Car Shipping from Saudi Arabia 0552803439 | Land, RoRo, Container and Air to the Gulf, Europe and Africa

Home Safe ships cars from Saudi Arabia to the Gulf states by land in 2 to 5 days, to Turkey, Europe and Africa by sea on RoRo vessels or in containers in 15 to 45 days, and by air for luxury cars within days. Land freight to the Gulf starts from SAR 1,100, and sea freight for a saloon starts from SAR 2,800. We check that your car is accepted in the destination country before we book it. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide41ShowHide

1. Methods of shipping cars from Saudi Arabia
2. When do you ship your car, and when do you drive it?
3. Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia
4. What sets the price?
5. Where can a car be shipped from Saudi Arabia? Destinations, time and condition
6. Countries that do not accept a Saudi car, or restrict it
7. Final export or temporary exit?
8. Procedures for exporting a car from Saudi Arabia
9. Documents required to ship a car from Saudi Arabia
10. Shipping cars by land to the Gulf, Jordan and Iraq
11. Types of carrier
12. Sea freight for cars: RoRo
13. How is a car secured inside a container?
14. Collection from the Kingdom’s cities
15. How do you prepare your car before shipping?
16. Steps for shipping your car from Saudi Arabia
17. Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia
18. Car shipping for dealers and showrooms
19. Insurance, recording and tracking
20. How do you work out the cost of the “landed car”?
21. How do you choose a car shipping company?
22. Common mistakes when shipping cars from Saudi Arabia
23. Why Home Safe for shipping your car?
24. Related articles and pages
25. Tags
26. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Saudi Arabia
27. How much does shipping a car from Saudi Arabia cost?
28. How long does shipping a car from Saudi Arabia take?
29. Which documents are needed to ship a car from Saudi Arabia?
30. How do I obtain a car export certificate?
31. What is the difference between final export and temporary exit?
32. What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Saudi Arabia?
33. Do all countries accept a Saudi car?
34. What is the difference between an open and an enclosed carrier?
35. Can I ship belongings inside the car?
36. Can a non-running car be shipped?
37. Is the car insured during shipping?
38. Where do you collect the car from?
39. Do you ship showroom cars in bulk?
40. Are customs paid in the destination country?
41. How long can the car stay at the port without charges?

Collection points: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and every city in the Kingdom · Ports of departure: Jeddah Islamic and King Abdulaziz in Dammam · Methods: land, RoRo, container, air.

Methods of shipping cars from Saudi Arabia

There are four methods, and the choice between them follows the destination first and then the car’s value. Neighbouring countries reached by road get the car on a carrier, anything across the sea goes by RoRo or container, and air is for those who cannot wait.

Method	How the car is shipped	Time	Suits
Land	On a car carrier through the crossings	2 – 10 days	The Gulf, Jordan, Iraq and the Levant
RoRo	It boards the vessel on its wheels and is lashed in the car deck	15 – 40 days	A used car that runs
Container	Secured inside a 20- or 40-foot container	18 – 45 days	Luxury, classic and non-running cars
Air	On an aircraft pallet inside a cargo aircraft	3 – 7 days	High-value and urgent cars

The detailed comparison of the two sea methods is on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages.

When do you ship your car, and when do you drive it?

To the Gulf and Jordan you can drive your car yourself. But anyone moving for good, or selling the car there, ships it: the road from Jeddah to Dubai is two thousand kilometres added to its odometer, wears its tyres, and takes two days of your time. A carrier delivers it with its odometer as it was while you travel by air.

Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia

At Home Safe, prices start as in the table. Land prices are worked out from Riyadh for a saloon; from Jeddah and the south they are higher, and from the Eastern Province lower. Your car’s price is set once we know its type, your city and the destination: ask for it on 0552803439 and you will have it the same day.

Destination	Method	Time	Price starts from
Qatar	Shared carrier	1 – 4 days	SAR 1,100
Bahrain	Shared carrier	1 – 3 days	SAR 1,380
The UAE	Open shared carrier	2 – 5 days	SAR 1,650
Kuwait	Shared carrier	2 – 4 days	SAR 1,850
Jordan	Car carrier	4 – 7 days	SAR 2,300
The UAE: enclosed carrier	For luxury cars and SUVs	2 – 5 days	SAR 2,750
Turkey and beyond, by sea	RoRo	15 – 45 days	SAR 2,800
A 20-foot container to Turkey	One car	18 – 25 days	SAR 4,600

What sets the price?

What sets the price	Its effect
Destination and port of arrival	The farther the port, or the fewer its services, the higher
Method	Land and RoRo are cheapest, then container, then air
Class of car	A saloon costs less than an SUV, and trucks go by their footprint
Type of carrier	An open shared carrier is cheapest; enclosed and dedicated ones cost more
Number of cars	Two cars in a 40-foot container cost less each, and batches get volume rates
Inland transport	From your city to the port or crossing, by distance
Condition of the car	A non-runner needs a winch or a container
Insurance	Optional, a percentage of the car’s value

Outside the price: customs, taxes and port charges in the destination country are paid there. We estimate them for you before shipping.

Where can a car be shipped from Saudi Arabia? Destinations, time and condition

This table sums up what matters for each destination: the method, the time from collection, and the condition that decides whether the car is accepted. The condition matters more than the price: a car that is not accepted in the destination country gains nothing from the cheapest freight.

Destination	Method	Time	The key condition
The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman	Land	2 – 5 days	Ownership and export documents, and a technical inspection in some
Jordan and Iraq	Land	4 – 10 days	Complete documents before the crossing, and an age limit in Jordan
Egypt	Land then ferry, or sea	7 – 15 days	Conditions on the owner’s status and the car’s age, or temporary entry on a carnet
Turkey	RoRo or container	15 – 25 days	Temporary entry for up to 730 days, on conditions
Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium	RoRo or container	25 – 45 days	EU charges and a conformity inspection
Morocco, Tunisia and Libya	RoRo or container	20 – 40 days	Conditions on the car’s age that differ between the countries
Algeria	Container or RoRo	20 – 40 days	A car no more than three years old
Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia	RoRo or container	10 – 25 days	Left-hand drive accepted
Ghana	RoRo or container	30 – 55 days	Left-hand drive only, and a penalty over ten years
Senegal	RoRo or container	30 – 55 days	Up to ten years for private cars
Ivory Coast	RoRo or container	35 – 50 days	No more than five years for a private car
Nigeria, Benin and Togo	RoRo or container	30 – 55 days	Charges by class and age

Each country has its page with its cities and ports under shipping destinations. Turkey is detailed in the article on car shipping from Jeddah to Turkey, Qatar in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, and West Africa in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to Togo.

Countries that do not accept a Saudi car, or restrict it

Cars in the Kingdom are left-hand drive, and that settles the matter in many countries. Know them before you buy a car for export:

• Kenya: registers only right-hand drive, and under eight years old. A Saudi car passes through the port of Mombasa to neighbouring countries only.
• South Africa: bans used cars except for returning residents with a prior permit.
• Ethiopia: has stopped importing petrol and diesel cars, and allows electric ones.
• Canada: does not accept a car under fifteen years old unless it was built to Canadian specifications.
• Right-hand-drive countries: the UK, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Tanzania and Uganda, each with its own conditions on left-hand drive.
• Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia ban used cars in most cases.

The rule: ask whether the car is accepted in the destination country before buying it, not after it reaches the port. We check that with you at no charge.

Final export or temporary exit?

Before any step, decide: is the car leaving the Kingdom for good, or travelling and coming back? The answer changes all the documents.

Comparison	Final export	Temporary exit
For whom	Anyone leaving for good, or selling the car abroad	Anyone travelling in their car and returning with it
Plates	Surrendered, and export plates issued	The Saudi plates stay
The document	An export certificate from the traffic department	A temporary exit permit and a carnet
In the destination country	Import: customs and registration	Temporary entry with no charges for a set period
Coming back	Treated as a new import under the Kingdom’s conditions	Returns with no charges

Temporary entry is detailed on the triptyque and carnet de passage page.

Procedures for exporting a car from Saudi Arabia

Final export goes through the traffic department and then customs. We handle the steps for you under an authorisation, or you come with us:

1. Settling fines: a car with traffic fines or a lien cannot be exported. A pledged car needs the lien released, or a no-objection letter from the finance provider.
2. Applying to the traffic department: with the registration, ID or residence permit and passport, and valid insurance.
3. Checking the chassis number: the inspector matches it to the registration.
4. Surrendering the plates: the plates and registration are handed in, and temporary export plates issued.
5. The export certificate: issued with the car’s and owner’s details, for a fee of about SAR 100.
6. The customs declaration: lodged with customs at the port or crossing of departure through the Fasah platform.

A resident leaving for good completes their car’s export before the final exit visa, as that is not issued while a car is in their name.

Documents required to ship a car from Saudi Arabia

Document	Note
The car’s registration	Valid, and in the shipper’s name or with an attested authorisation
ID or residence permit, and passport	Valid copies
Export certificate or temporary exit permit	By the type of exit
Purchase contract or invoice	For a car bought recently or at auction
The consignee’s details	In the destination country, matching their ID
What the destination country requires	A pre-shipment inspection, an import permit, a certificate of conformity, or a duty-settlement document for the Gulf states

Each document is explained on the required documents page.

Shipping cars by land to the Gulf, Jordan and Iraq

The car is loaded onto a carrier and passes the official crossing: Al Batha to the UAE, Nuwaiseeb to Kuwait, Salwa to Qatar, the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain, Al Haditha to Jordan, and Arar to Iraq. The time is 2 to 5 days for the Gulf, and 4 to 7 for Jordan.

Types of carrier

Carrier	What it is	Suits
Open shared	Takes several cars on two decks	Saloons and family cars, and the cheapest
Enclosed	A box protecting from sand, stones and sun	Luxury, sports and classic cars
Dedicated	Your car alone, leaving at once	Anyone wanting a set date
Winch carrier	Pulls the car up onto its bed	A non-running car

• Duty in the Gulf states: 5% of the car’s value, not paid a second time if the settlement document is presented for a car whose duty was paid in the Kingdom.
• The age condition: some Gulf states and Jordan limit the age of a car to be registered. We confirm it before shipping.
• Registration: a technical inspection and local insurance, then the plates.

Anyone travelling in their car and returning with it does not ship it; they cross on a temporary exit permit and insurance covering the country they are going to. The Gulf’s rules are in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to the Gulf states.

Sea freight for cars: RoRo

A RoRo vessel is a floating multi-storey car park. The car is driven aboard up a ramp, parked in an enclosed deck, and lashed at all four wheels with straps to rings in the floor. There are no cranes and no handling, which is why it is the cheapest and the quickest to load.

• The condition: the car runs and can be driven, does not leak, and has a quarter tank of fuel.
• The cabin: completely empty.
• Ports: not every port takes RoRo. We confirm that for the destination before booking.
• Price: charged on the car’s size, starting from SAR 2,800 for a saloon.

It is detailed in the article on sea car shipping from Jeddah.

How is a car secured inside a container?

A container is a closed steel box for your car alone, or with a second car. The car goes in on two ramps and is then secured so it does not move a centimetre through weeks at sea:

• Four lashing straps from the designated chassis points, not from the suspension.
• Timber chocks in front of and behind the tyres to prevent sliding.
• Protective blankets over bumpers and protruding edges.
• A timber partition between the two cars in a forty-foot container.
• Photos of the loaded container before it is closed and sealed.

A 20-foot container takes one car with belongings on a contents list, and a 40-foot container takes two cars. It is the only way by sea for a car that does not run.

Collection from the Kingdom’s cities

We collect the car from your home, the showroom or the auction yard, and it is moved on a carrier to the port or crossing. An exported car is not driven long distances on export plates.

City of collection	Nearest seaport	Nearest land crossings
Jeddah, Makkah and Taif	Jeddah Islamic	Via Riyadh to Al Batha
Madinah, Yanbu and Tabuk	Jeddah or Yanbu	Halat Ammar and Al Haditha
Riyadh and Qassim	Dammam or Jeddah	Al Batha, Salwa, Khafji
Dammam, Khobar and Al-Ahsa	King Abdulaziz in Dammam	King Fahd Causeway, Salwa, Al Batha, Khafji
Abha, Jazan and Najran	Jeddah or Jazan	Via Riyadh

How do you prepare your car before shipping?

1. Wash it: on a clean car old scratches show, and go on the report.
2. Empty the cabin and the boot: only the spare wheel and its tools stay.
3. Fuel at a quarter.
4. Disable the alarm, and remove toll tags and devices that are not fixed.
5. Check for leaks, and the tyres and battery.
6. One key is handed over, and the other stays with you.

Steps for shipping your car from Saudi Arabia

1. You send the car’s details and the destination: make, model and year, and the country and city.
2. We check that it is accepted: in the destination country, by its steering side, age and engine type.
3. You receive the price: with the suggested method, the time and what it covers.
4. We collect and record: photos of its condition from every side and the odometer reading, in your presence.
5. We prepare the documents: export, the customs declaration, and what the destination country requires.
6. Loading and securing: the cabin empty, and fuel at a quarter.
7. Follow-up to delivery: an update on departure, arrival and release.

Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia

Air freight from the airports of Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam delivers the car within 3 to 7 days. It is secured on an aircraft pallet and loaded onto a wide-body cargo aircraft.

• For whom: luxury, sports and classic cars, and show and race cars.
• How it is charged: on the car’s weight and its dimensions on the pallet.
• Conditions: fuel at its minimum, and the battery disconnected as the carrier instructs.
• Price: far higher than sea, and set car by car on 0552803439.

Car shipping for dealers and showrooms

Anyone shipping regular batches agrees a recurring programme with us: they send a copy of the purchase contract, we collect from the showroom or auction yard, and consolidate their units into shipments at volume rates, with a single follow-up telling them where each car is. We also collect from the showrooms of Dubai and Sharjah, detailed on the car shipping from the Gulf page.

Insurance, recording and tracking

• The collection report: photos from every side, the odometer reading, and any old scratch, in your presence and with your signature.
• Cargo insurance: optional, a percentage of the car’s value. The carrier’s liability is limited, so we advise it.
• Tracking: by the bill of lading or container number, from the track your shipment page.
• At delivery: check the car against the report before signing.

Details are on the cargo insurance page.

How do you work out the cost of the “landed car”?

The freight is one part of the cost. The figure that matters to you is the total of:

1. The car’s purchase price.
2. Inland transport to the port or crossing.
3. Freight by the method chosen.
4. Port charges, customs and taxes on arrival.
5. Transport to the city of delivery.

We work it out with you before you buy. The difference in charges between a four-year-old car and an eleven-year-old one can exceed the whole freight.

How do you choose a car shipping company?

Criterion	What to ask for	The warning sign
Legal standing	A commercial registration and a known address	A mobile number with no establishment
Asking about acceptance	It asks about the destination country and the car’s age before the price	An instant price for any destination
Recording	A collection report and photos	Collection with no paper
Scope of the price	It states where it ends	A figure with no breakdown
Destination country	An agent who clears there	“Clear it yourself”

Common mistakes when shipping cars from Saudi Arabia

• Buying the car before asking whether it is accepted: it reaches the port and then cannot be registered.
• Counting age from the year of registration: most countries count from the year of manufacture.
• Surrendering the plates before the booking is ready: a car without plates, and a period running out.
• Leaving belongings in the cabin: it holds up clearance of the whole shipment.
• Looking only at the freight: and forgetting the charges on arrival.
• Choosing RoRo for a port that does not take it: not every port is equipped.
• Putting off the documents: every day waiting at the port bears storage charges.
• Driving an exported car two thousand kilometres to the crossing instead of using a carrier.

Why Home Safe for shipping your car?

To book: 0552803439, by call or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm.

Related articles and pages

• Car shipping from Jeddah to Turkey
• Sea car shipping from Jeddah
• Car shipping: RoRo and container
• Car shipping guide
• Car shipping destinations

Tags

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Saudi Arabia

How much does shipping a car from Saudi Arabia cost?

Land freight to the Gulf starts from SAR 1,100 for Qatar, SAR 1,380 for Bahrain and SAR 1,650 for the UAE, worked out from Riyadh. Sea freight by RoRo starts from SAR 2,800 for a saloon. The price varies with the destination, the method and the class of car.

How long does shipping a car from Saudi Arabia take?

2 to 5 days by land to the Gulf, 4 to 10 days to Jordan and Iraq, 15 to 45 days by sea to Turkey, Europe and Africa, and 3 to 7 days by air.

Which documents are needed to ship a car from Saudi Arabia?

A valid registration, ID or residence permit and passport, the export certificate or temporary exit permit, and the consignee’s details. Some countries ask for a pre-shipment inspection or an import permit.

How do I obtain a car export certificate?

From the traffic department: you settle the fines and present the registration, ID or residence permit and passport; the plates are surrendered and you receive the export certificate and temporary export plates. We handle it for you under an authorisation.

What is the difference between final export and temporary exit?

With final export the plates are surrendered and the car leaves for good. With temporary exit it keeps its plates and comes back, and needs an exit permit and a carnet.

What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Saudi Arabia?

By land on an open shared carrier to neighbouring countries, and by sea by RoRo beyond them. For two cars together, a 40-foot container splits its cost.

Do all countries accept a Saudi car?

No. Cars in the Kingdom are left-hand drive, and many countries restrict left-hand drive or the car’s age. Ask whether it is accepted in the destination country before buying or shipping.

What is the difference between an open and an enclosed carrier?

An open carrier takes several cars and is the cheapest. An enclosed one is a box that protects the car from sand, stones and sun, and suits luxury and classic cars.

Can I ship belongings inside the car?

No. The cabin travels empty apart from its original equipment, and anything in it holds up clearance of the shipment.

Can a non-running car be shipped?

Yes, on a winch carrier by land, and in a container by sea. RoRo requires the car to run and be driven.

Is the car insured during shipping?

Cargo insurance is optional and worked out as a percentage of the car’s value. We advise it, as the carrier’s liability is limited.

Where do you collect the car from?

From your home, the showroom or the auction yard in any city in the Kingdom, and it is moved on a carrier to the port or crossing.

Do you ship showroom cars in bulk?

Yes. Dealers have a regular programme at volume rates, and we collect from showrooms and auction yards.

Are customs paid in the destination country?

Mostly yes, and they differ from country to country: 5% in the Gulf states, and higher elsewhere. They sit outside the freight, and we estimate them for you beforehand.

How long can the car stay at the port without charges?

A few free days, which differ between ports, then a daily storage charge. That is why the clearance documents are prepared before the vessel arrives.