Saudi Arabia is one of the best places for expanding your business and to move to in general even though customs procedures of Saudi Arabia are a bit complicated. It has plenty of opportunities when it comes to business as a lot of businesses have already expanded here. This is a very rich and expensive country which attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world, mostly rich people. This allows plenty of different businesses to grow at a fast rate as the prices are very high in Saudi Arabia. But having a business in Saudi Arabia is as easy of a task as one might think it is. Getting a permit to lead a business here is going to be a hard task unless you live here. This is why moving here is a good idea. Plenty of Americans are moving to Saudi Arabia and will be in the following years.
No matter where you are from and where your current business is based, you might have been thinking about exporting to Saudi Arabia in order to expand your business or just simply moving here. And if that is the case, you came to the right place. We have done plenty of research on the customs procedures of Saudi Arabia so you don’t have to. There are plenty of things to talk about but we managed to write all you need to know before you embarge on this journey of exporting anything to Saudi Arabia, whether moving your business or simply related to what you can move with you to Saudi Arabia. You need to know as much as possible about the customs procedures of Saudi Arabia.
There are certain things you can’t export to Saudi Arabia
The first thing we want to cover is what you can and can’t export to Saudi Arabia. There are prohibited items and well as restricted items. Covering this part first is important so you know that if you were planning on exporting some of these things you won’t be able to do so. And if planning on moving to Saudi Arabia, these are the things you will have to get rid of before your relocation.
Let’s start with the prohibited items. Prohibited items are:
- Alcoholic beverages – you aren’t able to import alcoholic beverages because of religion in Saudi Arabia. Muslims don’t drink alcohol. This doesn’t mean you aren’t able to purchase alcohol in Saudi Arabia, you can drink it in a bar or a restaurant or in a hotel but buying it in a store is impossible.
- Narcotics and explicit content.
- Pork products – another thing prohibited because of religion. Muslims don’t eat pork as it is considered to be a sacred animal.
- Religious books and material – not even Muslim religion. Only books and materials made in Saudi Arabia are allowed.
- Imitation and counterfeit goods – guns, and sort of weapons.
Restricted items
There are some restricted items as well. They are:
- Pets – exporting an animal to Saudi Arabia is possible but it isn’t an easy task. You need to have plenty of documentation in order to be able to do this. You will need a good health certificate as well as valid vaccination certificates. But they need to be approved in your nearest Saudi Arabian Embassy or Consulate. The animal also needs to be inspected by the quarantine officer as soon s it arrives in Saudi Arabia. Have in mind that you might need some additional certification. If importing a bird, you will need a permit from National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development. If planning on moving with a pet, you have to start preparing months in advance for the relocation.
- Medication – if planning on exporting medication to Saudi Arabia, it needs to be thoroughly documented, in original packaging. You will also need a doctor’s prescription.
- Currency – you can’t bring any currency with you.
- Electronic equipment for personal use is allowed but have in mind that it might undergo customs procedures of Saudi Arabia. For this reason, it’s important to have experts by your side which is a professional international moving company.
How to export items to Saudi Arabia?
Now that you know what you are able to bring to Saudi Arabia with you if moving there, you are probably wondering just how to transport your goods from another country to Saudi Arabia. This is where cargo transportation joins this whole process. And it is the key part of moving from one country to Saudi Arabia or when exporting goods for sale to Saudi Arabia. You surely need to let professionals take care of the task as doing anything of this sort yourself isn’t really a possibility. This is going to be a big expense to make sure you are hiring somebody who is reliable.
This means hiring an experienced company. There are plenty of them everywhere but it’s best to hire a Saudi Arabian one. This is because your things will be undergoing Saudi Arabian customs. It is best to have their people working on this than some people from the country you are moving from. Four Winds Saudi Arabia has an amazing crew you should consider hiring. Moving from one country to another isn’t an easy thing to do when you don’t have professionals by your side.
Is living in Saudi Arabia a good idea?
You might be thinking about whether living in Saudi Arabia is actually a good idea and is moving there worth all the trouble. And we think that it is. There are plenty of beautiful things about living in Saudi Arabia. You just need to have money. But finding a job there is easy if you are ready to work hard and do your best. Even opening a business is possible if you decide to do so if you’re not already expanding one. If Saudi Arabia doesn’t sound like the place for you, you can consider relocating to Bahrain as well.