Quick answer
Can an Italian company import into Saudi Arabia without a Saudi entity?
Yes. An Italian company does not need a Saudi entity to sell into Saudi Arabia. Safe Hands acts as your Importer of Record: Safe Hands is the importer named on the FASAH customs declaration, and you sell on DDP terms to your Saudi design partner or project site. We handle receiving, the FASAH declaration, customs duty and 15% import VAT, and delivery on the Saudi side.
Legal basis: the importer on a Saudi declaration does not have to be the buyer or owner of the goods (GCC Common Customs Law Arts 2 and 110, ZATCA consolidated text) · verified on 4 Oct 2026
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 →
Trusted by Italian Exporters Across Industries
From luxury marble quarries to custom-fabricated bathroom design
Why Italian Stone Exporters Choose Safe Hands
Specialist Slab Handling
Crane and forklift offload, condition photography on receipt, and damage claims filed before crates leave our facility.
Direct Italian Origin Coverage
From Genoa/Livorno and Milan, direct delivery to Jeddah and Riyadh, matched to slab weight and project urgency.
Declared-Value Documentation for Luxury Stone
Declared-value documentation prepared for high-value luxury stone, not treated like a generic building material.
Our IOR Process
Seamless transition from the quarry or workshop in Italy to your site in Saudi Arabia.
Document Validation
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin
Compliance Check
HS code verification and declared-value documentation for high-value stone
FASAH Pre-clearance
Filing ZATCA declaration before vessel/flight arrival
Customs Clearance
Duty & VAT payment, physical inspection facilitation if flagged
Sequenced Delivery
To your design partner or project site, matched to the installation phase
Italy → Saudi Arabia: import facts
The Saudi-side rules that apply to Italian-origin goods, each with its official source and the date it was checked.
| Topic | What applies |
|---|---|
| Customs duty basis | Duty is set per 12-digit line of the GCC Integrated Tariff, published in ZATCA's Integrated Tariff tool. Each line shows the duty rate, the restriction type and the required procedures. Duty can be a percentage of value, an amount per unit, or both, so the rate is read from the live line for the exact product.Source: ZATCA Integrated Tariff; GCC Common Customs Law Arts 9-12 · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 4 Oct 2026 |
| Customs value | The transaction value plus freight and insurance to the Saudi point of entry. Origin does not change the value; it decides the duty rate and whether restrictions apply. In a value dispute the goods can be released against payment of ZATCA's assessment or a guarantee, and the importer can ask in writing how the value was set.Source: GCC Common Customs Law Art 25 and Implementing Regulations Art 1; ZATCA Customs Controls Art 45 · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 4 Oct 2026 |
| Import VAT | 15%, charged on the import as a separate event and paid at clearance with the duty. The base is the customs value plus customs duty, any excise tax and other charges on the declaration, including ZATCA's customs service fee. Goods at 0% duty still pay import VAT unless they are in a VAT-exempt category.Source: VAT Law Art 2; Unified GCC VAT Agreement Art 28(1); ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (May 2026) · verified on 4 Oct 2026 |
| ZATCA customs service fee | 0.15% of the CIF value per declaration, minimum SAR 15, maximum SAR 500, since 6 Oct 2024.Source: ZATCA customs fees announcement (Board Resolution of 27 Apr 2024) · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| Trade agreement | There is no GCC–EU free trade agreement, so Italian goods pay the standard (MFN) duty on their tariff line. The GCC–EFTA preference covers only Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein origin goods.Source: GCC–EFTA FTA; ZATCA customs rules on trade preferences · verified on 5 Oct 2026 |
| Double taxation treaty | The Saudi–Italian convention is in force since 1 Dec 2009 (withholding-tax effect from 1 Jan 2010); the English text prevails. The Protocol confirms that profits from exporting merchandise to Saudi Arabia are not taxed there.Source: KSA–Italy convention and Protocol · verified on 5 Oct 2026 |
| Typical documents | Detailed commercial invoice (original or electronic), bill of lading or air waybill, the approvals the tariff line lists (for example the SABER shipment certificate), a packing list, and a certificate of origin where origin is unclear or a preference is claimed. A missing document can be covered by a guarantee or written undertaking and produced within 90 days.Source: ZATCA Customs Controls Art 3; GCC Common Customs Law Art 27 · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 4 Oct 2026 |
| SABER path for marble and stone | Natural and industrial marble and stone fall under SASO's Building Materials Part 4 technical regulation: a Type 3 certificate of conformity from a SASO-notified body plus a technical file, per product and per shipment. The SABER account and certificates are held by the Saudi importer.Source: SASO Building Materials Part 4 technical regulation; SASO SABER services · verified on 30 Sep 2026 and 3 Oct 2026 |
| Who can be the importer | The importer on a Saudi declaration must hold a Saudi Commercial Registration, a 700 code, or a Saudi or GCC ID, and be licensed to import. The importer does not have to be the buyer or the owner of the goods.Source: GCC Common Customs Law Arts 2 and 110; ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT s.4.2 · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 4 Oct 2026 |
How it works, step by step
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Classify the goodsThe goods are classified to the 12-digit Saudi tariff line, and its duty, restriction type and required procedures are read. For doubtful items ZATCA offers a free advance ruling.Source: ZATCA Integrated Tariff; ZATCA advance ruling e-service · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 5 Oct 2026 |
| 2 | Approvals before loadingThe approvals the tariff line lists are obtained before the goods are loaded. For regulated products, each product is registered on SABER with its 12-digit code, the conformity certificate is issued by a SASO-approved or SASO-notified body, and the SCoC is requested for the shipment.Source: SASO SABER; ZATCA Integrated Tariff · verified on 30 Sep 2026 and 1 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | Labels and documentsThe goods carry any required Arabic labels before loading. The commercial invoice, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin where needed and the approval certificates are collected.Source: SABER labelling circular; ZATCA Customs Controls · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | Manifest before arrivalThe carrier files the manifest in FASAH before arrival. Pre-arrival filing is mandatory for sea cargo since 29 Oct 2025; for air cargo the airline files it and the air waybill takes the place of the bill of lading.Source: ZATCA pre-arrival rules; FASAH · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| 5 | Customs declarationSafe Hands files the incoming declaration in FASAH before arrival, entering each line's 12-digit code, origin, quantity, weights, value, Incoterm, freight and insurance, and uploads the documents.Source: ZATCA FASAH e-services · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| 6 | Duty, VAT and feeCustoms duty, 15% import VAT and the 0.15% customs service fee are calculated on the declaration and paid through SADAD, Mada or card.Source: ZATCA; FASAH · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| 7 | Risk checkZATCA's risk selection sends the declaration to release, a document check or an examination (X-ray or physical); agencies such as SASO act on the same declaration.Source: ZATCA Customs Controls · verified on 1 Oct 2026 |
| 8 | Release, delivery and recordsAfter release the carrier's delivery order is collected, terminal charges are paid and the goods leave the port for delivery. Originals are kept for 5 years, during which ZATCA may audit.Source: ZATCA Customs Controls Art 4; GCC Common Customs Law Art 115 · verified on 1 Oct 2026 and 4 Oct 2026 |
Sources
- ZATCA Integrated Tariff tool (12-digit tariff lines and required procedures) · verified on 1 Oct 2026
- GCC Common Customs Law and Implementing Regulations, incl. valuation rules (ZATCA consolidated Arabic text) · verified on 4 Oct 2026
- ZATCA Customs Controls (Governor Decision 1448-99-13, published 26 Jun 2026) · verified on 4 Oct 2026
- ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (May 2026); VAT Law and Implementing Regulations · verified on 4 Oct 2026
- ZATCA customs service fee announcement (0.15% of CIF) · verified on 1 Oct 2026
- ZATCA advance ruling e-service · verified on 5 Oct 2026
- SASO SABER platform services and guides; SASO Building Materials Part 4 technical regulation · verified on 30 Sep 2026 and 3 Oct 2026
- GCC–EFTA Free Trade Agreement · verified on 5 Oct 2026
- Saudi Arabia–Italy income tax convention and Protocol (ZATCA treaty text) · verified on 5 Oct 2026
General information from official sources, checked on the dates shown. It is not legal or tax advice.
Italian machinery into Saudi Arabia (2025)
| Topic | What applies | Source | Verified on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery | Italy's largest line: USD 2,588 million in 2025 (USD 2,479 million in 2024). | UN Comtrade (Saudi-reported) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Valves and pumps | Taps and valves USD 843 million and pumps for liquids USD 216 million in 2025, the two largest machinery sub-lines, used in process and utility projects. | UN Comtrade (Saudi-reported) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Packaging and food machinery | Packaging, filling and bottling machinery USD 109 million; food and drink processing machinery USD 39 million (2025). | UN Comtrade (Saudi-reported) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Machinery: the SABER route | Machinery needs a certificate of conformity from a SASO-accepted body under the Type 1a model, with the supplier's declaration and a risk assessment in the technical file. CE marking is not a SABER certificate; existing test reports and the technical file may reduce testing. | SASO Technical Regulation for General Requirements for Machinery Safety (Official Gazette 29 Mar 2024) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Large lines shipped in parts | Where a machine cannot travel fully assembled, it may be shipped in separate parts; the certificate is issued for the final model, with proof that the parts belong to it (Art 6/6). | SASO Technical Regulation for General Requirements for Machinery Safety (Official Gazette 29 Mar 2024) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Electrical equipment | USD 635 million in 2025; SABER applies under the regulation for the HS code. | UN Comtrade (Saudi-reported) | 10 Oct 2026 |
In breve per gli esportatori italiani
- Safe Hands Shipping Line è uno spedizioniere doganale autorizzato in Arabia Saudita e agisce come Importer of Record (IOR) quando non avete una società saudita.
- Siamo l'importatore sulla dichiarazione doganale saudita, sdoganiamo la merce e registriamo prodotti e certificati su SABER.
- I macchinari richiedono un certificato di conformità SABER rilasciato da un organismo accettato dalla SASO; la marcatura CE da sola non lo sostituisce.
- Le linee molto grandi possono viaggiare in parti separate: il certificato è rilasciato per il modello finale.
- Dazi, diritto doganale dello 0,15% e IVA all'importazione del 15% si pagano allo sdoganamento; stoccaggio a Riyadh, sdoganato o in regime doganale tramite zone franche e porti doganali.
- Richieste in inglese o in arabo: WhatsApp o chiamata sulla nostra linea IOR +1 202 989 7969.
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
QWhat is an Importer of Record in 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.
QHow do you handle breakage-sensitive marble slabs?
Crane and forklift offload for A-frame crates, seal and condition photography on receipt, and damage claims filed at the point of receipt — before crates leave our facility — with full photographic evidence. Book-matched veining doesn't survive a careless offload, so we treat slab handling as the specialty it is.
QMy marble sells directly to a Saudi design firm with no formal distributor. Does that matter?
That is exactly the gap an IOR closes. Your material still needs a licensed entity to legally receive it, clear it through customs, and deliver it to your design partner or project site, whether or not a formal distributor exists.
QCan you release slabs and fixtures in phases against an installation schedule?
Yes. A one-off design piece has no quick substitute if damaged or delivered too early — we sequence delivery against the project's own installation phase rather than releasing everything at once.
QDo custom-fabricated bathroom fixtures need special handling?
Yes. Custom-fabricated stone basins, tubs, and fixtures — often one-off or short-run pieces — get crate-by-crate condition verification and a delivery plan matched to the project's design intent, not treated as generic building material.
QDo Italian goods get a reduced Saudi duty rate under a trade agreement?
No. There is no GCC–EU free trade agreement, so Italian and other EU goods pay the standard (MFN) duty on their 12-digit Saudi tariff line, plus 15% import VAT. The GCC–EFTA agreement covers only goods of Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein origin (GCC–EFTA FTA; ZATCA customs rules on trade preferences; verified 5 Oct 2026).
QIs there an Italy–Saudi double taxation treaty?
Yes. The Saudi–Italian convention has been in force since 1 Dec 2009, with withholding-tax effect from 1 Jan 2010, and its English text prevails. Caps: dividends 5% or 10% (the domestic 5% applies in practice), interest 5%, and royalties 10%, including software and equipment rental. Services are taxable in Saudi Arabia only through a permanent establishment (more than 6 months in a 12-month period), and the Protocol confirms that profits from exporting merchandise to Saudi Arabia are not taxed there (KSA–Italy convention Arts 5, 10–12 and Protocol; verified 5 Oct 2026).
QDoes Italian marble need a SABER certificate?
Natural and industrial marble and stone fall under SASO's Building Materials Part 4 technical regulation, which requires a Type 3 certificate of conformity from a SASO-notified body and a technical file, per product and per shipment. The 12-digit tariff line confirms the requirement for each product (SASO Building Materials Part 4 technical regulation; ZATCA Integrated Tariff; verified 1 Oct and 3 Oct 2026).
QHow does Saudi customs value high-value stone?
From the transaction value plus freight and insurance to the Saudi point of entry; origin does not change the value. If ZATCA disputes the declared value, goods can be released after paying the duty and taxes as ZATCA assesses them, or against a guarantee, and the importer can ask in writing how the value was determined. A value increase can be objected to before the valuation committee within 15 days (GCC Common Customs Law and Implementing Regulations Art 1; ZATCA Customs Controls Art 45; verified 1 Oct and 4 Oct 2026).
QOur Italian company and the Saudi buyer are related. Is the invoice price still accepted?
It can be. A related-party price is accepted as the transaction value if the relationship did not influence the price, or if the importer shows it is very close to a test value for identical or similar goods sold to unrelated buyers, so price-setting evidence should be kept ready (GCC Common Customs Law Implementing Regulations Art 1; verified 4 Oct 2026).
QWho holds the SABER account and certificates?
We do, as your Importer of Record. SABER registrants are importers, local factories, individuals and government bodies; foreign exporters have no direct access, so the product and shipment certificates sit in our SABER account as the importer named on the customs declaration (SASO SABER services; verified 30 Sep 2026).
QHow is import VAT calculated on an Italian shipment?
At 15% of the customs value (the transaction value plus freight and insurance to the Saudi point of entry) plus customs duty, any excise tax and other charges on the declaration, including ZATCA's 0.15% customs service fee (minimum SAR 15, maximum SAR 500). It is paid at clearance with the duty (ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT, May 2026; ZATCA customs fees; verified 1 Oct and 4 Oct 2026).
QWhat documents does Saudi customs need for an Italian shipment?
A detailed commercial invoice (original or electronic), the bill of lading or air waybill, the approvals the tariff line lists (such as the SABER shipment certificate), a packing list, and a certificate of origin where origin is unclear or a preference is claimed. If a document is missing, clearance can proceed against a guarantee or written undertaking, with the document due within 90 days (ZATCA Customs Controls Art 3; verified 1 Oct and 4 Oct 2026).
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