forwarder vs Courier: Which Is Cheaper for GCC Imports?

Use a courier for samples and parcels up to about 30 kg. Get both quotes between 30 and 100 kg. Above 100 kg, a freight forwarder wins: air cargo costs about half the courier rate per kg, and sea freight a fraction of that.

10 min read