Quick answer
Safe Hands Shipping Line stores imported food and beverages in an SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract, dry, cool-ambient, chilled or frozen, with lot and expiry recorded at receipt and stock released first-expiry-first-out. SFDA's clearance conditions require food importers to have a licensed warehouse, own or third-party, unless they import no more than 5 shipments and 2,000 kg a year.
Food storage rules
| Licensed warehouse | A food importer must have a licensed warehouse, own or as a third-party tenant; exempt up to 5 shipments a year and 2,000 kg (SFDA, Conditions and Requirements for Food Clearance · verified 14 Oct 2026) |
| Third-party tenant | Each tenant holds its own SFDA licence for at least 20 m² (SFDA, Guide to licensing food and feed warehouses (2025) · verified 14 Oct 2026) |
| Standards | GSO 168 for dry food stores; SFDA.FD 323 for chilled and frozen stores (SFDA, Guide to licensing food and feed warehouses (2025) · verified 14 Oct 2026) |
| Location | A food warehouse may not adjoin pesticide or cleaning-product warehouses (MoMAH §3.2(15)) (MoMAH, Warehouses and Stores Requirements (Decision 4600327053/1, 1446H) · checked 15 Oct 2026) |
| Chilled and frozen bands | Chilled 0 to 4 °C; frozen down to −16 °C (MoMAH §3.1(3)) (MoMAH, Warehouses and Stores Requirements (Decision 4600327053/1, 1446H) · checked 15 Oct 2026) |
| Energy and sweetened drinks | Stored tax-paid, with the tax-stamp check done at goods-in |
How food stock is controlled
- Lot and expiry recorded at receipt
- Release first-expiry-first-out (FEFO)
- Temperature loggers read on arrival for cool, chilled and frozen stock
- Pest control and hygiene to the SFDA licence conditions
- Food stored away from chemicals, pesticides and cleaning products
Storage conditions
| Ambient | Normal warehouse storage at room temperature |
| Cool-ambient | 15–25 °C, relative humidity at or below 60 % |
| Chilled | 0 to 4 °C (MoMAH, Warehouses and Stores Requirements (Decision 4600327053/1, 1446H), §3.1(3) · checked 15 Oct 2026) |
| Frozen | Down to −16 °C (MoMAH, Warehouses and Stores Requirements (Decision 4600327053/1, 1446H), §3.1(3) · checked 15 Oct 2026) |
Chilled and frozen storage is provided in a licensed facility under your contract, with logged temperature evidence.
Quality controls we offer
Choose the controls your stock needs; each one is written into your storage contract.
- TAPA FSR-certified site option
- Locked cage pallet position or shelf
- Dedicated cage bay
- Dedicated licensed guard
- ESD-protected handling (ANSI/ESD S20.20 / IEC 61340-5-1)
- RFID tagging and handheld counts
- SSCC (GS1-128) pallet labels
- Lot and expiry capture with first-expiry-first-out (FEFO)
- Serial and IMEI capture
- Temperature and humidity loggers with a monthly report
- Preservation rounds for stored plant stock
- Photo-documented receiving and SKU-level inventory confirmation within 4 hours of unloading
- 24/7 CCTV and fire suppression
Sources
- SFDA, Conditions and Requirements for Food Clearance · verified 14 Oct 2026
- SFDA, Guide to licensing food and feed warehouses (2025) · verified 14 Oct 2026
- MoMAH, Warehouses and Stores Requirements (Decision 4600327053/1, 1446H) · checked 15 Oct 2026
Rules read at the official sources on 14 Oct 2026 (MoMAH requirements re-read on 15 Oct 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
QDo you store food and beverages?
Yes. SFDA-licensed facility provided under your contract, dry, cool-ambient, chilled or frozen.
QDoes a food importer need a licensed warehouse?
Yes, under SFDA's food clearance conditions, unless the importer brings in no more than 5 shipments and 2,000 kg a year. Third-party storage counts when your company holds the tenant licence.
QWhat space licence does my company need?
An SFDA tenant licence for at least 20 m² of food storage; we prepare the file with you.
QHow is expiry managed?
Lot and expiry are recorded at receipt and stock is released first-expiry-first-out, with alerts before expiry.
QWhich temperature bands do you offer?
Ambient; cool-ambient at 15–25 °C; chilled at 0 to 4 °C; frozen down to −16 °C, with logged temperature evidence.
QCan you store energy drinks?
Yes, tax-paid, with the tax-stamp check done at goods-in.
QCan you clear food imports?
Yes. Safe Hands is a licensed customs broker; the SFDA release is obtained on FASAH and the food moves into the licensed facility on release.
QHow do I get a quote?
Get a Warehousing Quote, or send the products, storage temperature, pallets and city on WhatsApp; food storage is priced for your contract.
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 a Warehousing Quote
Tell us the category, the storage temperature, the volume and the city.