What France ships to Saudi Arabia (2025)
| All goods | USD 6.9 billion of Saudi imports from France in 2025. (UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025) |
| Machinery | USD 2,569 million, the largest line (USD 1,179 million in 2024). (UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025) |
| Electrical equipment | USD 388 million. (UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025) |
| Optical, measuring and medical instruments | USD 302 million, of which medical and surgical instruments USD 92 million. (UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025) |
| Aircraft and parts | USD 188 million; we handle civil aircraft parts and maintenance shipments. (UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025) |
Ports, airports and route
| By sea | Full container loads from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos to Jeddah Islamic Port or King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam. |
| By air | Commercial air freight from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam. |
| Route availability | Port and route availability changes with carrier schedules. We confirm the current route and port for every booking — ask us on WhatsApp. |
| National corridors | The government's Logistics Pathways initiative provides dedicated corridors at Jeddah Islamic Port and the Red Sea ports for cargo diverted from the Eastern Province and GCC ports. (SPA, Logistics Pathways initiative from the west-coast ports (11 Mar 2026)) |
How a shipment from France moves
- 1
1. Quote and booking
We confirm the port or airport, the container or air booking and the 12-digit Saudi tariff line of each product.
- 2
2. Approvals before loading
SABER certificates for regulated products and a shipment certificate for each shipment; cosmetics are notified in SFDA's system by the notifier before import, and we coordinate the documents.
- 3
3. Documents from France
Detailed commercial invoice, bill of lading or air waybill, packing list, and a certificate of origin where origin is unclear or a preference is claimed. The French export declaration stays with the exporter.
- 4
4. Saudi customs declaration
We file the declaration in FASAH before arrival. Customs duty, the 0.15% customs service fee and 15% import VAT are paid on the declaration.
- 5
5. Delivery or storage
Delivery to your site, or storage in our Riyadh warehouse.
Sources
- UN Comtrade: Saudi-reported imports from France by HS chapter, 2025
- ZATCA: Integrated Tariff (12-digit lines)
- ZATCA: Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (Second Edition, May 2026)
- ZATCA: customs service fee 0.15% (from 6 Oct 2024)
- SABER: shipment certificate for commercial imports
- SFDA: Cosmetic Products Notification Guidance
- SPA, Logistics Pathways initiative from the west-coast ports (11 Mar 2026)
Official pages, checked 10–11 October 2026. Routes and transit times are confirmed per booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhich ports and airports does my cargo move through?
Sea cargo leaves Le Havre or Marseille-Fos for Jeddah Islamic Port or King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. Air cargo leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle for Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam. We confirm the route for every booking.
QHow long does it take?
Transit times depend on the sailing or flight, so we quote them per booking. Urgent spare parts can move on the next available flight through our urgent air freight service.
QDo French goods pay customs duty in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. There is no GCC–EU free trade agreement, so French goods pay the standard duty on their 12-digit Saudi tariff line, plus the 0.15% customs service fee and 15% import VAT on the declaration.
QWhat if the French supplier has no Saudi company?
We can act as Importer of Record: we are the importer named on the Saudi customs declaration and we handle SABER. See our Importer of Record page for exporters from France.
QCan you ship French cosmetics?
Yes. Cosmetics are notified in SFDA's system by the notifier before import; we coordinate the documents for the notification and clear the shipment.
QWhat shipment sizes do you handle?
By sea we ship full container loads (20 ft and 40 ft FCL). For smaller or urgent shipments we quote commercial air freight.
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 →
Get an Import Quote from France
Tell us the product, the HS code if you have it, the volume and the city in France; our team sends a written quote.