Quick answer
Food and drink imports into Saudi Arabia clear on SFDA rules: each product is registered with SFDA, the clearance request is filed through FASAH and released through FASEH, and the importer needs a licensed warehouse unless it brings in no more than 5 shipments a year totalling 2,000 kg. Safe Hands clears as a licensed customs broker and stores stock in an SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract.
Food & Beverage Imports
Food imports are cleared on SFDA rules, not SABER: every product is registered with SFDA, the clearance request goes through FASAH and SFDA's FASEH system, and the importer needs a licensed warehouse. We clear your shipments as a licensed customs broker, prepare the clearance file with you and store stock in an SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract.
Which Saudi approvals apply to Food & Beverage Imports?
| Product line | Approval | Who applies / our role |
|---|---|---|
| Every food product | SFDA product registration before import (GHAD / food registration system) Source | The licence holder applies; we prepare the documents with you |
| Clearance of each shipment | Electronic clearance request through FASAH, released by SFDA through FASEH Source | Filed on FASAH by Safe Hands as a licensed customs broker |
| Importer's storage | Licensed warehouse (exempt: factories importing their own raw materials, and up to 5 shipments a year totalling up to 2,000 kg) Source | The licence holder applies; we prepare the documents with you |
| Meat and poultry products | Halal certificate from a body recognised by the Saudi Halal Center, uploaded through FASAH Source | The licence holder applies; we prepare the documents with you |
| Wheat and barley | General Food Security Authority import qualification Source | The licence holder applies; we prepare the documents with you |
What do official sources say about Food & Beverage Imports?
- Documents for food clearance include the certificate of origin, an invoice showing batch and expiry, the bill of lading and a health certificate; the importer pays for laboratory tests. (Source, checked 13 Oct 2026)
- Product registration alone does not authorise import: the customs broker is registered through SFDA e-services and then files the electronic clearance. (Source, checked 13 Oct 2026)
- FASAH requires the declaration and documents at least 48 hours before arrival under the 24-hour clearance programme. (Source, checked 13 Oct 2026)
Where do Food & Beverage Imports shipments usually come from?
Food and drink imports come from Egypt, India, Turkey, the UAE (by truck via Al Batha as well), Jordan and France; from any origin, the clearance documents include the certificate of origin, an invoice showing batch and expiry, the bill of lading and a health certificate. (Source, checked 13 Oct 2026)
Which freight modes and clearance apply to Food & Beverage Imports?
Food and drink travel by standard full container, with chilled and frozen lines in reefer containers; each clearance request is filed through FASAH, with the declaration and documents at least 48 hours before arrival, and released by SFDA through FASEH. (Source, checked 13 Oct 2026)
Choose the request that fits
Storage for Food & Beverage Imports
SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
QDo food products need SABER certificates?
No. Food is cleared on SFDA rules: product registration with SFDA, an electronic clearance request through FASAH and release through FASEH. We confirm the path by HS code before shipping.
QDoes a food importer need its own licensed warehouse?
The importer needs a licensed warehouse, except factories importing their own raw materials and importers bringing in no more than 5 shipments a year totalling 2,000 kg. Stock can sit in an SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract.
QWhich documents go with a food shipment?
Certificate of origin, an invoice with batch and expiry, the bill of lading and a health certificate, plus a halal certificate for meat and poultry. SFDA may sample the shipment; the importer pays for the laboratory tests.
QCan a foreign food brand import without a Saudi company?
Yes, through a Saudi importer registered with SFDA: the importer and each product are registered before the first shipment. Without a Saudi company, the brand sells to a registered Saudi importer or distributor; we prepare the clearance file with you and handle customs clearance, freight and delivery.
QChilled or frozen food?
Chilled and frozen lines move in reefer containers and are stored in an SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract; dry food goes by standard full container.
QWhen is the customs declaration filed?
Safe Hands, a licensed customs broker, files the FASAH declaration at least 48 hours before arrival, so cargo is released on discharge rather than waiting on documents. For food, the clearance request then goes to SFDA, which releases the shipment through FASEH.
QWhich Saudi gateway will my cargo use?
Sea freight clears at Jeddah Islamic Port (west) or King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam (east); air freight at King Khalid (Riyadh), King Abdulaziz (Jeddah) or King Fahd (Dammam) airports; trucks from the UAE at Al Batha and from Jordan at Al Haditha. Chilled and frozen food arrives in reefer containers, and every food shipment is released by SFDA through FASEH.
QHow do I get a quote?
Request a Customs Clearance Quote with your HS code, or message us on WhatsApp; we reply within minutes on WhatsApp. For food, also say whether each product is already registered with SFDA, since registration alone does not authorise import and clearance runs through FASAH and SFDA's FASEH system.
Our credentials
- Licensed customs broker
- ZATCA customs clearance
- TGA Freight Forwarder & Broker Licence
- 42/00008120
- ISO certification
- ISO 9001:2015 AMER300621 · ISO 45001:2018 AMER300622
- Verify · Certification body's certificate check
- Head office · Warehouse
- 7273 Fatimah Al Zahraa Rd, Riyadh 12837 · Al Sulay industrial district, Riyadh
Safe Hands Shipping Line is the trade name of شركة الايدي الامينة (Al Aidi Al Amina Company). All credentials →
Other industries we ship for
- Hospitality & FF&E
- Furniture & Home Retail
- Building Materials
- Apparel & Footwear Brand Distributors
- Fit-out Contractors
- Industrial Exporters
- High-Value Electronics
- Machinery & Industrial Tools
- Paper & Packaging
- Healthcare Fit-out
- Automotive Spares
Product families
- Cosmetics & Personal Care
- Medical Devices
- Animal Feed & Pet Food
- Chemicals & Dangerous Goods
- Batteries & Energy Storage
- EV Chargers & Charging Equipment
- Data Centre & IT Hardware
- Security & Fire Safety Systems
- Construction Robotics & Drones
- Industrial PPE & Workwear
- Industrial Fabrication Inputs