Car Shipping from the UAE 0552803439 | Road Carriers to Saudi Arabia & the Gulf, RoRo & Containers from Jebel Ali, Air

Car shipping from the UAE means moving your car from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or any other emirate to another country without driving it yourself. Home Safe arranges it in three ways: a road carrier to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states through the Al Ghuwaifat – Batha crossing, a ship from Jebel Ali Port to Europe and Africa, and a cargo aircraft for an urgent car. The carrier reaches Riyadh in two to 4 days, and the sea needs 20 to 50 days depending on the destination. Sea freight starts from SAR 4,300 to Belgium, from SAR 5,820 to France and Spain, and from SAR 6,570 to the UK. For bookings and enquiries: 0552803439.

In this guide45ShowHide

1. What does car shipping from the UAE mean, and why do people need it?
2. Where do we ship your car from the UAE?
3. How does Home Safe work in the UAE as a Saudi establishment?
4. Land, sea or air: which method suits your car?
5. Car shipping by land from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf via Al Ghuwaifat – Batha
6. Road transit times from the UAE to Saudi cities and the Gulf states
7. Open or enclosed carrier, secured by all four wheels
8. Conditions for a car from the UAE to enter Saudi Arabia
9. Car shipping by sea from Jebel Ali to Europe and Africa: RoRo or container
10. RoRo or inside a container: the practical difference
11. Costs and prices of car shipping from the UAE
12. Collection from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, with inspection and photographs before loading
13. Types of cars we ship from the UAE
14. Safety and security factors: preparing the car before handover
15. Export paperwork and export plates for cars in the UAE
16. Documents required, and what is not loaded with the car
17. We review the import conditions of the destination country before you book
18. Insurance services when shipping cars from the UAE
19. Temporary storage and delivery at the destination
20. Air freight for cars from UAE airports
21. Steps for shipping a car from the UAE
22. Tracking the car on the road and at sea
23. Car shipping to the UAE: the opposite direction
24. Tips and best practice for a journey without surprises
25. Car shipping companies in the UAE: how do you choose the right one?
26. Common mistakes when shipping cars from the UAE
27. Why Home Safe for shipping your car from the UAE?
28. Related articles and pages
29. Tags
30. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from the UAE
31. What are the ways of shipping a car from the UAE?
32. How much does it cost to ship a car from the UAE?
33. How long does it take to ship a car from Dubai to Riyadh or Jeddah?
34. Which border post does the car cross into Saudi Arabia?
35. Will my car enter Saudi Arabia if it is more than five years old?
36. Do I pay customs in Saudi Arabia on a car I bought in Dubai?
37. What is the difference between an export certificate and a tourism certificate?
38. Who issues the export certificate and the export plates?
39. Can a car with a bank loan on it be shipped?
40. Is RoRo better, or a container?
41. Can I leave belongings inside the car?
42. Do you ship a car that does not run or is damaged?
43. How do I follow the car during the journey?
44. Does Home Safe have an office in the UAE?
45. When should I book?

What does car shipping from the UAE mean, and why do people need it?

It means the car is handed to a specialist carrier in the UAE and received in the destination country with its exit and entry paperwork completed. Its owner does not drive a thousand kilometres or queue at the border post. The service matters most in two cases where there is no alternative: a car whose plates have been withdrawn for export, which may not be driven long distances, and a car bound for somewhere across the sea. These are the people we serve most:

Car owner	Usual destination	Method we suggest
A Saudi who bought a car from the showrooms of Dubai or Sharjah	Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam	An open road carrier with an export certificate
A resident whose job in the UAE has ended and who is moving to a Gulf country	Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar or Kuwait	A road carrier, open or enclosed depending on the car
A European employee returning home	The UK, Belgium, France or Spain	A private or shared container from Jebel Ali
A family spending the summer abroad with its car	Europe or Turkey	RoRo or a container, on a tourism certificate rather than export
A dealer or showroom exporting a batch of cars	Africa and the Gulf	RoRo for batches, or a full road carrier

Where do we ship your car from the UAE?

The destination chooses the method. Anything inside the Arabian Peninsula goes by road, because the route is open and the distance is covered in days. Anything beyond the Suez Canal or on the coasts of Africa sails from Jebel Ali. Each European line has its own article with its ports and customs, and the table gathers them with the starting price where we publish one:

Destination	Method and approximate door-to-door time	Starting price	Details
Saudi Arabia	Road carrier, one to 6 days	Set on request	Its own section in this article
Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait	Road carrier, one to 5 days	Set on request	Its own section in this article
United Kingdom	By sea, 35–50 days	Starts from SAR 6,570 for a space in a shared container, and from SAR 9,660 by RoRo	Car shipping from the UAE to the UK
Belgium	By sea, 32–45 days	Starts from SAR 4,300	Car shipping from the UAE to Belgium
France	By sea, 30–45 days	Starts from SAR 5,820	Car shipping from the UAE to France
Spain	By sea, 35–50 days	Starts from SAR 5,820	Car shipping from the UAE to Spain
Switzerland	By sea then overland inside Europe, 30–45 days	Set on request	Car shipping from the UAE to Switzerland
Morocco	By sea, 30–45 days	Set on request	Car shipping from the UAE to Morocco
Turkey	By sea, 20–38 days	Set on request	Car shipping from the UAE to Turkey
African ports	By sea; the time is set at booking	Set on request	Arranged shipment by shipment

The sea prices in the table are freight to the port of arrival and exclude that country’s taxes. All our lines from the Gulf states are set out on the car shipping from the Gulf page.

How does Home Safe work in the UAE as a Saudi establishment?

This question deserves a straight answer. Home Safe is an establishment registered in the Kingdom and based in Jeddah, with no branch and no yard of its own in the UAE. What happens on the ground there is done by licensed Emirati freight and clearing agents we work with: they send the flatbed to your home, lodge the export declaration and hand the car to the carrier, the port or the airport. What we do is manage the journey: we hear your case, propose the method, check the paperwork before the car moves and follow up with the broker in the destination country. On the Saudi line we are the receiving end, so clearance at Batha and delivery inside the Kingdom are our daily work.

Land, sea or air: which method suits your car?

No method is better than the others in every case. A road carrier does not reach London, a ship makes no sense for Riyadh, and an aircraft is not ordered for a car of ordinary value. We set the three side by side so you can see where your car falls:

Point of comparison	Road carrier	Sea freight	Air freight
Destinations	Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait	Europe, Africa, Turkey and Morocco	Any airport that receives freighters
Time	One to 6 days	20–50 days	3–7 days
Cost	Lowest	Medium	Highest by a wide margin
How the car travels	Secured by its wheels on an open or enclosed carrier	Driven onto a RoRo vessel, or lashed inside a container	Strapped to an air cargo pallet
Suits	Every car bound for the Gulf	A car that crosses the sea and whose owner is in no hurry	Luxury and rare cars, and anything with a date that cannot slip

The fuller comparison of the modes is on the shipping methods comparison page.

Car shipping by land from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf via Al Ghuwaifat – Batha

There is one land crossing between the UAE and Saudi Arabia: Al Ghuwaifat in the Al Dhafra region west of Abu Dhabi, facing the Saudi post of Batha. Every car carrier leaving Dubai or Sharjah takes the coastal road west, covering about 480 kilometres from Dubai or 350 kilometres from Abu Dhabi to reach the post. Beyond it the road turns north to Salwa and then Al-Ahsa, where the routes branch to Riyadh, Dammam and the other cities. From Salwa itself the road branches to Qatar, and from the Eastern Province to the Bahrain causeway and north to Kuwait.

Stage	What happens to the car	Usual time
Collection from your address	Inspection, photographs and a condition report, then a flatbed to the consolidation yard	Half a day
Loading onto the carrier	The car is driven up and strapped down by all four wheels	One to two hours
The road to Al Ghuwaifat	A dual carriageway across Al Dhafra	4–6 hours
Al Ghuwaifat post	The UAE export declaration and a check of the chassis number against the certificate	Hours
Batha post	Inspection, valuation and payment of duty and VAT, or a temporary-entry record	Hours to a day
From Batha to your city	About 500 km to Riyadh, further to the west and the north	Half a day to 3 days

Oman, however, has its own direct crossings with the UAE on the Hatta and Al Ain sides, so its cars do not pass through Saudi Arabia. We name the crossing the carrier will use in the quotation. Details of the crossings we work through are on the ports and gateways page, and the road service in general on the land freight page.

Road transit times from the UAE to Saudi cities and the Gulf states

The time is counted from the moment the car goes onto the carrier, not from the day of the call. Before that come a day or two for the paperwork, and an open carrier may wait until its positions are filled. The following figures are approximate and rise in the busy seasons at the border:

City or country of arrival	Route	Approximate time
Dammam, Khobar and Al-Ahsa	Batha, then Salwa and Al-Ahsa	1–3 days
Riyadh	About 1,000 km from Dubai via Batha and Al-Kharj	2–4 days
Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah	About 1,950 km from Dubai to Jeddah via Riyadh	4–6 days
Tabuk, Abha and Khamis Mushait	Via Riyadh, then the secondary roads	5–8 days
Muscat and Sohar	The Hatta or Al Ain crossings	1–2 days
Doha	Batha, then Salwa – Abu Samra	2–4 days
Bahrain	Batha, the Eastern Province and the King Fahd Causeway	2–4 days
Kuwait	Batha, the Eastern Province and the Khafji – Nuwaiseeb crossing	3–5 days

What lengthens the time?

• A letter or digit that differs between the export certificate and the chassis number stamped on the car.
• Lorry queues at Al Ghuwaifat and Batha before the two Eids and at the start of summer.
• A car that fails the age or conformity condition and is held in the customs yard until its case is decided.
• A collection requested from an emirate far from the carrier’s line, which adds a day for consolidation.

To compare these times with our other lines, see the transit times page.

Open or enclosed carrier, secured by all four wheels

An open carrier is a two-deck frame that carries six to eight cars, and it is what you see on the Al Ghuwaifat road every day. The sun and dust a car meets on it do no harm to a car in daily use. An enclosed carrier is a box that screens the car completely and is booked for one car or two, so it moves on your date rather than when the load is complete. For both there is one rule we do not bend: lashing by the wheels, not by the body.

Item	Open carrier	Enclosed carrier
Suits	Saloons, 4x4s and pickups in daily use	Luxury, sports and classic cars and fresh paintwork
Departure	When its positions are filled	On the agreed day
Protection	Against movement and rubbing, not against dust	Against dust, gravel and onlookers
A low car	The loading ramp may not suit it	A long ramp or a hydraulic lift
Cost	Lowest	Higher, because the box is for your car alone

The method of securing is the same: a webbing strap over each wheel fixed to the carrier’s deck, with a chock in front of the wheel and one behind. That leaves the suspension free to absorb the vibration of the road, without pressing on the body or scratching the rims. The lashing methods are detailed on the packing and lashing page.

Conditions for a car from the UAE to enter Saudi Arabia

The carrier takes the car to Batha, but it is customs that decides whether it goes in. The rule in force in the Kingdom is that a used passenger car may be imported if it is no more than five years past its year of manufacture, and that it must conform to Saudi standards and fuel-efficiency requirements. These rules are reviewed, so we confirm the current ones before shipping:

Item	Rule in force	What we do before booking
Age of the car	No more than five years for passenger cars and light vehicles	We read the year of manufacture from the chassis number, not from the advert
Conformity	A certificate of conformity to Saudi standards and a fuel-economy label	We check that the model is built to Gulf specifications
Customs duty	5% of the value of the car plus freight and insurance	We estimate the amount with you on a realistic value
VAT	15% on the value and the duty together	We include it in the sum before you decide
Duty already paid in the Gulf	May be credited if the first-entry declaration and the duty receipt exist, on conditions customs assesses	We ask the seller for these two documents
Cars not accepted	Flooded, burnt and rolled-over cars, former taxis and police cars, and cars with a converted steering position	We ask for the car’s history report

An example for guidance: a car worth SAR 80,000 with freight attracts SAR 4,000 in duty, then SAR 12,600 in VAT on SAR 84,000, a total of SAR 16,600. The other Gulf states have their own age limits and charges, so we review them country by country before loading. Our service at the border is explained on the customs clearance page, and the opposite direction in the article on car shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.

Car shipping by sea from Jebel Ali to Europe and Africa: RoRo or container

Jebel Ali Port in Dubai is the largest port in the region, and most of the cars exported from the UAE leave through it. It has container berths and a vehicle terminal where RoRo vessels call. A ship bound for Europe leaves through the Strait of Hormuz, rounds the Arabian Peninsula into the Red Sea and passes through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. One bound for East Africa heads south into the Indian Ocean without using the canal, so its voyage is shorter. The best-known African ports receiving cars from Dubai are Mombasa and Dar es Salaam in the east, and Lagos, Tema, Abidjan and Luanda in the west.

Line	Usual ports of arrival	Door to door, approximately
United Kingdom	Southampton for RoRo; Felixstowe and London Gateway for containers	35–50 days
Belgium and Switzerland	Antwerp and Zeebrugge; European ports then an inland carrier for Switzerland	30–45 days
France and Spain	Le Havre and Marseille-Fos; Barcelona and Valencia	30–50 days
Turkey	Mersin	20–38 days
Morocco	Casablanca and Tanger Med	30–45 days
East and West Africa	Mombasa and Dar es Salaam; Lagos, Tema and others	Set at booking according to the shipping line

These times are estimates, not commitments. The routing of ships between the Gulf and Europe changes with sailing conditions in the Red Sea, and going round Africa adds about two weeks. Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi is an alternative we use when its schedule matches your date. All our sea services are on the sea freight page.

RoRo or inside a container: the practical difference

With RoRo the car is driven onto the ship uncovered over a wide ramp, stands on a roofed inner deck among hundreds of cars, and is driven onto the quay on arrival. It is not covered, because the port driver drives it. With a container the car goes into a steel box, is lashed by its tyres, and the door is sealed with a number that is opened only in the destination country. The two differ in four respects:

Item	RoRo	Private container	Space in a shared container
Condition of the car	Runs and is driven under its own engine	Any condition, even non-running	Usually running
Belongings	Strictly forbidden	Allowed with a customs list	Not advisable
Sailing date	By the car carriers’ schedule	The first ship after the paperwork is complete	When the container is filled with other cars
Cost	Usually low, and charged by the size of the car	Highest by sea	Lowest on some lines

Note that the order is not fixed: on the UK line, for example, a space in a shared container starts lower than RoRo. So we price both methods for each destination. Each method is explained on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages.

Costs and prices of car shipping from the UAE

We publish the figures whose starting point we can stand by, namely the sea freight on the European lines we have priced. Everything else follows the two cities, the carrier type and the size of the car, so we send it once we know the details. The figures are in Saudi riyals with their near equivalent in dirhams, and all are freight charges that exclude the destination country’s duties and taxes:

Service	Price	Note
Saloon by sea to Belgium	Starts from SAR 4,300, about AED 4,210	To Antwerp or Zeebrugge
Saloon by sea to France or Spain	Starts from SAR 5,820, about AED 5,700	To the French or Spanish port
Space for a car in a shared container to the UK	Starts from SAR 6,570, about AED 6,430	To the British port
Saloon by RoRo to the UK	Starts from SAR 9,660, about AED 9,460	From Jebel Ali to Southampton
Private 20ft container to the UK	Starts from SAR 10,350	For a luxury car or one with belongings
Switzerland, Morocco, Turkey and African ports	Set on request	According to the method and the port
Road carrier to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states	Set on request	According to the emirate, the city of arrival and the carrier type
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight, dimensions and airport

For anyone wanting a reference for road transport: the prices of our opposite line, from Saudi Arabia to the UAE on the same road, start from SAR 1,100 from the Eastern Province, from SAR 1,650 for a saloon from Riyadh, from SAR 2,350 from the western cities, and from SAR 2,750 for an enclosed carrier from Riyadh. These are the prices of the opposite direction and not a price for leaving the UAE, where the collection charge and the export fees differ.

Prices quoted in the market: what is published in the UAE for shipping a car to Europe runs between AED 10,000 and AED 15,000 without the destination country’s taxes, with Belgium published from AED 4,600 and France from AED 6,200. For Bahrain a very wide range of AED 1,800 to AED 10,000 is cited, depending on the method. For Karachi it is about AED 5,000 without customs, for the Philippines AED 6,000 to AED 8,000, and for Houston about AED 23,000 door to door. As for road transport to Saudi Arabia, we found no one publishing a specific figure, and the norm is to price each car individually. Always compare two quotations that end at the same point.

Factor	How it changes the cost
Destination and distance	Dammam is nearer than Jeddah, and Antwerp is not Southampton
Shipping method	Road is the cheapest inside the Gulf, then sea, then air at several times the price
Size and weight of the car	A large 4×4 takes a position and a half on the carrier and is charged by its volume on RoRo
Type of carrier or container	An enclosed carrier and a private container cost more than open and shared ones
Duties and taxes	Paid to the destination country’s treasury, and often larger than the freight

Pointers for saving on cost:

• Ask for an open carrier for an ordinary car and keep the enclosed one for what merits it.
• Put two or more cars in one booking, as the price per position falls with the number.
• Be flexible on the date by two or three days, to catch a full carrier or a shared container.
• Drop the car at the consolidation yard yourself if it is near you.
• Complete the paperwork before the date, as every day of delay at the port or the border has a charge.

All the price items are explained on the pricing factors page.

Collection from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, with inspection and photographs before loading

Collection begins with an appointment set at least a day ahead. The driver arrives with a flatbed and does not load the car before inspecting it with you: he walks round it, photographs the four sides, the roof, the odometer and the rims, and writes every existing scratch into a report you both sign. This report is the reference for delivery in the destination country. The car is then taken to the consolidation yard, the port or the airport:

Emirate	What marks collection there
Dubai	Nearest to Jebel Ali and to the car markets, with the most requests for collection from showrooms
Abu Dhabi and Al Ain	Directly on the Al Ghuwaifat road, so a car going by land is loaded there without returning to Dubai
Sharjah and Ajman	Morning collection is better, before the road towards Dubai fills up
Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah	Collection days are fixed in the week, and a day may be added for consolidation

In towers and gated compounds the flatbed does not enter the basement car park, so the driver brings the car out to the entrance and loads it there in front of you. The service to the address is explained on the door to door page.

Types of cars we ship from the UAE

We measure the car before choosing a carrier or a container for it. Length, height, weight and ground clearance determine how many positions it takes, the kind of ramp it climbs and the number of lashing points. Each class has its own point to watch:

• Saloons and hatchbacks: suited to an open carrier, RoRo and a shared container.
• 4x4s, pickups and vans: loaded on the lower deck of the carrier, with the load bed emptied completely.
• Luxury and sports cars: an enclosed carrier by road, and a private container or an aircraft overseas.
• Classic and non-running cars and motorcycles: winched or fixed in a crate, and not accepted on RoRo.
• Electric and hybrid cars: the carrier sets a specific battery charge level, and we tell you what it is before the date.

Lorries, excavators and the like have a separate service on the heavy equipment shipping page.

Safety and security factors: preparing the car before handover

The safety of the car on the journey begins with what its owner does before the driver arrives. Most of the problems we see come from a loose item, a weak battery or a full tank. This list is enough:

• Wash the car, as clean paintwork shows scratches in the photographs and protects your rights.
• Take out everything that is not part of the car, and remove the toll tag and portable navigation devices.
• Leave a quarter of a tank or less, and do not drain it completely unless the air carrier asks for that.
• Make sure the battery turns the engine, the tyres are inflated and nothing is leaking under the car.
• Switch off the alarm, hand over one key and keep the second.
• Photograph the car with your phone from every side, even though the driver takes pictures too.

The rest of what a car owner needs is in the car shipping guide.

Export paperwork and export plates for cars in the UAE

A car leaving the UAE for good does not go out on its own plates. Its registration is cancelled first and an export certificate is issued by the vehicle licensing authority of the emirate where it is registered, which people simply call “the traffic department”. In Dubai that is the Roads and Transport Authority, and in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates the traffic and licensing departments. The original plates are handed in, temporary export plates are fitted and a short insurance policy is bought. The steps in force are as follows, and we confirm what applies in your emirate before shipping:

Step	Practice in force	What we point out
Settling the traffic file	Paying fines, toll charges and parking fees	A single open fine stops the certificate being issued
Releasing the mortgage	A letter from the bank reaching the licensing authority	It takes days, so start with it
Applying for the certificate	Through the licensing authority’s digital channels or its centres	In Dubai a fee of AED 100 for the certificate and AED 70 for the plates is cited
Export plates and their insurance	Temporary plates and a policy lasting days	Do not apply before the carrier’s or ship’s date is firm
Customs export declaration	Lodged at the border post, the port or the airport	The agent lodges it, and you receive a copy

For anyone who bought a car from a showroom while outside the UAE: the certificate is issued in his name or in the name of his authorised representative, and we make sure of that before sending the flatbed.

Not everyone who ships a car wants it struck off. Someone spending the summer in Europe or Turkey, or visiting family in Saudi Arabia and coming back, applies for a vehicle tourism certificate instead of an export certificate. The plates stay on the car and the file stays open, it enters the destination country on temporary admission without import duty, and a no-objection letter from the bank is enough. Anyone driving on to countries that require a customs carnet will find it explained on the triptik and carnet page.

Documents required, and what is not loaded with the car

The car’s file is short, but every paper in it is tied to the chassis number, so one wrong letter stops the journey. Send us pictures of the papers first so we can check them, and do not leave the originals in the car:

Document	Issued by	When it is required
Vehicle registration card	The licensing authority in the emirate	At booking and when applying for the certificate
Export certificate or tourism certificate	The licensing authority in the emirate	On leaving the UAE and entering the destination country
Emirates ID, passport and residence visa	The owner	At every stage
The consignee’s ID or residence permit in the destination country	The consignee	At clearance and registration
Purchase invoice or sale contract	The seller or showroom	For the customs value and the insurance
Mortgage release or no-objection letter	The bank	Before applying for the certificate
Broker’s authorisation and the bill of lading	The owner, then the carrier	At the border and at collection

No weapons, ammunition, fireworks or flammable materials are loaded with the car, nor alcohol, medicines without a prescription, cash or gold. The full lists are on the shipping documents and prohibited items pages.

We review the import conditions of the destination country before you book

Getting a car out of the UAE is relatively easy; the difficulty lies in getting it into the other country. Each country has one decisive question, which we put in the first call, because the answer may cancel the shipment altogether and save you its cost:

Destination country	The decisive question	Practice in force, in short
Saudi Arabia	How old is the car?	Five years at most, conformity, 5% duty and 15% VAT
United Kingdom	Do you qualify for transfer-of-residence relief?	No age limit, left-hand drive accepted, 10% duty and 20% VAT for those not relieved
Belgium, France and Spain	A visit, a move or an import?	Temporary admission for a visitor, conditional relief for someone moving, 10% duty and local VAT for others
Switzerland	Will it be registered there?	Customs separate from the European Union, and an individual inspection before plates
Morocco	When was the car first registered?	An age limit counted from first registration, with special rules for returnees
Turkey	Will the car come back?	Temporary entry recorded on the owner’s passport; permanent import is a narrow door

These are summaries whose details change, and they do not replace a review of your case with the broker in that country. A Gulf-specification car may need a change to its lamps and an emissions document in Europe before it is registered, and each destination’s article gives the detail.

Insurance services when shipping cars from the UAE

A comprehensive UAE motor policy covers the car while it is driven on the road, not while it is cargo on a carrier or in a ship. The carrier’s liability is limited by the terms of the contract of carriage and may not reach the price of a headlamp on a modern car. So with every booking we offer cargo insurance on the declared value of the car. It runs from the signing of the collection report to the signing of delivery, and covers loading and unloading, the two riskiest moments of the journey. Compensation is paid by the insurer under the terms of its policy, and our part is to open the claim and attach the reports and photographs. The explanation is on the cargo insurance page.

Temporary storage and delivery at the destination

The day a car owner travels rarely matches the day the carrier or the ship moves. Someone leaving the UAE before the date leaves the car with the agent in a walled yard until loading. Someone whose car arrives before he does has it kept in the destination country until he comes or authorises a person to collect it. The storage charge is stated in the quotation from the start. Delivery takes three forms: at the door of the house by flatbed, at the inspection and registration centre for those who want to finish the plates the same day, or at the carrier’s yard for those who prefer to collect in person. In each form the car is checked against the loading report before signing. Details are on the storage page.

Air freight for cars from UAE airports

The UAE is one of the largest air cargo hubs in the world, which makes flying a car out of it easier than from most countries. The car is handed over at the cargo village of Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum Airport or Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, and strapped to a metal pallet on which it enters the aircraft’s hold. It arrives within 3 to 7 days of collection, including clearance at the arrival airport and delivery to the door of the house. It is a service for luxury and urgent cars, not for an everyday car:

• Who asks for it: the owner of a rare car who does not want it at sea for weeks, and an entrant in a show or a race with a fixed date.
• The carrier’s conditions: a car is classed as dangerous goods by air, so its fuel is reduced, it is checked for leaks and a special declaration is drawn up for it.
• The technical limit: the width and height of the car decide which aircraft type accepts it, so no date is confirmed before the carrier agrees.
• The price: set on request. For guidance, air freight on our line from the UAE to the UK starts from SAR 36,200 for a saloon.

To Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states air is seldom requested, since an enclosed carrier arrives within days at far lower cost. Air services for other cargo are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping a car from the UAE

The order is the same whatever the destination, and the details inside each step change:

1. You send to 0552803439 the make of the car, its year of manufacture and a picture of its registration, with the emirate, the destination country and its city.
2. We review the import condition in the destination country and tell you whether the car will enter and how much is expected to be paid on it.
3. We propose the method and send a quotation that separates the freight from the duties and taxes.
4. Once you agree the space is booked, and you begin settling fines and the mortgage and applying for the certificate.
5. The agent collects the car from your address; it is inspected and photographed and the report is signed.
6. The car is loaded and the export declaration lodged, and the means of tracking reaches you.
7. The car reaches the border post, the port or the airport, and the broker lodges its file and what is due is paid.
8. It is delivered to you or to the person you authorised; you inspect it, sign and receive the key and the papers.

Tracking the car on the road and at sea

Honest tracking differs with the mode, and we do not claim it has a single screen. A road carrier is followed by the trip coordinator with the driver, so a message reaches you at loading, on entering Al Ghuwaifat, on leaving Batha and a few hours before arrival. A ship is followed on the shipping line’s website by the booking or container number, with the expected arrival date that is updated if it runs late. An aircraft is followed by the air waybill number. The explanation is on the shipment tracking page.

Car shipping to the UAE: the opposite direction

Carriers do not go back empty, and the line into the UAE is as busy as the one out of it. From Saudi Arabia the car enters from Batha to Al Ghuwaifat, is cleared there and then registered in the emirate. The practice in force in the UAE is 5% customs duty and 5% VAT on an imported car, left-hand drive, and a technical inspection before plates. It is reported that registering a used car more than ten years old is restricted in some emirates, so we confirm that before shipping. A traveller’s car returning on its tourism certificate goes back to its file without charges. The destination page: shipping to the UAE.

Tips and best practice for a journey without surprises

This is what we tell every customer on the UAE line, in order of effect:

• Ask about the destination country’s conditions before buying the car, not after paying for it.
• Do not apply for export plates until the carrier’s date is firm, as they are valid for days.
• Ask for the quotation itemised, and ask what it does not include.
• Keep digital copies of every paper, and of the condition report and its photographs.
• Decide who will collect in the destination country, and give that person a written authorisation if you are not present.
• At collection inspect the car in daylight, and write your remark on the report before signing.

Car shipping companies in the UAE: how do you choose the right one?

There are hundreds of parties in the UAE advertising car shipping, from a broker working from a phone to major shipping lines. We name no one and rank no list, as the best for you is whoever fits your destination and your car. Experience, reputation and price are sound criteria, but what reveals them is what the carrier writes to you before payment:

What you find in the quotation	What it shows
It names the border post or port of arrival and who clears there	A real arrangement exists in the destination country
It asks the year of manufacture before pricing	The provider knows the import conditions and does not sell a journey that may be turned back
It separates its charge from duties and taxes	You will not be surprised by a sum on arrival
It states the type of carrier or container and the lashing method	The provider knows what will be done with your car
It gives its commercial registration and the insurance terms	A party you can go back to

Common mistakes when shipping cars from the UAE

Seven mistakes recur on this line, and all can be avoided before loading:

• Buying a car more than five years old to bring into Saudi Arabia, then discovering the ban at Batha.
• Taking out an export certificate for a car that will return after the holiday.
• Relying on an invoice with a reduced value, so customs revalues and the car is delayed.
• Leaving a small traffic fine that surfaces on the day the certificate is applied for.
• Comparing a price that ends at the border post with one that ends at the door of the house.
• Putting belongings in a car carried on a road carrier or a RoRo vessel.
• Neglecting the condition report, then disagreeing over a scratch no one can date.

Why Home Safe for shipping your car from the UAE?

Because we are at the end where most road journeys out of the UAE finish, so we know what Saudi customs asks for before the carrier arrives. And because we tell you when shipping is not worth its price, and write down every item before you pay.

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

Related articles and pages

• Car shipping company from the UAE to the UK
• Car shipping company from the UAE to Belgium
• Car shipping company from the UAE to Turkey
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
• Car shipping from Saudi Arabia
• Car shipping service

Tags

car shipping from the UAE, car shipping from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, car shipping from Dubai to Riyadh, car shipping from Dubai to Jeddah, car transport from Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia, car shipping from the UAE to Oman, car shipping from the UAE to Kuwait, car shipping from Dubai to Europe, car shipping from Jebel Ali, RoRo car shipping from Dubai, container car shipping from the UAE, air freight for cars from Dubai, car export certificate UAE, Dubai export plates, car shipping price from the UAE, car shipping company in the UAE

Frequently asked questions about car shipping from the UAE

What are the ways of shipping a car from the UAE?

There are three. A road carrier for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, which is the quickest and cheapest option inside the Arabian Peninsula. The sea from Jebel Ali Port for Europe, Africa, Turkey and Morocco, on a RoRo vessel or in a container. And the air from UAE airports for a luxury car or one whose date cannot wait.

How much does it cost to ship a car from the UAE?

By sea to the port it starts from SAR 4,300 to Belgium, from SAR 5,820 to France or Spain, and from SAR 6,570 to the UK for a space in a shared container. Road transport to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf and air freight are set on request, because their figure follows the two cities, the carrier type and the size of the car.

How long does it take to ship a car from Dubai to Riyadh or Jeddah?

From the car going onto the carrier to its unloading in Riyadh takes roughly two to 4 days, and to Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah 4 to 6 days. The Eastern Province is nearer, so it is reached within one to 3 days. Most of the time goes at the two border posts and in waiting for the carrier to fill, not in driving.

Which border post does the car cross into Saudi Arabia?

Al Ghuwaifat in the far west of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which faces the Batha post on the Saudi side. It is the only land crossing between the two countries, about 350 kilometres from Abu Dhabi and 480 kilometres from Dubai.

Will my car enter Saudi Arabia if it is more than five years old?

The rule in force is that a used passenger car is not imported into the Kingdom once it is more than five years past its year of manufacture. That applies to permanent import and registration on Saudi plates. A visitor’s car that enters on its own plates and goes back falls under a different regime. We match the year of manufacture against the current rule before you pay anything.

Do I pay customs in Saudi Arabia on a car I bought in Dubai?

The rule in force is 5% customs duty on the value of the car plus its freight, then 15% VAT on the total. If the duty was paid when the car first entered a Gulf state and the document for it survives, it may be credited to you on conditions that Saudi customs assesses. We ask the broker about your case before shipping.

What is the difference between an export certificate and a tourism certificate?

An export certificate is for a car leaving the UAE for good: its plates are handed in, temporary export plates are fitted and its file is closed. A tourism certificate is for a car that travels and comes back, so it keeps its plates and its registration. Mixing the two up is the costliest mistake we see.

Who issues the export certificate and the export plates?

The vehicle licensing authority of the emirate where the car is registered. In Dubai that is the Roads and Transport Authority, and in the other emirates the traffic and licensing departments. All of them require a file free of fines and of any bank mortgage.

Can a car with a bank loan on it be shipped?

It cannot leave for good until the loan is settled and the mortgage released, since the certificate is not issued while the mortgage stands. For temporary travel a no-objection letter from the bank is enough. We ask for this paper first, because it is the slowest item in the file.

Is RoRo better, or a container?

RoRo is cheaper for an ordinary running car; the car is driven onto the ship and stands uncovered inside its decks. A container suits luxury, classic and non-running cars, and anyone who wants to send belongings with the car. The decision follows the value of the car and its destination.

Can I leave belongings inside the car?

On a road carrier or a RoRo vessel, no: the car is handed over empty and is searched at the border post or the port. Inside a private container, belongings entered on a list presented to customs are allowed. Anything hidden delays clearance and exposes you to a fine.

Do you ship a car that does not run or is damaged?

Yes, on a flatbed fitted with a winch by road, or in a private container by sea. A RoRo vessel will not take it, as it requires a car that moves under its own engine. Note that Saudi Arabia refuses the import of flooded, burnt or written-off cars, so we ask about the car’s history before booking.

How do I follow the car during the journey?

By road, a message reaches you at loading, at each border post and on arrival, with the driver’s number. By sea, you receive the booking or container number and the vessel’s name to follow on the shipping line’s website. By air, the air waybill number is enough.

Does Home Safe have an office in the UAE?

No. Home Safe is a Saudi establishment based in Jeddah, commercial registration 4030601060. Collection and export in the UAE are carried out by Emirati freight and clearing agents we work with, and we manage the file and the follow-up from a single number, 0552803439.

When should I book?

For a road carrier, a week ahead is enough on ordinary days and two weeks before the Eids and the summer holiday. For the sea, seven to eight weeks before you need the car. For the air, two to three weeks ahead, so the space on the aircraft can be confirmed.