Middle East
Container Shipping from the UK to Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Islamic Port serves the Red Sea corridor with onward trucking across the Kingdom — a growing lane for project and retail cargo.
Container shipping from the UK to Saudi Arabia runs full container load to Jeddah Islamic Port (SAJED). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Saudi Arabia at present. Sea transit is 18–24 days port to port and air freight 1–3 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Saudi Arabia are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Saudi Arabia
Full container load and groupage both go to Jeddah Islamic Port. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Jeddah Islamic Port
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Felixstowe.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Saudi Arabia at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for Saudi Arabia
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Saudi Arabia are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,550.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £2,450.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £82.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Saudi Arabia?
Industrial machinery and spares, construction plant and materials, oil and gas equipment, medical devices and electrical goods move through Jeddah and Dammam as routine cargo.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia charges VAT at a standard rate of 15%, charged on the customs value plus duty. Customs duty is separate and runs at 5–15%, with higher protective rates on some categories, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Saudi Arabia has the highest VAT rate in the GCC at 15%, and it enforces the strictest conformity regime on this list. A SABER certificate of conformity has to be issued under the SALEEM programme before the goods ship — not on arrival, before. Cargo that turns up without one is not cleared late; it is refused, and the cost of that lands on whoever booked the freight.
What are the import restrictions in Saudi Arabia?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Saudi Arabia?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
UK to Saudi Arabia shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Saudi Arabia take?
Sea freight runs about 18–24 days port to port, and air freight 1–3 days airport to airport. Jeddah Islamic Port is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 18 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Saudi Arabia?
We move cargo through one port in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah Islamic Port (SAJED). Full container load goes to Jeddah Islamic Port. We have no scheduled groupage service to Saudi Arabia at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Saudi Arabia?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Saudi Arabia — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Saudi Arabia lane?
Product conformity and certification requirements apply to many goods entering the Kingdom and depend heavily on the commodity, so check what your specific product needs well before shipping. Project cargo is common here and frequently exceeds standard container dimensions — raise out-of-gauge moves at enquiry stage. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes construction and infrastructure materials, machinery and heavy equipment, vehicles and spare parts.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Saudi Arabia — each one works as an origin or a destination.
United Arab Emirates
Import & export · Jebel Ali
LCL from
£78.00
per cubic metre
16+ days
View lane
Qatar
Import & export · Hamad Port
LCL from
£80.00
per cubic metre
18+ days
View lane
Kuwait
Import & export · Shuwaikh
LCL from
£83.00
per cubic metre
20+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Saudi Arabia? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.