Car Shipping Company from Mecca to Qatar 0552803439 | Open and Enclosed Carriers, Door to Door to Doha and Al Wakrah

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Mecca to Qatar that moves your car by road on a car carrier, from your district in Makkah to your front door in Doha or Al Wakrah. The route is about 1,450 km long and passes through the Salwa – Abu Samra crossing, and the car arrives in 3 to 5 days with its odometer unchanged. A saloon on an open carrier starts from SAR 2,020, a 4×4 from SAR 2,570, and a luxury car in an enclosed carrier from SAR 3,860. For bookings and enquiries: 0552803439.

In this guide47ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Mecca to Qatar?
2. The road from Mecca to Qatar via the Salwa – Abu Samra crossing
3. What makes a car take longer to arrive?
4. Car shipping prices from Mecca to Qatar
5. What sets the price?
6. How do you bring the cost of shipping your car down?
7. What is different about shipping cars from Makkah?
8. Types of car carrier: open, enclosed and single flatbed
9. Vehicles we ship, including large and luxury cars
10. Preparing the car before loading
11. Odometer and condition photos before loading in Mecca
12. Protecting the car and securing it on the carrier
13. Exporting the car through the traffic department in Makkah
14. The Salwa border post and customs clearance for the car
15. Importing the car into Qatar and registering it
16. Temporary entry on your Saudi plates, or permanent export?
17. Insuring the car during transport
18. Delivering cars from Mecca in Al Wakrah, Mesaieed and other Qatari cities
19. Drive the car yourself, or ship it?
20. Can a car go by sea from Mecca to Qatar?
21. Air freight for cars from Mecca to Qatar
22. Steps to ship your car from Mecca to Qatar
23. Tracking the car on the road
24. Services for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies
25. Shipping a car from Qatar to Makkah
26. Tips before shipping your car to Qatar
27. Common mistakes when shipping cars to Qatar
28. How do you choose a car shipping company from Mecca to Qatar?
29. Why Home Safe for shipping your car to Qatar?
30. Related articles and pages
31. Tags
32. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Mecca to Qatar
33. How much does it cost to ship a car from Mecca to Qatar?
34. How many days does a car take to get from Mecca to Doha?
35. How many kilometres is it from Mecca to Doha by road?
36. Which border post does the car carrier use to enter Qatar?
37. Do I need export plates to ship my car to Qatar?
38. What is the oldest car Qatar will accept?
39. How much customs duty does Qatar charge on a car?
40. Can a financed or mortgaged car be shipped?
41. Can I put my belongings inside the car?
42. Do you ship a broken-down or damaged car?
43. Do you ship motorcycles and quad bikes?
44. Where in Makkah do you collect the car?
45. Do you deliver the car to Al Wakrah and Mesaieed?
46. Is there air freight for cars from Mecca to Qatar?
47. Which is better: driving the car to Qatar or shipping it?

The carrier’s line: Makkah’s districts → Taif → the Riyadh motorway → Al-Ahsa → Salwa border post → Abu Samra border post → Al Wakrah and Doha · Length of road: about 1,450 km · Arrival: within 3–5 days of loading.

Who ships a car from Mecca to Qatar?

Car owners on this route are not all alike. One is a Makkah resident whose job has moved to Doha and who wants the car to follow. Another is a Qatari who bought a car from a showroom in Makkah or Jeddah. A third is a pilgrim who drove in from Qatar for Umrah, broke down, and cannot drive home. Each needs different paperwork and a different carrier, which is why we ask about the purpose before we ask about the model.

Owner	Situation	What they need
Resident or citizen relocating to Qatar	Will register the car there	Export plates, and an open or enclosed carrier
Qatari buyer	Bought from a showroom or an owner in Makkah	Transfer of ownership, then export, and delivery in Qatar
Car dealer or showroom	Sends several cars in one batch	A full carrier at a batch price
Qatari pilgrim or visitor	Their Qatar-plated car broke down in Makkah	A single flatbed to take it home on its own plates
Classic or sports car enthusiast	Taking part in a show or an event	An enclosed carrier or air freight
Motorcycle owner	Moving with it, or has sold it	A fixing base and a flatbed or closed truck

When the car is part of a whole household move, the furniture travels in its own truck and the car on its carrier, with the two dates planned together. Furniture and parcels are covered in our article on the shipping company from Mecca to Qatar.

The road from Mecca to Qatar via the Salwa – Abu Samra crossing

The carrier crosses the Arabian Peninsula from west to east. It leaves Makkah climbing towards Taif, then takes the motorway to Riyadh across Najd, the longest leg of the journey. From Riyadh it drops east towards Al-Ahsa, then turns south along the Gulf as far as Salwa. Past Abu Samra, only about an hour of road remains inside Qatar.

Stage	Approximate distance	What happens
Gathering the cars in Makkah	Within the city	Collection from the districts, inspection and loading
Makkah → Riyadh	About 870 km via Taif	A full day of driving with the driver’s rest stop
Riyadh → Salwa border post	About 480 km via Al-Ahsa	Reaching the post and closing the export declaration
Salwa → Abu Samra	The zone between the two posts	Chassis number check and Qatari clearance
Abu Samra → Doha and Al Wakrah	About 100 km	Unloading the cars at their addresses

The driving adds up to about 15 hours, and a loaded carrier is slower than a private car, so the trip is split over two days. Add a day for loading and gathering, and a day or two for the border posts and distribution. That is how the 3–5 days of a shared carrier come about, and the 2–4 days of a single flatbed that waits for nobody.

What makes a car take longer to arrive?

• Filling the carrier: a shared carrier moves when it is full, and outside the busy seasons it may wait a day or two.
• Queues at Salwa: before Eid and the long holidays the post gets crowded, and the carrier has no other crossing to divert to.
• Missing paperwork: an unpaid fine or a lien that has not been lifted stops the car before it moves at all.
• A chassis number that does not match: any difference between the stamped number and the one on the papers halts it at customs.
• Makkah’s seasons: in Ramadan and Hajj the hours when carriers may enter get shorter, pushing collection into the night or the next day.

Car shipping prices from Mecca to Qatar

Two things set the price of shipping a car before anything else: the size of the car, and the kind of carrier it rides on. A saloon takes one slot on an open carrier; a 4×4 is heavier and taller and takes more; an enclosed carrier holds fewer cars, so each car’s share rises. These are the prices our service starts from between Makkah and Qatar:

Vehicle	Carrier	Price starts from
Saloon or hatchback	Shared open carrier	SAR 2,020
4×4 or SUV	Shared open carrier	SAR 2,570
Luxury, sports or classic car	Enclosed carrier	SAR 3,860
Pickup or long van	Open carrier or flatbed	Set on request
Any car on its own	Covered single flatbed	Set on request
Non-running car	Flatbed with a winch	Set on request
Motorcycle or quad bike	Fixing base on a flatbed	Set on request
Luxury or urgent car	Air freight through Jeddah airport	Set on request

Prices quoted in the market for shipping a car from Makkah to Qatar run higher than this table. A small car is offered at SAR 4,000 to 5,000, a 4×4 at around SAR 6,200, express transport at around SAR 7,300, and a luxury car from SAR 8,000. Some add separate lines on top: about SAR 550 for covering and protection, from SAR 450 for insurance, about SAR 120 a day for storage, and from SAR 900 for clearance. So before comparing two offers, ask what the figure includes and what is charged outside it.

What sets the price?

Factor	Effect on the price
The car’s length, height and weight	Decides how much room it takes on the carrier
Type of carrier	Open costs least; enclosed and a single flatbed cost more
Condition of the car	A non-runner needs a winch and special equipment
Collection point in Makkah	A narrow hillside district needs an extra small flatbed
Delivery address in Qatar	Al Khor and the north lie further from the border than Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan
Season	Ramadan, Hajj and Eid push up demand for carriers
Value of the car	Sets the insurance premium and its ceiling

How do you bring the cost of shipping your car down?

• Book a week or more ahead, so your car joins a shared carrier instead of you paying for a dedicated one.
• Choose the open carrier if yours is an ordinary car; an enclosed one adds nothing worth the difference.
• Bring the car to the gathering point yourself if you live in a narrow district, and save the small flatbed’s fee.
• Avoid the two weeks before Hajj and the last days of Ramadan if your date is flexible.
• Finish the traffic department paperwork before booking, since each day the car waits in the yard may be charged to you.

The factors are explained more fully on the pricing factors page.

What is different about shipping cars from Makkah?

Makkah is not an easy city for a car carrier nearly twenty metres long. Many of its districts sit on mountain slopes, the streets climb and narrow, and the central area around the Haram is busy all year. Large trucks and carriers may enter only during hours set by the traffic department, and those hours tighten in Ramadan and the Hajj season. So we do not send the big carrier to every front door.

Our way of working is to park the carrier at a wide gathering point on the edge of the city and have a small flatbed bring the cars to it from the districts. If your home is on a wide street in Sharaie, Awali or Batha Quraysh, the car is loaded right outside. If it is up a pass or a steep lane, the small flatbed comes down to you. Makkah has neither an airport nor a port, so any air freight for your car goes through Jeddah airport, about 80 km away.

Collection point	Distance from Makkah	How it is collected
Aziziyah, Shawqiyah, Awali, Naseem	Within Makkah	Flatbed to the door, then the carrier
Sharaie, Batha Quraysh, Wali Al-Ahd	Within Makkah	Wide streets that loading reaches directly
Zahir, Rusaifah, Kakiyah	Within Makkah	A small flatbed during permitted hours
Hotel car parks, showrooms and workshops	Within Makkah	Collection by appointment with the car park or showroom
Al-Jumum and Bahrah	20–40 km	Added to the Makkah carrier the same day
Jeddah	About 80 km	Gathered with the Makkah cars before departure
Taif	About 90 km	Loaded as the carrier heads east

Anyone shipping from Jeddah itself will find that route in our article on the car shipping company from Jeddah to Qatar.

Types of car carrier: open, enclosed and single flatbed

Land transport from Makkah to Qatar uses three kinds of equipment, and what separates them is protection, price and departure date, not the road. All of them follow the same route and cross at the same post. So choose by the value of your car and how urgent it is, not by the distance.

Carrier	How it works	Who it suits	Transit time
Double-deck open carrier	Takes several cars and moves once it is full	Everyday cars, pickups and 4x4s	3–5 days
Enclosed carrier	A locked box with a low ramp and wheel straps	Luxury, sports and classic cars	3–5 days
Covered single flatbed	One car under a cover, leaving on the booking day	Anyone in a hurry, a non-runner, and door collection	2–4 days

The open carrier is what brings new cars from the ports to the showrooms, so it is safe for an ordinary car. On it, though, the car meets the dust of Najd and two days of sun, and a stone from a passing truck may reach it. The enclosed carrier shuts all of that out and keeps the make of the car out of sight. With a single flatbed you pay for the whole trip alone, and gain a car that waits for no other. A wider comparison is on the land freight page.

Vehicles we ship, including large and luxury cars

Any vehicle with a plate and a chassis number can be shipped on this route, but the way it is loaded differs. A low car cannot climb the ramp a pickup climbs, and a long car does not fit a saloon’s slot. That is why we ask for the model, the year of manufacture and any change to ride height or tyres before settling on the carrier.

Vehicle	What loading has to allow for
Saloon and hatchback	Loaded on either deck and strapped at all four wheels
4×4 and SUV	Usually the lower deck, because of height and weight
Pickup and van	The bed is emptied, and length is measured with any rack or cage
Luxury and low sports car	A long, shallow ramp so the bumper does not scrape
Classic	Enclosed carrier, winched on if the engine is not to be started
Electric and hybrid	Battery charged to between 30% and 50%, and declared on the papers
Motorcycle and quad bike	A wooden base and straps from four sides
Non-running or damaged car	A flatbed with a winch, provided the wheels turn

Large and luxury cars need more care because mistakes with them cost more. A large car is heavy, so its weight is spread across the carrier’s axles to strain neither its own frame nor the carrier’s. A luxury car has its seats and steering wheel covered and its mirrors and bumper corners wrapped, and only one driver, named in the condition report, takes it up the ramp. Nothing is removed from it except what the owner asks to have removed, such as an aerial or a roof rack.

Preparing the car before loading

Preparing the car costs you an hour and saves you days at the border. The rule is to hand it over the way it will be inspected: clean, empty and low on fuel. A dirty car hides its scratches in the photos, and a full car is searched item by item.

• Fuel: a quarter of a tank or less. That is enough for loading and unloading, and it keeps the weight down.
• Personal items: take everything out of the cabin and the boot, and leave the spare wheel and the jack.
• Washing: wash the outside the day before loading, so the photos show its true condition.
• Battery and tyres: a battery that turns the engine and correct tyre pressure, so it comes off the carrier without pushing.
• Leaks: fix any oil or water leak, because a dripping car is not placed on the upper deck.
• Alarm: switch the alarm off, and remove parking stickers and electronic toll tags.
• Keys: one key is enough for the carrier; keep the second with you.

Each step is explained in the car shipping guide.

Odometer and condition photos before loading in Mecca

This step settles a dispute before it can start. Before the car moves towards the ramp, our representative walks round it with you and photographs it in daylight, then photographs the odometer with the engine running. Whatever goes into the condition report you see with your own eyes and sign, and you take a copy of it and of the photos.

What is recorded	How	Why
Odometer reading	A clear photo with the engine running	Proves the car was not driven on the way
Bodywork	Photos of all four sides, the corners and the roof	Logs every scratch and dent before the trip
Glass, lights and rims	Close-up photos	The parts most exposed to stones
Cabin	Seats, dashboard and screen	Shows its condition and that it is empty
Chassis number	A photo of the stamped number	Matched against the registration before the border, not at it
Fuel level and warning lights	A photo of the instrument cluster	Logs any existing fault before loading

The report is written in two copies and signed by both sides, and the photos reach your phone within the hour. At delivery in Qatar the same report is opened and the car is checked against it line by line. If a difference shows, the report and the photos are the basis of the insurance claim.

Protecting the car and securing it on the carrier

Packing a car is nothing like packing furniture. The car is not wrapped whole; its exposed parts are protected and it is then secured so that it cannot shift a single centimetre. Vibration over a 1,450 km road is what harms a car, not the distance itself.

• Strapping at the wheels: fabric straps around the tyres, never chains on the body or the suspension arms.
• Wheel chocks: stops in front of and behind each wheel, with the handbrake on and the gearbox in park.
• Protruding parts: mirrors are folded and wrapped, and bumper corners covered with adhesive felt that leaves no mark.
• The cover: a breathable fabric cover on a single flatbed, never tight plastic sheeting that traps heat.
• Space between cars: enough of a gap that one car’s door cannot touch its neighbour when the load shakes.
• Checks on the road: the driver tightens the straps again at every long stop.

All the securing methods are explained on the packing and lashing page.

Exporting the car through the traffic department in Makkah

A car that will be registered in Qatar leaves the Kingdom as an export, not as a traveller. That means its Saudi plates are surrendered and it takes export plates and an export certificate from the traffic department. The request starts online, and what remains is completed at the Makkah traffic department. The steps change from time to time, so we go through the current ones with you before you book the carrier.

Step	What is required
Paying fines	No export while the car or its owner has an outstanding traffic fine
Lifting the lien	A clearance letter from the bank or finance company if the car was financed
Valid registration	An unexpired registration in the name of the person requesting export
Export request	Filed from the owner’s account on the Absher platform or at the traffic department, as available
Handing in the plates and receiving export plates	The commonly quoted fee is SAR 100 for the plate; we confirm the fee in force
Export certificate	States the car’s details and the destination country, and goes with the customs declaration
Authorising the carrier	A written authorisation for whoever takes the car through the border if the owner is absent

A resident leaving for good completes the export of the car before the final exit visa, because a car registered in their name holds up the closing of their file. For a Qatari buyer, the car is not exported in their name until ownership has been transferred to them. Export plates have a validity period, so do not obtain them long before the carrier’s date.

The Salwa border post and customs clearance for the car

The car goes through two clearances in one day: out of Saudi customs at Salwa and into Qatari customs at Abu Samra. Because the whole road funnels into this one crossing, a missing paper cannot be fetched from Makkah, 1,350 km behind. So we ask for copies of every document before loading day, match them to the chassis number, and prepare the declaration before the carrier arrives.

Document	Issued by	Note
Export certificate and export plates	The traffic department	For a car that will be registered in Qatar
Original registration	The owner	For a car entering temporarily on its own plates
Owner’s ID or residence permit and passport	The owner	Plus a copy of the recipient’s Qatar ID
Purchase invoice or sale contract	The showroom or seller	The customs value is assessed on it
Duty-settlement statement	Customs	Proves the car’s duty was already paid in the Gulf
Lender’s clearance letter	The bank or leasing company	For a car that had finance on it
Authorisation and waybill	The owner and Home Safe	Names who hands the car over and who receives it

The car’s fixed equipment crosses with it. Any goods or furniture carried inside it are treated as a separate shipment. The list is explained on the required documents page, and the border steps on the customs clearance page.

Importing the car into Qatar and registering it

Getting the car accepted at Abu Samra is one thing; putting a Qatari plate on it is another. Customs looks at age, value and paperwork, while the Qatari traffic authority looks at the technical inspection and insurance. Whoever knows the conditions before shipping does not pay a carrier for a car that will be turned back. These are the rules in force, and we confirm the current ones for your car before shipping:

Condition	Rule in force
Age of the car	Light vehicles no more than 5 years from the year of manufacture, heavy ones no more than 10
Customs duty	5% of the value including freight and insurance; duty already paid in the Gulf is credited by the settlement statement
Steering side	Left-hand drive
Specification	Compliance with safety and environmental requirements; Gulf specification makes acceptance easier
Technical inspection	At Fahes centres before registration: safety, emissions and roadworthiness
Insurance	A valid Qatari insurance policy is a condition of registration
Registration	With the General Directorate of Traffic, on the owner’s valid Qatar ID

A car that comes from Saudi Arabia is usually built to Gulf specification, so it passes inspection more easily than one from outside the region. Once registered, the vehicle’s services in Qatar are handled through the Metrash app, such as renewing the registration and checking for fines. More on the destination is on the shipping to Qatar page.

Temporary entry on your Saudi plates, or permanent export?

Not everyone who sends a car to Qatar needs export plates. If your stay is short and the car will return to the Kingdom, it enters on its Saudi plates on a temporary basis. If you are settling there, permanent export is the right route from the start. Mixing the two up costs a fine on one side or a refusal on the other.

Item	Temporary entry	Permanent export
Who it is for	A visitor or traveller who will bring the car back	Someone moving to live there, or a buyer in Qatar
Plates	The Saudi plates stay on	Export plates, then a Qatari plate
Customs duty	No duty as long as the car will leave	5%, or the settlement statement
Age limit	Not applied to a visit	Applied on import
Insurance	Cover valid in Qatar for the length of the visit	A Qatari policy for registration
Owner’s presence	The owner, or someone holding an authorisation to drive it outside the Kingdom	Authorising the carrier and the recipient is enough

When is shipping worthwhile for a car entering temporarily? When you fly from Jeddah yourself and want the car waiting for you, or when you would rather not drive for two days after Umrah. In that case the moment of crossing is timed with your presence, or your authorised person’s, at the border, and we confirm the rule in force on how long the vehicle may stay before you travel. Anyone taking a car through several countries will find what they need on the carnet de passages page.

Insuring the car during transport

Your annual motor policy does not cover the car while it is carried on a transporter outside the Kingdom; it insures driving it, not hauling it. So a transit policy is issued for the journey itself. Cover comes in two kinds, and they differ in what is compensated, not only in price.

• Basic cover: pays for major damage from an accident to the carrier, a rollover, fire, or theft of the whole car.
• Comprehensive cover: adds scratches, dents and broken glass during loading, the road and unloading, judged against the condition report.
• Sum insured: written on the car’s market value, not on what it cost when new.
• What is not covered: items left inside the car, mechanical faults unrelated to transport, and defects recorded before loading.
• Claims: the remark is written on the delivery note before signing, with the Makkah photos and the Qatar photos attached.

We advise comprehensive cover for every luxury or new car, and at least basic cover for the rest. Details are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from Mecca in Al Wakrah, Mesaieed and other Qatari cities

Past Abu Samra the distances become short: the furthest Qatari town is no more than two and a half hours from the border. The carrier heads first to the south-east, where Al Wakrah and Mesaieed lie, then to Doha and Al Rayyan, and whatever is in the north is delivered last. Delivery is not just handing over a key; it is an inspection attended by the recipient and our representative together.

City or municipality	Main areas	Distance from Abu Samra
Al Wakrah	Al Wakrah, Al Wukair, Al Mashaf	About 100 km
Mesaieed	The industrial city and the residential quarters	About 100 km
Doha	Al Sadd, Al Mansoura, West Bay, The Pearl	About 100 km
Al Rayyan	Al Gharrafa, Muaither, Ain Khaled, the Industrial Area	About 90 km
Al Daayen and Umm Salal	Lusail, Al Kheesa, Al Kharaitiyat	About 120 km
Al Khor and Al Shamal	Al Khor, Ras Laffan, Al Ruwais	150–200 km

Al Wakrah is a residential city that draws many relocating families, and Mesaieed is an industrial city where engineers and technicians arriving from the Kingdom work. That is why many customers on this route ask for delivery in those two. At the joint inspection the car is unloaded, the odometer is read and compared with the Makkah photo, and the condition report is taken round it. The recipient then signs the delivery note, or writes a remark on it before signing.

Delivery can also be made at the technical inspection centre, a showroom, a workshop or an event venue, if you ask for it when booking. A Qatari address is written with the zone, street and building numbers shown on the blue plate by the door. Delivery to the address is explained on the door to door page.

Drive the car yourself, or ship it?

The road from Makkah to Doha is open and paved, and plenty of people drive it. The question is not whether you can, but whether it fits your case. Driving is not really an option for a car whose plates have been surrendered for export, beyond what the export plate and its insurance allow.

Point of comparison	Driving it yourself	Shipping it on a carrier
Your time	Two days of driving and a night on the road	You fly and receive it at your door
Odometer	Goes up by about 1,450 km	Does not change
Cost	Fuel, a night’s stay, food and road insurance	One price known in advance
Risk	Driver fatigue, breakdowns and stray camels at night	A strapped and insured car
A new car	Covers a long distance during its running-in period	Arrives as it left the showroom
A non-running or classic car	Impossible or unsafe	The only practical answer
The border	You handle the formalities yourself	A broker prepares the declaration before arrival

In short, driving is for someone taking the family on a visit and coming back. Shipping is for someone relocating, someone buying or selling, and someone who does not want to start a new job in Doha after two days behind the wheel.

Can a car go by sea from Mecca to Qatar?

In practice, no. The nearest port to Makkah is Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea, and Qatar lies on the Arabian Gulf. A ship has to sail all the way round the Arabian Peninsula to reach Hamad Port and takes weeks, while the road carrier arrives in days and for less. So we do not offer sea for cars on this route and keep it for destinations the road does not reach. The differences between the methods are on the shipping methods comparison page.

Air freight for cars from Mecca to Qatar

Flying a car is a service for a handful of cases, but it exists: a luxury car whose owner does not want it to touch the road, or a car that has to be in Doha two days before an event. Makkah has no airport, so the car is taken on a covered flatbed to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and loaded on a freighter to Hamad International Airport. The flight itself is about two and a quarter hours.

• How it is loaded: the car is secured on a flat air-cargo pallet with wheel straps, and the pallet is then lifted into the aircraft hold.
• Preparation: very little fuel, as the airline requires, a battery that is secured with its terminals insulated, and nothing inside the car.
• Electric cars: fall under dangerous-goods requirements because of the battery and need the airline’s approval before booking.
• Transit time: two to four days from Makkah to the door once the booking is confirmed, most of it preparation and clearance rather than flying.
• Price: set on request according to weight, dimensions and the aircraft available, and several times the road carrier’s price.
• Delivery: after clearance at Hamad airport it is delivered on a flatbed in Doha or Al Wakrah.

The export papers and the Qatari import conditions do not change with the mode of transport. The difference is that clearance takes place at the two airports rather than the two border posts. Parcels and urgent documents are covered on the air freight page.

Steps to ship your car from Mecca to Qatar

1. First call: you tell us the make, model and year of the car, and whether it will be registered in Qatar or come back.
2. Eligibility check: we go through the age limit, fines and any lien with you before you pay anything.
3. Price and carrier: you receive an itemised price for the carrier you choose, with the expected loading day.
4. Traffic department papers: you obtain the export plates and certificate, and we guide you at each step.
5. Inspection and photos: in your district in Makkah the car and its odometer are photographed and the condition report signed.
6. Loading and departure: the car is strapped onto the carrier, which heads east for Riyadh and then Salwa.
7. The two border posts: the export declaration at Salwa, then Qatari clearance and the chassis check at Abu Samra.
8. Delivery: a joint inspection at your door in Qatar, then the note is signed and the key and papers handed over.

Tracking the car on the road

Tracking with us is not a map you open and guess at. From the hour of loading, one named member of staff with a number is yours, and that person is the one who rings the driver. You hear from them at every stop that means something: the carrier leaving Makkah, passing Riyadh, reaching the yard at Salwa, clearance finishing at Abu Samra, and the expected hour of arrival in your neighbourhood.

If the date slips because of a queue at the border or another car on the carrier running late, you learn of it that day, not when you ask. If the road closes for a sandstorm between Riyadh and Al-Ahsa, you are told where the carrier has stopped and when it will move. You can also follow your waybill number on the shipment tracking page.

Services for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies

The carrier is the same, but the contract changes with the customer. An individual wants a date that suits their travel and a clear price. A company wants a fixed schedule and a tax invoice. An official body wants the shipment to follow its letters and its paper trail.

Customer	What we provide
Individuals and families	A flexible date, collection from home, payment at loading or by transfer, and personal follow-up
Showrooms and car dealers	A full carrier for the batch, a per-car price under contract, and delivery to the buyer’s showroom
Companies with fleets	Moving the cars of seconded staff, a regular schedule, and a tax invoice and documents for each car
Projects and events	Enclosed carriers for display cars, and delivery at the venue at a set time
Government bodies	Shipping official vehicles on the body’s letter, keeping to the route and timing required
Embassies and consulates	Diplomats’ cars on a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their own export permit

If the car is ready before your travel date or before its papers are complete, it stays in our walled yard until loading day. Details are on the storage page.

Shipping a car from Qatar to Makkah

A carrier that unloads its cars in Al Wakrah does not go back empty if there is something to carry. The opposite direction is asked for by Qataris coming to live in the Kingdom, Saudis returning from work in Doha, and anyone who has bought a car on the Qatari market. The route is the same one reversed: Abu Samra, Salwa, Al-Ahsa, Riyadh, Taif, Makkah.

Here it is the Saudi import conditions that matter. The rule in force is that the car is no more than 5 years old from its year of manufacture, that it meets the Saudi and Gulf specification, and that 5% customs duty is paid unless earlier payment in the Gulf is proven, along with 15% value added tax. These conditions change, so we confirm the current ones before the car is loaded in Qatar. A Saudi-plated car returning from a visit needs none of this.

Tips before shipping your car to Qatar

• Ask about the age limit first. A car past the limit gains nothing from perfect paperwork.
• Book the carrier two weeks before you travel in the busy seasons, and a week ahead otherwise.
• Do not obtain export plates before fixing the loading day, or they may expire with the car still in Makkah.
• Photograph the car on your own phone too, and keep the photos with your copy of the condition report.
• Give the recipient in Qatar a copy of the report and the shipment officer’s number before the carrier arrives.
• Keep your phone on the day of the crossing, as customs may ask for a copy of a document within minutes.
• Keep copies of the export certificate and the waybill; you will need them when registering in Qatar.
• Agree the exact place of delivery: home, the inspection centre or the showroom.

Common mistakes when shipping cars to Qatar

1. Shipping a car older than the import age limit, then paying to bring it back from the border.
2. Booking the carrier with fines or a lien on the car, so it sits in the yard while the carrier leaves without it.
3. Leaving suitcases and appliances in the boot, so the car is searched and delayed along with every other car on the carrier.
4. Handing the car over dirty or at night, so its old scratches do not show in the photos.
5. Signing the delivery note before walking round the car and reading the odometer.
6. Picking the cheapest offer without asking about insurance, the type of straps and the name of the person responsible.
7. Confusing temporary entry with permanent export, so the car enters on a status that does not allow registration.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Mecca to Qatar?

The difference between one carrier and another does not show in the advert; it shows in the questions they ask you and in what they put on paper. A serious carrier asks about the model, the lien and the purpose before mentioning a price. These signs help you tell the two apart:

Sign	A carrier you can rely on	A carrier to be wary of
Registration	A visible commercial registration and a known address	A mobile number only
Price	Itemised in writing: transport, clearance, insurance and delivery	One spoken figure that changes at the border
Condition report	Photos, odometer and both signatures	Loads the car without an inspection
Securing	Wheel straps and chocks	Chains on the body
Paperwork	Asks about the age limit and export plates	Says the papers get sorted out at the border
Insurance	A transit policy naming your car and its value	A spoken promise of compensation
Follow-up	A named officer who calls you	The driver’s number alone

Why Home Safe for shipping your car to Qatar?

Because we treat the car as a complete file, not a load on the back of a carrier. We start by asking whether it is eligible to enter Qatar, go through the traffic department papers with you, photograph it in front of you in Makkah, and deliver it after an inspection in Al Wakrah or Doha. In between, one officer knows where your car is.

To book: 0552803439 by phone or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm. Or through the request a quote page.

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Mecca to Qatar

How much does it cost to ship a car from Mecca to Qatar?

A saloon on an open carrier that takes several cars starts from SAR 2,020, a 4×4 on the same carrier from SAR 2,570, and a luxury or classic car inside an enclosed carrier from SAR 3,860. Pickups, motorcycles, non-running cars, a single-car flatbed and air freight are priced on request once we know the size and condition. For a price, call 0552803439.

How many days does a car take to get from Mecca to Doha?

Between 3 and 5 days on a road carrier, counted from the day it is loaded in Makkah to the day it is handed over in Qatar. Two of those days are driving; the rest goes on filling the carrier and on clearance at Salwa and Abu Samra. If you book a flatbed for your car alone, it leaves on the booking day and arrives in 2–4 days.

How many kilometres is it from Mecca to Doha by road?

About 1,450 kilometres. Roughly 870 of them lie between Makkah and Riyadh by way of Taif, then about 480 from Riyadh to the Salwa border post by way of Al-Ahsa, then about 100 kilometres inside Qatar from Abu Samra to Doha.

Which border post does the car carrier use to enter Qatar?

It leaves through Salwa on the Saudi side and enters through Abu Samra on the Qatari side. The two countries share no other land crossing, which is why we check the car’s full paperwork in Makkah before it goes up the ramp.

Do I need export plates to ship my car to Qatar?

Yes, if the car is going to be registered in Qatar in your name or a buyer’s. The traffic department issues the plates and the export certificate once fines are paid and any lien is lifted. If the trip is a visit and the car will come back to the Kingdom, it stays on its Saudi plates and enters on a temporary basis.

What is the oldest car Qatar will accept?

The rule in force is that an imported light vehicle may be no more than 5 years old from its year of manufacture, and a heavy vehicle no more than 10. The limit concerns permanent import, not a temporary visit on Saudi plates. We confirm the current rule for your model year before export plates are issued.

How much customs duty does Qatar charge on a car?

5% of the value assessed by customs, and that value includes freight and insurance. A car whose duty was already paid in one of the Gulf states gets credit for it through the duty-settlement statement, so you do not pay twice.

Can a financed or mortgaged car be shipped?

It cannot leave the Kingdom until its position with the lender is settled. You need a clearance letter or written consent from the bank or leasing company, after which the lien is removed from the registration. From then on the export request at the traffic department runs like any other car’s.

Can I put my belongings inside the car?

No. The car travels empty apart from the spare wheel and its original tool kit. Items left inside are not covered by insurance and can hold the car up at inspection on both sides of the border. Furniture and suitcases go on their own truck, as described in our article on the shipping company from Mecca to Qatar.

Do you ship a broken-down or damaged car?

Yes, provided its wheels turn and its steering responds, so that a winch can pull it onto a single flatbed. Tell us about the fault before booking, because a double-deck open carrier does not load a car that cannot move. The price is set on request.

Do you ship motorcycles and quad bikes?

Yes. The bike is fixed upright on a wooden base with straps from four sides and loaded on a flatbed or inside a closed truck. It needs the same paperwork as a car: a valid registration, and an export plate if it will be registered in Qatar. The price is set on request.

Where in Makkah do you collect the car?

From your door in Aziziyah, Shawqiyah, Awali, Sharaie, Naseem, Batha Quraysh and other districts, and from showrooms, workshops and hotel car parks. In the hillside districts with narrow streets, a small flatbed comes down to fetch the car and takes it to the large carrier on the edge of the city.

Do you deliver the car to Al Wakrah and Mesaieed?

Yes. After clearance at Abu Samra the carrier heads for your address in Al Wakrah, Al Wukair or Mesaieed, and it also delivers in Doha, Al Rayyan, Lusail and Al Khor. The recipient is present for the inspection and compares the car with the Makkah report before signing.

Is there air freight for cars from Mecca to Qatar?

Yes, for luxury and urgent cars. Makkah has no airport, so the car is taken under cover to King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and loaded on a freighter to Hamad International Airport, then delivered in Doha or Al Wakrah. The price is set on request according to the car’s weight and dimensions and the flight available.

Which is better: driving the car to Qatar or shipping it?

Driving suits someone travelling with the car on a visit and bringing it back. Shipping makes more sense when the car is exported on export plates, when it is new and you would rather not add 1,450 kilometres to the odometer, when you are flying yourself, or when the car is a luxury, classic or non-running one.