Shipping From Saudi Arabia to the UAE

Saudi Arabia is a constitutional monarchy and an Islamic caliphate. Its economy is dominated by petroleum and its associated industries.

This article will give an overview of the shipping modes from Saudi Arabia to The United Arab Emirates, Transit time, cost, major seaports and airports of both countries, customs clearance in UAE, and what option you should choose for shipping goods.

Saudia Arabia, the birthplace of the religion Islam and the home of Mecca, has a stronghold on oil and its economy. It is the world’s largest country with no rivers.

Well, let me tell you this fact about KSA. Saudi Arabia is the largest sovereign state in Western Asia, the second-largest in the Arab world (after Algeria), the fifth-largest in Asia, and the world’s 12th-largest.

Furthermore, KSA is a member of the Greater Arab Free-Trade Area(GAFTA) and a founding member of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) organization. They remain almost entirely dependent on finite oil revenues. Moreover, wealth and power are concentrated in the Royal family.

On the other hand, the UAE has become a center of international commerce. They invest in international business and attract investments from other countries. Also, the UAE has opened its doors to foreign investments, businesses, and tourism.

For good measure, The UAE and Saudi Arabia’s prerequisite ties as well as strategic alignment between Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021 bring two-nation together.

Let’s talk about the mode of transportation between them.

What are the Different Options for Shipping from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates?

There are various alternatives available depending on the sort of goods you need to transport to the United Arab Emirates. There are three modes of shipping between both countries.

1- By Land
2- By Air
3- By Ocean

Road transport from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates

UAE roads link the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Sultanate of Oman bordering countries. Shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, by land shipping is the most convenient, cost-effective, and time-saving as compared to air or sea. There are two types of loads.

FTL: Full truckload
LTL: Less than truckload

Commercial transactions between both countries are mainly carried out via land ports. The UAE and Saudi Arabia share a single land border crossing.

UAE to KSA	13.8 KM
Al Ghuwaifat (AbuDhabi)   to Al Batha (Riyadh)	1 hours

It takes 12 hours to reach Riyadh to Dubai by road.

Shipping by air from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates

Airfreight is the quickest way to reach Dubai from Riyadh. It takes a few hours or a day to reach UAE from Saudi Arabia.

Shipping by Sea from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates

Unfortunately, the shipping process is not always easy. Sometimes you have to go searching for and comparing information to see who is willing to give the cheapest or fastest delivery service, and other times you are bothered by doubts about whether it is a secure delivery. In ocean freight, Several multinational cruise lines have included the UAE in their schedules.

It takes 9 days from Jeddah to Dubai by Sea (Direct way)
It takes 7 days from Ad Dammam to Jebel Ali

What would be the cost to ship cargo from Saudi Arabia to the UAE?

When you ship cargo from KSA to UAE, there would be a difference in cost by sea, land, and air. The main factor that has a great influence on the final price is the weight of the product.

The cost of shipping from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates is determined by the item being shipped and the service selected. The ultimate shipping cost is determined by the size of the bundled products as well as whether they will be sent in a box or on a pallet.

What will be the Transit Time to ship cargo from Saudi Arabia to UAE?

Following is the list of Transit Times of multiple locations from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates:

Origin	Destination	By air	By ocean	By land/Dry port
Jeddah	Dubai	2 days	10 days	—
Dammam	Dubai	2 days	2 days	—
Riyadh	Abu Dhabi	2 days	—	3-4  days

What are the major Seaports in Saudi Arabia? 

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of crude oil. It possesses the biggest and most vibrant economy in the Middle East, with internationally focused industrial exports. 

The Saudi port infrastructure consists of nine ports, six of which are commercial and three of which are industrial, all of which are fitted with the most up-to-date technology and operating techniques to welcome all sorts of marine transport modes, regardless of how they expand, and to confront all complexities with assurance. 

Following are the list of major seaports in Saudi Arabia with specific details each of them: 

Rank	Port Name	Location	TEUs (2009)
1	King Fahd Industrial Port	Jubail	43 million
2	Jeddah Islamic Port	Jeddah	40 million
3	King Fahad Industrial Port	Yanbu	33 million
4	King Abdulaziz Port	Dammam	19 million
5	Jubail Commercial Port	Jubail	3 million
6	Yanbu Commercial Port	Yanbu	3 million
7	Jizan Port	Jizan	839 thousand
8	Dhiba Port	Dhiba	510 thousand
9	Ras Al Khair	Ras Al Khair

What are Saudi Arabia’s major airports?

Saudi Arabia has 35 airports, during the Hajj season, Saudi Arabia’s main airport, Jeddah, sees a high volume of traffic. And the following list includes all the busiest Saudi Arabia airports.

Rank	IATA	Airport Name	City	Airlines	Destinations
1	JED	King Abdulaziz International Airport	Jeddah	55	109
2	RUH	King Khaled International Airport	Riyadh	38	80
3	DMM	King Fahd International Airport	Ad Dammam	32	48
4	MED	Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport	Medina	15	28
5	ELQ	Gassim Airport	Buraydah	9	9
6	TIF	Ta’if Regional Airport	Ta’if	9	9
7	YNB	Prince Abdulmohsen Bin Abdulaziz Airport	Yanbu	8	7
8	AHB	Abha Regional Airport	Abha	7	11
9	TUU	Tabuk Airport	Tabuk	5	7
10	HAS	Ha’il Airport	Ha’il	3	5

What are the major Seaports in the United Arab Emirates? 

Besides oil ports, the UAE has 12 commercial trading ports. It has 310 berths and an 80 million-tonne cargo capacity. The following are major seaports in the UAE. 

Dubai has three main seaports: Jebel Ali, Port Rashid, and Al Hamriya. DP World operates the Jebel Ali Port. It is the largest port in the Middle East, the ninth-largest container port in the world, and home to the world’s largest man-made harbor. 

Rank	Port Name	Location	TEUs
1	Mina Jebel Ali	Dubai	15.6 million
2	Mina Khalifa	Abu Dhabi	2.5 million
3	Mina Rashid	Dubai	1.5 million
4	Mina Khalid	Sharjah	12,000 TEUs
5	Mina Zayed	Abu Dhabi	15,000 TEUs

What are the major airports in the United Arab Emirates? 

The city is a renowned cosmopolitan metropolis with two major airports – Dubai International and Al Maktoum International – that links it to the rest of the globe. We added details on the seven busiest airports in the Emirates. 

Airport	IATA	Passengers
Dubai International Airport	DXB	86,396,757
Abu Dhabi International Airport	AUH	24,482,119
Al Maktoum International Airport	DWC	1,634,058

What documentation do you need to clear customs in the UAE? 

Customs clearance is required for any commercial goods imported into the UAE. This might be a challenging and time-consuming operation. Many firms opt to hire an experienced freight forwarder for this operation to avoid additional delays and difficulties. 

UAE Immigration controls and analyzes the information given for customs duty clearance and import certification. Before releasing the goods, UAE Customs may require them to be inspected by a relevant authority. 

For Custom clearance in UAE, the UAE firm (consignor/agent) will get a delivery order from the shipping agency for the import of items and it will provide the original trade documents as follows: 

Commercial invoices are addressed with data concerning the amount, description of products, and the total value of each item imported from the exports firm. 

Certificate of origin, country of origin, and authorized in the nation of origin by the Chamber of Commerce. 

Precise Packing list including weight, method of packing, and HS code for each item. 

 Import permit Authority for import of restricted items or tax-exempt products from competent agencies. 

The following certifications are also required for food products: 

Original certificate for health issued in the exporting nation by the competent government agency attesting to the suitability for the goods. 

Slaughter certificate. Halal’s first meat and poultry. 

Which one is Better: Sea Freight VS Airfreight?

Air cargo is often considered to be more dependable than ocean cargo. It depends on the risk profile of the goods whether it is sea or air that is the best decision. Airfreight is by far the safer choice for temperature-sensitive drugs. Increasing volumes of new, specialized, and sensitive goods such as biologics or biosimilars entering the market might be difficult to accomplish a type of quality innovation or enhancement. 

Ocean cargo might be delayed for a variety of reasons, specifically, the same reasons as air cargo – poor weather, strikes, congestion of the transport by port, labor strikes, and customs clearance documents. Flights are normally scheduled and shipments may be restructured or rescheduled later on the same day for delays. Delays generally count in days when it comes to sea freight. 

There can only be one winner in this game, and it includes vessels. According to the World Bank, air transport is 10 times more expensive than sea freight – and when you’re already paying thousands of dollars, it makes a massive difference. 

A container ship may also hold more than an aircraft, giving you more bang for your budget. 

Why Choose Us? 

To meet our clients’ dynamic market demands, Qafila has expanded from a freight firm that just carries goods from one location to a strategic partner that offers a full spectrum of logistical alternatives. We have designed our company to address the unique requirements of many industry sectors. Our professional teams use their actual market experience to deliver the best solutions for your brand.