Importer of Record:Egypt to Saudi Arabia

An Importer of Record (IOR) is a legally registered Saudi entity that handles customs declarations, duty payments, VAT, and regulatory approvals on behalf of foreign companies that do not have a local Saudi entity.

Yes. Safe Hands acts as the Saudi Importer of Record, so your Saudi buyer receives cleared goods without you opening a local company or obtaining a Saudi Commercial Registration.

Goods of Egyptian origin that meet the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) rules of origin, including the 40% Arab value-added rule, enter duty-free against a GAFTA certificate of origin. The 15% VAT still applies, and so does SABER where the product is regulated.

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.

You need to be in Egypt's exporters' register. Your customs broker files the export declaration with the Egyptian Customs Authority, and the export statistical form goes to GOEIC before shipping. On the Saudi side we handle SABER, the FASAH declaration, duties and VAT as Importer of Record.

A GAFTA (Arab) certificate of origin, issued by GOEIC, secures the duty exemption. For SABER, existing test reports from accredited laboratories can often support the product certificate through a SASO-approved certification body; we confirm this per product before shipping.

Jeddah is the natural gateway from Ain Sokhna and the Mediterranean ports. For Riyadh and the Eastern Province we compare Jeddah plus inland transport against Dammam, and choose per shipment based on the final destination and current routing conditions.

Either as a percentage of the CIF value or as a flat fee per shipment, depending on the shipment value. Duties and 15% VAT are paid at clearance and invoiced back with the fee, usually on DDP terms.

Clearance time depends on the channel ZATCA assigns and on how complete your documents are. We file ahead through FASAH so the declaration is ready when the shipment lands, which is the part we control.

GOEIC (the General Organization for Export and Import Control) issues Egypt's preferential certificates of origin, including the Arab League form used for GAFTA. Chambers of commerce issue non-preferential certificates, which do not secure the 0% GAFTA rate in Saudi Arabia. Source: GOEIC Exports and Origin page (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Six months from issue, and it must reach Saudi customs within that time. A late certificate can still be accepted for force majeure, or if the goods arrived within the six months. Source: Arab League user guide to the Arab rules of origin, Art 20 (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Yes. Electronically issued Arab certificates are accepted, and since 1 Jan 2022 the background may be white instead of green when the certificate carries a verification link or another electronic check. Source: Arab League Economic and Social Council Decisions 2289 and 2305, cited in the Arab rules-of-origin guide (verified 5 Oct 2026).

It can be issued retrospectively, endorsed 'issued retrospectively', if it was not issued at export because of error or special circumstances, or if it was rejected at import for technical reasons. Saudi customs can also clear against a guarantee or written undertaking with the certificate due within 90 days. Source: Arab rules-of-origin guide Arts 17-18; ZATCA Customs Procedures Controls Art 3 (verified 5 Oct 2026).

40% is the general rule. Detailed product-specific rules have since been agreed, so the rule for the goods' HS heading should be checked before relying on 40% alone. Sets qualify when non-originating items are no more than 15% of the ex-works price. Source: Arab rules-of-origin guide (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Only if transit or storage is under customs control with no operations other than unloading, reloading or preservation, proven by a single transport document, a transit-customs certificate or other satisfactory documents. Source: Arab rules-of-origin guide Art 12 (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Non-Arab goods that a distributor imports into Egypt and re-exports receive no Arab certificate and no GAFTA preference, so they pay the MFN rate in Saudi Arabia. Source: Arab rules-of-origin guide Art 11 (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Preferential origin lowers only the customs duty. Import VAT of 15% is still due on the customs value plus any duty, excise and other charges on the declaration. Source: GCC VAT Agreement Art 28(1) as quoted in ZATCA's Imports Guideline (verified 5 Oct 2026).

Exports from Egypt require registration in GOEIC's Exporters Register, so the Saudi buyer purchases from a registered Egyptian exporter, for example on FCA or FOB terms. Source: Import and Export Law 118/1975; Ministerial Decree 770/2005 (verified 5 Oct 2026).