Gateways, the duty position, the paperwork that holds shipments up, and what the journey really takes door to door.
Cargo from China reaches Saudi Arabia by sea through Jeddah Islamic Port and by air through JED (Jeddah), clearing with Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA). Ocean runs 25-45 days door to door and air 5-10, before any clearance dwell. Budget 4–8 days at the border.
Indicative published rates for planning, not a quotation. Actual cost depends on the product and its HS code, chargeable weight, declared value, duty and tax at destination, and the exchange rate on the day.
| Service | Mode | Rate | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value Sea Freight – Class A Furniture | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 1,225.5/CBM ≈ USD 7.35/KG | View Details → |
| Heavy Cargo – Class A Furniture | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 43.8/KG | View Details → |
Freight is not billed on the number on your bathroom scale. It is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Denser cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on the space it occupies. Whichever is higher is the one you pay — never the lower.
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Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to Saudi Arabia. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
| Volume | Approx. weight | Rate (USD/CBM) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 CBM | ≈ 167 KG | USD 1,225.47 |
| 2 CBM | ≈ 333 KG | USD 1,183.81 |
| 3 CBM | ≈ 500 KG | USD 1,165.29 |
| 5 CBM | ≈ 833 KG | USD 1,156.03 |
| 8 CBM | ≈ 1,333 KG | USD 1,162.97 |
| 12 CBM | ≈ 2,000 KG | USD 1,186.12 |
| 20 CBM | ≈ 3,333 KG | USD 1,176.86 |
| 30 CBM | ≈ 5,000 KG | USD 1,144.46 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 1 KG | USD 57.00 |
| 2 KG | USD 50.06 |
| 3 KG | USD 47.74 |
| 4 KG | USD 46.58 |
| 5 KG | USD 45.89 |
| 6 KG | USD 46.58 |
| 7 KG | USD 46.09 |
| 8 KG | USD 45.72 |
| 9 KG | USD 45.43 |
| 10 KG | USD 45.20 |
| 11 KG | USD 45.64 |
| 12 KG | USD 45.43 |
| 13 KG | USD 45.25 |
| 14 KG | USD 45.10 |
| 15 KG | USD 44.96 |
| 16 KG | USD 44.85 |
| 17 KG | USD 45.56 |
| 18 KG | USD 45.43 |
| 19 KG | USD 45.31 |
| 20 KG | USD 45.20 |
| 21 KG | USD 45.10 |
| 22 KG | USD 45.01 |
| 23 KG | USD 45.23 |
| 30 KG | USD 44.73 |
| 50 KG | USD 44.36 |
| 100 KG | USD 43.81 |
| 150 KG | USD 43.76 |
| 200 KG | USD 43.67 |
| 505 KG | USD 43.39 |
| 850 KG | USD 43.44 |
| 1700 KG | USD 43.52 |
| 2500 KG | USD 43.50 |
| 3400 KG | USD 43.26 |
Verified reviews from importers who have shipped with us to Saudi Arabia.
This was a DDP shipment to Saudi Arabia for mixed cartons. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost. التسليم كان مرتباً بدون رسوم مفاجئة.
We tested this lane to Saudi Arabia with a mid-volume order. The customs side was handled professionally. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. Would use the same line again for general cargo. التسليم كان مرتباً بدون رسوم مفاجئة.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Saudi Arabia through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. Transit was close to the estimate and the destination delivery appointment was handled well. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Saudi Arabia through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
This was a DDP shipment to Saudi Arabia for mixed cartons. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports. التسليم كان مرتباً بدون رسوم مفاجئة.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Saudi Arabia. The customs side was handled professionally. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
We tested this lane to Saudi Arabia with a mid-volume order. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost. التسليم كان مرتباً بدون رسوم مفاجئة.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Saudi Arabia. The customs side was handled professionally. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Saudi Arabia. The customs side was handled professionally. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Saudi Arabia through this team. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports. الخدمة كانت ممتازة والمتابعة واضحة.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Saudi Arabia. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Saudi Arabia through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports. الخدمة كانت ممتازة والمتابعة واضحة.
Historical freight rates from China to Saudi Arabia. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
The country-specific numbers we plan every Saudi Arabia booking around:
| Main sea gateways | Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz (Dammam), Jubail |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | SAR 1,000 |
| Import tax & duty regime | VAT 15%; duty 5–15% (some goods up to 25%) |
| Local currency | SAR |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 4–8 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | SABER / SASO certificate of conformity required |
| Main air gateways | JED (Jeddah), RUH (Riyadh), DMM (Dammam) |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to Saudi Arabia door |
| Sea Freight LCL | 30–50 calendar days | Shared container to Saudi Arabia port + delivery |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, high cost for this weight |
At 100 KG you've crossed into commercial freight — heavy enough to earn competitive per-kilo rates, yet still in the window where air can out-perform ocean once you price in inventory time. Typical cargo on this band into Saudi Arabia is electronics, apparel and general-goods replenishment.
A freight rate is a scope, not just a number. Two quotes for the same lane can differ by a third and still describe the same shipment, because one of them stops at the port and the other reaches the door. Here is where the line falls on the figures published above.
When you compare us against another quote, compare the scope first. Ask what the number stops at, whether duty is inside it or beside it, and who pays the destination terminal. The rate that looks cheapest on an email is frequently the one with the most left out of it.
On the current feed, China-to-Saudi Arabia rates open at USD 1,225.47/CBM via Sea Freight – Class A Furniture. For a 100 KG load that works out to a freight total of approximately USD 1,225. RateHive can manage the customs entry and import-tax step, while the duty itself follows the VAT 15%; duty 5–15% (some goods up to 25%) set by Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA).
Entries into Saudi Arabia are assessed by Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), and the regime that applies is: VAT 15%; duty 5–15% (some goods up to 25%). On de-minimis, the position is SAR 1,000. RateHive offers managed clearance and tax processing — a coordination service, not Incoterms DDP — to handle these formalities for you.
Chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H in centimetres divided by 6000. One cubic metre therefore equals 167 kg. If a consignment weighs 300 kg but measures out to only 200 kg volumetric, it is charged on the 300 kg — the higher of the two always wins. Sea LCL and sea DDP channels are published per cubic metre rather than per kilogram, with a one cubic metre minimum. Where a page knows only a weight, it converts at 167 kg per CBM to show an indicative volume — 100 kg shows as about 1 CBM. Send real dimensions for a firm figure.
Yes. Air moves on an air waybill (AWB) that's live within 24 hours of departure; ocean tracks by bill of lading through the carrier portal. We flag the milestones that matter — departure, gateway arrival, clearance by Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), and final delivery.
For regulated cargo into Saudi Arabia, budget for: SABER / SASO certificate of conformity required. A missing conformity document is the single most common reason Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) puts a shipment on hold, so verify your HS-code requirements before the goods leave China.
Reckon on these door-to-door windows into Saudi Arabia: air 5–10 business days, ocean LCL 30–50 days, ocean FCL 28–45 days. Add roughly 4–8 days for clearance and dwell at the gateway, which RateHive can manage end to end.
We take the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000 for air), rounded up to the next kilo. One cubic metre therefore counts as about 167 kg. A 300 kg consignment that measures out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg — the higher of the two always wins. For 100 KG this bites hardest on light-but-bulky cargo, so re-packing or consolidating cartons can pull you into a cheaper band.
Space into Saudi Arabia gets tight around Sep–Nov, layered on top of the China-side crunch at Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Booking a week or two ahead in those windows locks in both capacity and price.