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In this page: Customs Procedures | Industrial and Manufacturing Profile | Identifying a Supplier | Controlling the Quality of the Products | Organizing Goods Transport To and From Saudi Arabia

 

Customs Procedures

Export Clearance
Saudi Arabian Department of Customs (SADC) is the authority who is responsible for regulates inflow and outflow of goods in the country, levies taxes on goods efficiently, facilitate legitimate trade implementation of customs policies, and protection of the society and legal economic activities.

The export items should comply with SASO standards, otherwise it may causes to stop the export process.
When exporting goods from Saudi Arabia some documents and regulations will be applied before the exit of goods to the destination. Failure to submit required documents may delay goods when exporting. Exporters should be aware of:

  • Original Commercial Invoice must be included
  • Fee: SAR 132 (equivalent to USD 75) per shipment presented to customs authorities
  • For certain goods, a strategic export license is required. Example where these licenses are needed include: military, dual-use, chemicals, technological, medicines, and radioactive material

For more details, visit the website of Saudi Customs.

Necessary Declaration
Visit: Saudi Arabia Trade and Export Guide
Restrictions
Certain animals like pure breed horses, bovine animals; date palm seedling, wood, antiques and historical items are banned for export. For more details, visit: the Us -Saudi Chamber of Business.
Export Taxes
No tax is levied on exports. On the contrary, the exporters are provided incentives in certain categories.

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Industrial and Manufacturing Profile

Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of oil in the world, contributing about 20% to the global petroleum production. Saudi Arabia possesses around 17% of the world’s proven petroleum reserves. The oil and gas sector accounts for about 50% of gross domestic product, and about 70% of export earnings. The Government is encouraging private sector growth, especially in power generation, telecommunications, natural gas exploration, and petrochemicals. The industrial sector contributes 47.4% to the country's GDP.

Sector-specific professional associations

33 professional associations listed for Saudi Arabia.

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Type of Manufacturers

Original Equipment Manufacturers
After joining WTO, the number of Original Equipment Manufacturers set up in the Kingdom has increased, particularly in sectors like air-conditioning, medical devices, electronics, and telecommunication. One of the major reasons behind growth of the OEMs in Saudi Arabia is the growing domestic market and higher per capita income.
Original Design Manufacturers
Very few Original Design Manufacturers are established in the Kingdom. The main reason being lack of qualified R&D professionals.
Subcontractors
The sub-contracting market does not practically exist in Saudi Arabia because of non-availability of skilled labour force and comparatively higher living costs.
Useful Resources
Council of Saudi Chambers

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Identifying a Supplier

Saudi multisector Business directories

All.biz - Saoudi Arabia - Directory of companies in Saudi Arabia

eArabic Market - Saudi business directory

Expat.com - Saudi business directory

Eye of Riyadh - Saudi business directory

Middle East Business Directory - Saudi business directory

Online jeddah - Jeddah's business directory

Saudi Arabia YP - Saudi business directory

The Saudi Network - Saudi business directory

The Saudi.net - Saudi Arabia's directory

Saudi Marketplaces

Sample of marketplaces incorporated in Saudi Arabia (A to Z)

 

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Upcoming Trade shows in Saudi Arabia

December 4th, 2023
Architecture - Construction, public works - Masonry, carpentry, pipework - Waterproofing, roofing, plumbing, carpentry - Painting, door and window frames, wall and floor coverings - Electrical installations - Heating, air conditioning, ventilation - Sanitary equipment, kitchen, swimming pool - Machine tools, agricultural machinery - Robotics
December 4th, 2023
Insurance, mutual funds, pension funds - Banks - Investment funds, other financial institutions - Stock Exchange, investments - Financing, aid - Industry service - Databases - Equipment - Software - Networks - Services - Telecommunications - Internet, cybersecurity - Digital solutions, Mobile applications - Services and business consulting - Accounting, taxation - Management - Translation - Legal - Cleaning, surveillance, protection
December 11th, 2023
Architecture - Construction, public works - Masonry, carpentry, pipework - Waterproofing, roofing, plumbing, carpentry - Painting, door and window frames, wall and floor coverings - Electrical installations - Heating, air conditioning, ventilation - Sanitary equipment, kitchen, swimming pool - Machine tools, agricultural machinery - Robotics
December 11th, 2023
Insurance, mutual funds, pension funds - Banks - Investment funds, other financial institutions - Stock Exchange, investments - Financing, aid - Industry service - Databases - Equipment - Software - Networks - Services - Telecommunications - Internet, cybersecurity - Digital solutions, Mobile applications - Services and business consulting - Accounting, taxation - Management - Translation - Legal - Cleaning, surveillance, protection
December 11th, 2023
Land planning, urban planning - Construction, public works - Databases - Computers, telecommunications - Equipment - Software - Networks - Services - Telecommunications - Internet, cybersecurity - Digital solutions, Mobile applications - Research, innovation - Technique and technology - Earth sciences - Natural sciences - Sciences - Services and business consulting - Accounting, taxation - Management - Translation - Legal
December 18th, 2023
Architecture - Construction, public works - Masonry, carpentry, pipework - Waterproofing, roofing, plumbing, carpentry - Painting, door and window frames, wall and floor coverings - Electrical installations - Heating, air conditioning, ventilation - Sanitary equipment, kitchen, swimming pool - Machine tools, agricultural machinery - Robotics
December 25th, 2023
Architecture - Construction, public works - Masonry, carpentry, pipework - Waterproofing, roofing, plumbing, carpentry - Painting, door and window frames, wall and floor coverings - Electrical installations - Heating, air conditioning, ventilation - Sanitary equipment, kitchen, swimming pool - Machine tools, agricultural machinery - Robotics
December 28th, 2023
Architecture - Construction, public works - Masonry, carpentry, pipework - Waterproofing, roofing, plumbing, carpentry - Painting, door and window frames, wall and floor coverings - Electrical installations - Heating, air conditioning, ventilation - Sanitary equipment, kitchen, swimming pool - Machine tools, agricultural machinery - Robotics
January 15th, 2024
Hygiene, perfumes, cosmetics - Health, medicine - Medical professions - Pharmacies, analysis laboratories
January 28th, 2024
Insurance, mutual funds, pension funds - Banks - Investment funds, other financial institutions - Stock Exchange, investments - Financing, aid - Marketing - Incentive - Commercial property, patents, trademarks - Franchise - e-commerce

To see 101 more, check out our Trade shows database

Other Useful Resources

Trade Agencies and Their Representations Abroad
Saudi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh
Saudi Embassies Abroad
 
 

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Finding Assistance

Recommended Resource
Ministry of Transportation

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Controlling the Quality of the Products

Quality Control Organizations
Saudi Arabian Standards Organization

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Organizing Goods Transport To and From Saudi Arabia

Main Useful Means of Transport

Saudi Arabia has well-developed transport infrastructure, which mainly includes airways, roadways and maritime transport. Saudi Arabia’s logistics market is valued at $18 billion, making it the largest among the GCC nations. It accounts for 55 percent of the total GCC logistics market.

Because of the large distances that separate Saudi Arabia's main cities, air travel is the preferred method of domestic travel. There are three major, modern international airports in the Kingdom: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahd International Airport in the Eastern Province. A large number of international airlines operate from these airports. In addition, there are 22 regional and local airports. Taxis, rental cars, and limousines are easily available at airports. According to the latest data by Invest Saudi, the volume of air cargo in 2015 was 1.2 million tons.

Saudi Arabia also has an impressive and expanding network of highways which connect the country's major regions and cities. Driving is done on the right side of the road. The railway network in the Kingdom is undergoing an expansion programme. Recently, the Saudi Arabia Government invest in 1,500 km of new railways.

There are seven modern major ports in the cities of Jeddah, Yanbu, Dammam, Jubail, Jizan, Rabigh, and Dhiba, some with their own separate commercial and industrial facilities. The Jeddah and Dammam ports are state-of-the-art commercial ports. The Yanbu and Jubail ports are state-of-the-art major industrial ports with modern bulk cargo and container handling capabilities. Ras Tanura, an oil super-terminal on the Gulf, is one of the largest in the world. In 2017, the cargo handled by sea ports was 240 million tons according to Invest Saudi.

 
 

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By Road

Transport Professionals
Saudi Public Transport Co. (SAPTCO)
Government Transport Organisations
Ministry of Transportation

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By Rail

Transport Professionals
Saudi Railways Organization
Government Transport Organisations
Ministry of Transport

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Latest Update: November 2023