Quick answer
How do I supply Aramco before my vendor registration is complete?
Your shipments can move while registration is still in progress. Saudi customs requires the importer named on the declaration to hold a Saudi CR, 700 code, Saudi ID or GCC ID, and that importer does not have to own the goods, so Safe Hands acts as your Importer of Record and clears duty, 15% import VAT and SABER for goods delivered to your Saudi client or project site. Your vendor registration continues in parallel.
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 →
We believe in specialization for your entry point to Saudi and your journey to become a Local Content compliant foreign company
Import, customs clearance, and warehousing are our specialty. Vendor readiness and local-content requirements are a separate, accredited specialty. We coordinate the whole journey from one entry point — each part handled by whoever is genuinely built for it.
Who This Is For
Suppliers Targeting Aramco
Working toward approved-vendor status with Aramco or one of its partners, and need a trusted Saudi party to execute shipping and clearance while the registration path is underway.
Companies Starting the Local-Content Path
You know IKTVA or a local content certificate will be needed soon, haven't started yet, and would rather have one coordinating partner than find several providers on your own.
EPC Contractors & DDP Suppliers
Executing delivery contracts for NEOM, Qiddiya, or Red Sea projects, and need reliable customs clearance, warehousing, and final-mile delivery to site.
How It Starts
One entry point, each part handled by whoever's actually built for it.
Tell Us About Your Project
Who your client or target project is, and what you supply
We Start Import & Clearance
We act as your IOR from the first shipment — your shipments don't wait on registration
Coordinate the Readiness Path
We connect you with the accredited party for entity setup and local-content requirements
One Coordinated Relationship
You reach us for shipping, the specialist for readiness — coordinated on our end
Importing into Saudi Arabia: the facts that apply to every shipment
| Topic | What applies | Source | Verified on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customs duty basis | Duty is set per 12-digit line of the ZATCA Integrated Tariff (12 digits in all GCC states since 1 Jan 2025). The GCC common external tariff's general rate is 5% of CIF value, but Saudi Arabia applies many line-level deviations, so the live 12-digit line governs. | ZATCA Integrated Tariff; GCC Common External Tariff | 1 and 5 Oct 2026 |
| Customs value | CIF to the Saudi port: the transaction value plus freight, loading, handling and insurance to the place of import, whatever Incoterm the sales contract uses. | Customs Law Art 26; Implementing Regulations Art 1 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Import VAT | 15% of the customs value plus customs duty, excise and any other charges on the declaration (excluding VAT). Paid at clearance with the duty; a 0% duty line still pays import VAT unless the goods fall in a VAT-exempt category. | VAT Law Art 2; GCC VAT Agreement Art 28(1); ZATCA Imports/Exports Guideline s.4.3-4.4 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| FTA effect on duty | Goods preferences available at the Saudi border: GCC customs union, GAFTA (Arab states), GCC-EFTA and GCC-Singapore. Goods of every other origin pay the MFN rate on the tariff line. | GAFT list of trade agreements in force | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Who can be the importer | The importer on the declaration must hold a CR number, 700 code, Saudi ID or GCC ID and be licensed to import. The importer need not be the buyer or owner of the goods. | ZATCA VAT Imports/Exports Guideline s.4.2; GCC Common Customs Law Arts 2(29), 110 | 1 and 4 Oct 2026 |
| Systems and multi-part equipment | A composite or multi-function system working as one functional unit is classified by its principal function; declaring components separately can trigger different duties and SABER certificates. | HS General Interpretative Rules; Section XVI Notes 3-4 | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Temporary admission | Equipment imported for a set purpose (for example project machinery) can enter under temporary admission: declared with purpose and re-export date, itemised with serial numbers, against a bank or cash guarantee equal to the suspended duty (and VAT where ZATCA requires). | ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls; Customs Law | 1 Oct 2026 |
| Certificate of origin | Required with the declaration when preferential treatment is claimed or when origin marking cannot be fixed on the goods. It can follow after clearance against a guarantee or written undertaking, due within 90 days. | ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls Art 3 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Documents | Detailed commercial invoice, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin where required, agency certificates and packing list. | ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls Art 3 | 1 Oct 2026 |
| SABER / SFDA path | The tariff line's Required Procedures column states which approval applies. Regulated non-food goods need a SABER PCoC per model and an SCoC per shipment, held on the Saudi importer's SABER account; food, medical devices and cosmetics go through SFDA. | ZATCA Integrated Tariff; SASO SABER; SFDA | 30 Sep and 1 Oct 2026 |
Step by step: a project shipment into Saudi Arabia
| Step | What happens | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classify the goods to the 12-digit Saudi tariff line and read its duty, restriction type and required procedures. | Importer with Safe Hands | ZATCA Integrated Tariff |
| 2 | Obtain the approvals the line lists (for example SABER PCoC, or SFDA) before loading. | Importer (approval holder) | SABER; SFDA |
| 3 | Confirm the importer's FASAH account and customs card are active and Safe Hands is authorised as the licensed customs broker. | Importer | ZATCA FASAH |
| 4 | Collect the commercial invoice, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin where required, agency certificates and packing list. | Importer and supplier | ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls |
| 5 | Carrier lodges the manifest before arrival; Safe Hands files the incoming declaration with the 12-digit code, origin, value, Incoterm, freight and insurance. | Carrier; Safe Hands | ZATCA FASAH |
| 6 | Duty, 15% import VAT and the customs service fee are calculated on the declaration and paid. | Importer (funds); Safe Hands (submits) | ZATCA FASAH; SADAD |
| 7 | Risk selection (release, document check or examination), then delivery order, terminal charges and gate-out to site. | ZATCA and agencies; importer or forwarder | ZATCA FASAH |
| 8 | Keep all originals for 5 years; ZATCA may audit and reclassify for 5 years. | Importer; Safe Hands | Customs Law |
SABER for your shipment
SABER is SASO's platform where product and shipment certificates are registered. What it means for goods you ship to us as your Importer of Record:
Who issues the SABER certificate?
For a regulated product, a conformity body accepted by SASO issues the Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), which is then registered on SABER. Certificates from bodies outside the Kingdom count only if the body is on SASO's accepted list. As your Importer of Record, we register the product and its certificates on SABER.
What does each shipment need?
A shipment certificate (SCoC) for every shipment: issued on SABER in 1–2 working days, valid for 90 days, SAR 350 excluding VAT. The PCoC costs SAR 500 excluding VAT on SABER and is valid for one year; the conformity body's own fees are quoted per HS code.
My product has no technical regulation. Does it still go through SABER?
Yes. A non-regulated product still needs product registration on SABER, an importer self-declaration and a shipment certificate for each shipment.
How do I know which approval my product needs?
From its 12-digit tariff line: the Required Procedures of that line in the ZATCA Integrated Tariff state whether it needs a SABER certificate, an SFDA release or another approval. Send us the HS code or a product description and we check it.
Sources: saber.sa (FAQs, services, non-regulated products, shipment certificate); SASO service catalogue; ZATCA Integrated Tariff. Checked 10 October 2026.
Where will your stock sit?
When your goods land, they either clear into the Saudi market straight away or wait under customs control. That choice decides when customs duty and import VAT are paid.
Duty-paid stock in Riyadh
We clear the goods on arrival. Customs duty (the rate of the 12-digit tariff line on the customs value), the 0.15% customs service fee and 15% import VAT are paid on the customs declaration. The stock is then free to sell and ships from our Riyadh warehouse.
Bonded storage
We arrange bonded storage through free-zone and bonded-port facilities. Import VAT is suspended together with customs duty while goods stay in a customs warehouse and falls due when they are released into the Saudi market; ZATCA may ask for a guarantee for that amount. Our licensed customs team clears each release.
How bonded storage worksSources: ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (Second Edition, May 2026), sections 4.1–4.4 and 5.2; ZATCA customs service fee (from 6 October 2024). Checked 11 October 2026.
Store with us
Keep your stock in the Kingdom with the same team that imports and clears it.
- Storage in Riyadh: duty-paid in our warehouse, or bonded through free-zone and bonded-port facilities
- Pick, pack and order preparation
- B2B distribution across the Kingdom
- One partner from customs clearance to delivery
Frequently Asked Questions
QDo I need a Saudi entity to become an Aramco-approved vendor?
Yes, formal Aramco vendor status requires a licensed Saudi legal entity and SAP Ariba registration. Until that's in place, we act as your Importer of Record so you can ship and clear goods to a Saudi project or client legally.
QWhat is IKTVA and does Safe Hands issue the certificate?
IKTVA (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) is Aramco's local content program. We handle the import, customs, and warehousing side directly, and coordinate your certification and readiness work with the accredited specialist who issues it.
QCan I start shipping before my vendor registration is complete?
Yes. As your IOR, we clear and deliver commercial shipments to your Saudi client or project site while your entity setup and vendor registration are still in progress.
QWhat is SABER and do I need it?
SABER is Saudi Arabia's mandatory product conformity platform. Most imported goods require a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) and Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) before customs clearance. As your IOR, we manage this process.
QCan project equipment enter temporarily without paying duty?
Under temporary admission, yes. Safe Hands, as the licensed customs broker, files a request and detailed declaration stating the purpose and re-export date, itemised with serial numbers, and the importer lodges a bank or cash guarantee equal to the suspended duty (and VAT where ZATCA requires). The regime ends by re-export, transfer to a free zone or warehouse, or home use with payment of duty. Source: ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls; Customs Law (verified 1 Oct 2026).
QCan I bring samples or professional equipment on an ATA carnet?
Yes. The foreign holder obtains the carnet from its own chamber and gets free ZATCA pre-approval by uploading it with the local representative's power of attorney; goods can stay up to 6 months, with extension on request to ZATCA. Other agencies' approvals are still needed. Source: ZATCA ATA carnet e-service (verified 1 Oct 2026).
QHow is a system with several components classified?
By its principal function, when the components work together as one functional unit. Declaring the parts separately can trigger different duties and separate SABER certificates. Source: HS General Interpretative Rules; Section XVI Notes 3-4 (verified 3 Oct 2026).
QCan I get a binding tariff classification before shipping?
Yes. ZATCA issues advance customs rulings to economic operators on tariff classification, preferential origin and valuation method, free of charge, with a 60-day service level. Source: ZATCA eServices-299 (verified 5 Oct 2026).
QHow is the 15% import VAT calculated?
Import VAT is 15% of the customs value (CIF to the Saudi port) plus customs duty, excise and any other charges on the declaration. It is paid at clearance together with the duty. Source: VAT Law Art 2; GCC VAT Agreement Art 28(1) as quoted in ZATCA's Imports Guideline (verified 4 Oct 2026).
QWhat if a document is missing when the goods arrive?
A missing document, including the original invoice, does not stop clearance: goods can be released against a cash or bank guarantee or a written undertaking, with the document due within 90 days. Source: ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls Arts 3(4) and 5(2) (verified 4 Oct 2026).
QHow long must import records be kept?
All originals for 5 years from the declaration date; ZATCA may audit and reclassify within 5 years, and customs refund claims are made within 3 years. Electronically archived documents have the force of originals. Source: Customs Law Arts 115 and 127; ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls Art 4 (verified 1 and 4 Oct 2026).
QWhose name has to appear on certain products from 1 October 2026?
For ten SASO technical regulations (including tanks, trailers, simple pressure vessels, small solar PV systems and electrical lifts), the Saudi importer's or local manufacturer's name and CR number must appear on the product from 1 October 2026. Under an Importer of Record model that is the IOR's name and CR. Source: SABER circular on supplier name and CR (verified 30 Sep 2026).
Sources
- ZATCA Integrated Tariff — 12-digit duty lines and required procedures (verified 1 Oct 2026)
- Saudi Customs Law and Implementing Regulations — CIF customs value, record keeping, temporary admission (verified 1 and 5 Oct 2026)
- VAT Law Art 2 and ZATCA Imports/Exports Guideline — 15% import VAT, VAT base, importer requirements (verified 4 Oct 2026)
- ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls — documents, certificate of origin, guarantees (verified 4 and 5 Oct 2026)
- ZATCA e-services (advance rulings, ATA carnet) — pre-shipment rulings, carnets (verified 1 and 5 Oct 2026)
- GAFT list of trade agreements in force — FTA preferences (verified 5 Oct 2026)
- SASO SABER (saber.sa) — PCoC, SCoC, importer account, supplier-name circular (verified 30 Sep 2026)
Duty is set per 12-digit tariff line and rules change; we confirm the live line for your product before quoting.
Start With the Shipment, Coordinate the Rest
Tell us about your project and we'll walk you through the path.