Yes — as a shipping company from Abu Dhabi to Madinah, Al Basmah International Shipping moves household belongings, keepsakes and cars by road from any Abu Dhabi neighbourhood to your door in Madinah, in about 3–5 days including clearance at Al Batha. Abu Dhabi is the closest emirate to the Saudi border, so the truck reaches Al Ghuwaifat within a few hours of loading. Many of the people who contact us from Abu Dhabi are moving their parents or an older relative to Madinah, so we work in a way that neither rushes nor tires them. Message us on WhatsApp at +971557643821 at any time.
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Calmly and carefully
- We plan the move in stages with the family and pick a loading day that suits the parents’ comfort.
- Recliners, decorative plates and keepsakes are wrapped piece by piece and labelled with their owner’s name.
- The road runs about 1,750–1,800 km via Al Ghuwaifat and Riyadh; about 3–5 days door to door.
- A sedan in an enclosed trailer starts from 4,100 AED; on an open carrier from 2,000 AED.
- Delivery to quiet Madinah districts such as Quba, Al Awali and Al Uyun, at a time agreed with the team.
Moving an older person’s home is not the same as moving a young employee’s flat. Some pieces carry a story: decorative plates collected over years, the recliner that is the only chair a father finds comfortable, old photos and papers. And there is the person, who cannot cope with a long day of noise and scattered boxes. This guide explains how we ship from Abu Dhabi to Madinah in that spirit, along with everything any customer needs: route, timing, documents, prices and air freight.
How do we plan moving parents from Abu Dhabi to Madinah?
We plan a parents’ move in clear stages, so the Abu Dhabi home is not emptied before the Madinah home is ready for them. What wears older people out most is the days spent living among cartons, so we suggest this order to families:
- A sorting session before any packing: parents and children decide what moves and what stays or is given away. Then send us photos of the chosen pieces only.
- Keepsakes first: on a separate, earlier day we pack the decorative plates, ornaments, photos and books while the house is still intact.
- Loading day: we dismantle and load the large furniture; ideally the parents spend this day at one of their children’s homes, away from the noise.
- Travel: the parents fly or drive at their own pace, and the shipment travels before or after them as you prefer.
- Delivery day: we set up the bedroom and the recliner first, so the parents have a comfortable spot from the first hour.
If one of the parents needs a medical bed or a wheelchair, tell us at the start; it is loaded last and unloaded first.
What do we ship from Abu Dhabi to Madinah?
We ship household furniture, family keepsakes and cars from Abu Dhabi to Madinah, as well as commercial goods and small parcels. In detail:
Household furniture
Bedrooms, majlis seating, power and manual recliners, wardrobes, kitchen and appliances.
Keepsakes and memories
Decorative plates, silver and brass ware, ornaments, framed photos, books and family papers.
Cars
Sedans in an enclosed trailer or on an open carrier, and SUVs too.
Goods and parcels
Stock for Madinah shops with commercial papers, and personal parcels from 45 AED by road.
- Shared truck for an apartment or a couple of rooms, priced by the cubic metre.
- Dedicated truck for a whole home: a small closed dyna (about 3 tons), 5- or 7-ton dynas, a 10-ton lorry, or a closed 12–13.6 m trailer. It leaves on your day without waiting for other loads, which is what most families prefer when moving parents.
Pickup areas in Abu Dhabi
We collect from all over Abu Dhabi; the loading crew comes from our branches in Dubai (Deira, Port Saeed Street) and Sharjah (Industrial Area 18) by appointment. The areas we load from most for Madinah:
- Al Reem Island: residential towers that need a move-out permit from building management and a service-lift booking.
- Khalifa City: spacious family villas, including many retirees’ homes.
- Mohammed Bin Zayed City: villas and apartments, with inner roads that take medium trucks.
- Al Shamkha: newer villas and communities on the city’s edge, close to the westbound road.
- Mussafah: warehouses, workshops and stock rooms for traders.
- Al Bateen: older upscale villas with heavy furniture and many keepsakes.
If the parents live in a tower or community, request the move-out permit a few days ahead and ask about service-lift hours. For villas, we only need a spot for the truck close to the door.
Why an Abu Dhabi shipment starts closer to the border
Abu Dhabi is the closest emirate to the Al Ghuwaifat border post, because the post itself lies in Al Dhafra, part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The truck reaches the border a few hours after loading and skips part of the road that Dubai and Sharjah shipments drive. The full route:
- Abu Dhabi → the western road through Al Dhafra → Al Ghuwaifat.
- Al Batha on the Saudi side, with electronic clearance through the Fasah platform.
- Al Ahsa (Hofuf) → Riyadh.
- Riyadh to Madinah via Qassim or the Riyadh–Madinah highway.
- Delivery in the district, with a smaller truck for the last leg when needed.
The full distance is about 1,750–1,800 km, slightly less than from Dubai. If the family has another shipment to the capital, see shipping from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh; for other Saudi cities, see shipping from Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia.
Transit time from Abu Dhabi to Madinah
Road freight from Abu Dhabi to Madinah takes about 3–5 days door to door including clearance, with a dedicated truck closer to the lower end. Air freight takes about 1–3 days.
| Delivery point | Approximate road time | What suits it |
|---|---|---|
| Quba, Al Awali, Bani Harithah | 3–5 days | Quiet districts with houses and palm farms; timing agreed with the family |
| Al Uyun, Al Khalidiyah, Sultanah | 3–5 days | Family homes and streets that suit medium trucks |
| Al Aziziyah, Al Iskan, Shuran | 3–5 days | Buildings and villas; a smaller truck may be used inside the district |
| Al Azhari, Al Rawabi, Al Jamiah, Al Hijrah, Al Aqool, Al Anabis | 3–5 days | Truck size set once we know the street and entrance |
| Yanbu | 4–6 days | Port and industrial city, via Madinah |
| Al Ula | 4–6 days | Extra distance beyond Madinah |
| Jeddah | 4–6 days | Some 400+ km from Madinah |
| Makkah | 4–6 days | Some 400+ km from Madinah |
A shared load may wait a few extra days before departure until the truck fills. For a parents’ move we prefer a dedicated truck, because knowing the exact arrival day helps the family plan their travel and get the house ready.
Packing recliners, decorative plates and keepsakes
The pieces older people are attached to are what worries them most in a move, so they get more time than anything else:
- Recliners: power recliners are unplugged and the cable wrapped with the chair, the reclining mechanism is locked closed, then the chair is wrapped in a moving blanket and film. Nothing is stacked on top, because the weight damages the mechanism.
- Decorative and display plates: each plate is wrapped on its own in soft paper and then bubble wrap, and stood on its edge in a divided box rather than stacked. Wall-hung plates come down with their hangers, which go in a bag with the plate.
- Silver and brass ware: wrapped in cloth and then paper so pieces don’t rub and scratch.
- Photos and family papers: in small sealed boxes; important originals travel with the family.
- Books and Qurans: in small cartons so the box doesn’t get too heavy and tear.
Each box carries its owner’s name and its room in the new home: “Father’s room”, “Majlis”, “Kitchen”. Summer heat is fierce on the road and in Madinah, so candles, cosmetics, medicines and opened food stay out of the cartons.
Note: The parents’ daily medicines are not shipped with the furniture. Carry them in hand luggage with the prescriptions; some medicines need a prior permit, and none can wait for the truck to arrive.
Delivery to Madinah’s quiet districts
We deliver to every district of Madinah and set the time with the family so one of the children can be there. Heavy trucks are restricted from central Madinah, and the restrictions tighten during Ramadan and the Hajj and Umrah peak, so the delivery day and hour are planned around them, and a smaller truck may do the last leg.
- Quiet districts: Quba, Al Awali, Bani Harithah, Al Uyun, Al Khalidiyah and Sultanah, which many older people choose for their calm and nearby services. Some homes sit among palm farms, and inner streets can be narrow.
- Delivery-day order: we start with the parents’ bedroom, the recliner and the kitchen, then the rest of the house, and we collect the empty cartons and leave the place tidy.
- If the house isn’t ready: tell us before loading so the delivery date can match the preparation of the house.
- At delivery: the owner or a representative is present with a copy of their ID and checks the pieces against the list.
Madinah is ringed by harrat — fields of black volcanic basalt — and date-palm farms, so some homes are reached by dirt roads or farm gates. Send the house location on WhatsApp so the driver knows the right entrance.
Sedan shipping from Abu Dhabi to Madinah in an enclosed trailer
We ship sedans from Abu Dhabi to Madinah in an enclosed trailer starting from 4,100 AED, or on an open carrier from 2,000 AED; SUVs on an open carrier start from 2,750 AED. The enclosed trailer keeps the paint safe from dust and grit the whole way, and families often choose it for a father’s car that he has looked after for years.
- The car must be no more than 5 years old from the model year — Saudi Arabia’s rule for imported used passenger cars (counted back, excluding the current year).
- Vehicle registration, and the export certificate and plate cancellation from the competent Abu Dhabi authority.
- Copy of the owner’s passport or ID; if the car is in the father’s name and a son or daughter handles the paperwork, ask the team what is needed before starting.
- The car empty of personal belongings — no prayer mat or small boxes left inside.
A car older than five years cannot enter, so check the model year with the team before cancelling the plates. Any special case, such as a car adapted for a disability, goes to the team first.
Air freight from Abu Dhabi to Madinah
Air freight from Abu Dhabi to Madinah arrives in about 1–3 days including clearance, from Abu Dhabi airport to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, or to King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and then by road. It suits what the parents need in their first days before the truck arrives: clothes, personal items, papers and small devices. It does not suit furniture.
- Chargeable weight is the higher of actual and volumetric weight (L × W × H in cm ÷ 6000). A 70 × 45 × 30 cm suitcase has a volumetric weight of 15.75 kg.
- Lithium batteries, liquids and perfumes are restricted by air; send them with the road shipment.
- Price: send the details on WhatsApp and the price comes back to you.
Sea freight does not suit Madinah as an inland city; large commercial containers go to Jeddah Islamic Port or Yanbu port and then by road.
Documents required
Clearance at Al Batha is electronic through Fasah, and complete papers before loading are what keep a shipment from stopping at the border.
Used household goods
- Copy of the owner’s passport, with Saudi ID, iqama or residence visa.
- A detailed contents list in Arabic or English, noting what each box holds.
- New items in commercial quantities are dutiable and not treated as personal effects.
Commercial goods
- Commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin, and a commercial registration for the Saudi consignee.
- A SABER certificate for many consumer products, and SFDA requirements for food, cosmetics and medicines.
- UAE-origin goods with a GCC certificate of origin are duty-exempt; 15% VAT applies on imports.
Cars
- Registration, export certificate and plate cancellation, a copy of the owner’s ID, and an age of no more than 5 years.
What cannot be shipped to Saudi Arabia
- Narcotics, alcohol, pork products, counterfeit goods and gambling tools: prohibited.
- Weapons and ammunition: prohibited without permits.
- Drones and some medicines: need a prior permit.
- Soil and plants: restricted, so the balcony plants stay in Abu Dhabi.
If the house holds an old hunting rifle or a similar memento, it never goes into the load without consulting the team first.
Abu Dhabi to Madinah shipping prices
| Service | Starts from |
|---|---|
| Furniture and household goods (shared truck) | 90 AED per cubic metre |
| Small parcels by road | 45 AED |
| Sedan on an open carrier | 2,000 AED |
| SUV on an open carrier | 2,750 AED |
| Car in an enclosed trailer | 4,100 AED |
| Dedicated truck for a whole home, air freight, containers | Send the details on WhatsApp and the price comes back to you |
The final price depends on volume, weight, city, packing and documents.
What raises or lowers the cost?
- Volume: a two-bedroom apartment might measure 14 m³, which in a shared truck starts from 1,260 AED before packing.
- Dedicated truck: costs more than shared, but leaves on your day and gives a clearer arrival date.
- Amount of fragile keepsakes: more plates and ornaments mean more packing time and more divided boxes.
- Floors and entrances: an Al Reem tower or a Madinah house without a lift needs more hands and time.
- Number of visits: packing keepsakes on a separate day before loading adds a visit, which many families find worth it.
- Optional insurance: ask the team about it for valuable keepsakes.
For comparison, shipping from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah and shipping from Abu Dhabi to Makkah cost about the same as Madinah, since the distances are similar.
How to ship from Abu Dhabi to Madinah, step by step
- Message us on WhatsApp (+971557643821) with the Abu Dhabi area, the Madinah district and your preferred moving date.
- Send photos of the chosen pieces after sorting, or ask for a home survey.
- You get the price and truck type, and we agree one day for packing keepsakes and one for loading.
- Prepare the documents and, if needed, the building move-out permit.
- Packing and loading; the load crosses Al Ghuwaifat and Al Batha, and the team updates you on WhatsApp at each stage.
- Delivery and setup in Madinah, starting with the parents’ room.
Tips for children moving their parents
- Spare the parents a full loading day if you can; a day of dismantling and cartons is tiring for them.
- Before they arrive in Madinah, make sure of two things: a comfortable bed and working air conditioning.
- Photograph how their room is arranged in Abu Dhabi so it can be set up the same familiar way in Madinah.
- Carry gold, cash, passports, original papers and medicines with you, not in the shipment.
- Close out the Abu Dhabi home early: final water and electricity bill, ending the tenancy and the move-out permit.
If another family member is moving from a different emirate, our guide to shipping from the UAE to Madinah covers every emirate.
Frequently asked questions about shipping from Abu Dhabi to Madinah
How long does a shipment from Abu Dhabi to Madinah take?
By road about 3–5 days door to door including clearance, possibly a few days more for a shared load. Air freight takes about 1–3 days.
Do you help with moving an elderly person’s home?
Yes. We split the work over days — keepsakes first, then loading — and arrange delivery so the bedroom and recliner are set up first, with timings agreed with the children.
How are decorative plates packed?
Each plate is wrapped individually in soft paper and then bubble wrap, stood on its edge in a divided box, and the box is marked fragile with its room name.
How much does it cost to ship a sedan from Abu Dhabi to Madinah?
On an open carrier from 2,000 AED, in an enclosed trailer from 4,100 AED, provided the car is no more than 5 years old from the model year.
Why is Abu Dhabi closer to the border?
Because the Al Ghuwaifat border post lies in Al Dhafra, part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, so the truck reaches the border a few hours after loading.
Can delivery in Madinah be delayed?
The time may be rearranged because heavy trucks are restricted from central Madinah, with tighter rules during Ramadan and the Hajj and Umrah peak. We agree the time with the family in advance and tell you on WhatsApp about any change.
Can the parents’ medicines go with the furniture?
We don’t advise it. Some medicines need a prior permit, and daily medicines should stay with the parents in hand luggage with their prescriptions.
How do I follow the shipment?
There is no online status system; the team messages you on WhatsApp at loading, at the border and clearance, and before delivery.
We’ll plan your parents’ move with you, step by step
Send photos of the belongings, the moving date and the Madinah district, and you’ll get the price and a day-by-day plan. Or use our quote request form.
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