Anyone searching for a shipping company from Al Ain to Syria usually wants to know two things: will the Damascene mother-of-pearl inlaid pieces arrive intact, and how long will it take to reach the family house in Syria. Al Basmah International Shipping collects from Al Ain villas and farms, packs inlaid furniture, carpets and majlis seating in the way each piece needs, then ships by road through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to the Nasib crossing, the route that reaches Daraa and Sweida before anywhere else, or by sea in a container to Tartus and Latakia, or by air for urgent parcels via Abu Dhabi or Dubai airport. Send the details on WhatsApp +971557643821 at any time and get your price.
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Inlaid pieces, with care
- Mother-of-pearl and mosaic surfaces are wrapped in soft cloth first, and tape never touches the inlay.
- Delicate pieces such as side tables, boxes and mirrors go into wooden crates built to size.
- Carpets are rolled lengthwise, never folded, and majlis cushions are compressed in bags to save space.
- Luxury SUVs are shipped after the team confirms they can be imported under the current Syrian rules.
- Road reaches southern Syria in roughly 8 to 14 days, with WhatsApp updates from the team at each stage.
What we ship from Al Ain to Syria
Homes in Al Ain are often large villas with a guest majlis, plenty of rooms, a garden and sometimes a farm. Their shipments are bigger than flat moves and include pieces that need special handling. From Al Ain we ship:
Mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture
Damascene dining sets, tables, chairs, chests, mirrors and cabinets inlaid with mother-of-pearl, bone and wood.
Carpets
Hand-knotted and silk carpets and large majlis rugs, dusted and fully dry before rolling.
Majlis seating
Floor mattresses, back cushions, armrests and low tables, plus coffee pots and brass incense burners.
A full villa
Bedrooms, kitchen, appliances, garden furniture and outdoor play equipment.
Luxury cars
Large 4x4s such as Land Cruisers, Patrols and similar, after an import eligibility check.
Urgent parcels
Documents, small gifts and permitted medicines, by air via Abu Dhabi or Dubai airport.
Pickup areas in Al Ain
We collect from every district of Al Ain and the farming areas around it. Villas in Al Ain are big and their gates are usually wide, but some farms sit on sand or internal tracks, so the team sends a truck sized for the road and transfers the load to the larger truck or container on the main road when needed.
- Central Al Ain: Al Jimi, Al Muwaiji, Al Towayya, Al Hili, Al Mutaredh, Al Jahili, Al Khabisi, Al Sarooj and Al Masoudi.
- Newer villa districts: Al Maqam, Zakher, Falaj Hazza, Al Foah and Al Yahar.
- Industrial: Al Ain Industrial Area and surroundings for goods, warehouses and workshops.
- Outskirts and farms: Al Hayer, Al Wagan and the farms along the Al Ain–Abu Dhabi and Al Ain–Dubai roads.
- If part of your belongings is in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, it can be collected into the same shipment.
Packing mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture
Damascene mosaic is made of tiny pieces of mother-of-pearl, wood and bone glued onto the wood and sealed under a glossy finish. It copes with years of daily use, but in transit it does not cope with three things: adhesive tape on the surface, point pressure on the edges, and big swings in humidity. That is why it is packed differently from any other furniture.
- Clean and inspect: each piece is dusted and photographed from every side, and any missing or loose shell is noted before packing. The photos are sent to you on WhatsApp.
- A soft first layer: cotton cloth or acid-free paper directly on the inlay. No bubble wrap on inlaid surfaces, as it can mark the gloss in the heat.
- No tape on the inlay: tape goes on the outer layer only. Tape that touches the shell can pull a piece out when removed.
- Edges and corners: foam or card corner guards, because inlaid edges are the first thing to suffer from a knock.
- Drawers and doors: held closed by tying cloth around the piece, not by taping across the front.
- Wooden crate: small tables, backgammon boards, boxes, mirrors and wedding chests go into a crate built to size from heat-treated timber to ISPM-15, the international shipping standard, with padding so nothing moves inside.
- In the truck or container: inlaid pieces are loaded high and central, away from the walls, with nothing heavy on top.
From experience: do not open the crates or unwrap on the first day in Daraa or Sweida if the weather is cold. Leave them a day inside the house so the piece adjusts to the room temperature, then open. A sudden jump from a cold crate to a warm room is what stresses the glue under the shell.
Carpets and majlis seating
Hand-made carpets are dusted and left until completely dry before packing, because moisture trapped in wool or silk can leave smells or marks after days on the road. Each carpet is rolled lengthwise into a tube, never folded, covered in breathable cloth or paper, then an outer plastic sleeve. Large majlis carpets are carried flat and never bent inside the load.
Arabic majlis seating, the mattresses, back cushions and armrests, is light but bulky. We compress it in vacuum bags, which cuts the volume considerably and with it the volume you pay for. Low tables are wrapped like other wood, and coffee pots and brass burners are wrapped individually in paper and boxed with padding.
| Item | Packing method | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Inlaid table or chair | Soft cloth, corner guards, then a wooden crate for small pieces | No tape on the surface |
| Damascene cabinet or sideboard | Cloth, moving blanket, then outer film | Loaded upright and strapped |
| Mirror with inlaid frame | Rigid card frame, then a wooden crate | Marked fragile and this way up |
| Hand-made or silk carpet | Dusted, dried, rolled lengthwise, breathable cover | Never folded or put under heavy furniture |
| Majlis mattresses and cushions | Vacuum compression bags | Less volume, so a lower price |
| Brass and coffee pots | Paper, then a small padded box | Emptied of charcoal and incense first |
The road route from Al Ain to Syria
The truck leaves Al Ain towards Abu Dhabi and then heads west to Al Ghuwaifat, with no need to pass through Dubai. From Al Ghuwaifat it enters Saudi Arabia at Al Batha, crosses in sealed transit to Al Haditha and Jordan’s Al Omari crossing, transits Jordan to Jaber and enters Syria at Nasib. Nasib lies in Daraa governorate itself, so southern Syria is the first area the truck reaches; other loads then continue north to Damascus and the rest of the country. It is roughly 2,800 to 3,000 km from Dubai, and Al Ain is in the same range.
| Stage | Crossing or city | What happens, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | Al Ain → Abu Dhabi | Packing, loading and preparing the contents list |
| Leaving the UAE | Al Ghuwaifat | Export formalities and sealing |
| Saudi Arabia | Al Batha → Al Haditha | Sealed transit, no unloading |
| Jordan | Al Omari → Jaber | Transit to the Syrian border |
| Syria | Nasib, Daraa governorate | Customs clearance under the rules in force |
| Delivery | Daraa and Sweida, or Damascus and beyond | Door delivery and unloading |
Door to door takes roughly 8 to 14 days, including border formalities and clearance. Complete documents are what keep the load moving, since it crosses several countries. The Jordan leg is covered in the Al Ain to Jordan shipping guide.
Road, sea or air?
For inlaid furniture many families prefer road: the trip is shorter, the pieces spend days rather than weeks in the load, and they see less humidity than on a sea voyage. Sea suits a full container bound for the coast or heavy goods, and air is for light things that cannot wait. The team recommends the right method when you book.
| Method | Approx. time | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road | 8 to 14 days door to door | Villa furniture, inlaid pieces, the south and Damascus | Shortest time and least humidity |
| Sea container | 3 to 4 weeks from Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port, plus clearance | Full containers, cars, heavy goods | Arrives at Tartus or Latakia |
| Air | A few days including clearance | Documents and light urgent parcels | Not for furniture; some items restricted |
Luxury car shipping from Al Ain to Syria
Al Ain has plenty of large 4x4s, and their owners ask about shipping them with the furniture. The first step is always the same: the team checks that the car can be imported into Syria under the rules in force at the time, because those rules change from time to time depending on the type, age and engine size of the car. We do not book, and we do not ask you to cancel the plates, before that confirmation.
A luxury car travels inside a closed container, not on an open carrier, so it stays clear of dust, sun and road stones. It is covered, strapped at the wheels and chocked, and the odometer and bodywork are photographed from every side before the doors are closed. Given the value of these cars, ask the team about optional insurance before shipping.
- Ownership and the owner’s passport.
- UAE export certificate and plate cancellation, only after eligibility is confirmed.
- The car empty of everything: no rugs, boxes or spare parts in the boot.
- Valuable removable accessories taken off and packed with the furniture, listed on the contents list.
- A spare key handed over with the car, and little fuel in the tank.
Note: Do not leave any personal items inside the car being shipped, not even a small rug or a toolbox. Items inside a car can hold up the whole car at customs.
Air freight from Al Ain to Syria
Al Ain is not far from Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports, so we collect urgent parcels from your home and fly them to Damascus International Airport, or to Aleppo International Airport if the destination is in the north. Door to door takes a few days, clearance included. Air suits official documents, small gifts, permitted medicines and spare parts someone needs quickly.
- Price is based on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher. Volumetric weight = length × width × height in cm ÷ 6000.
- A small mosaic box of 40 × 30 × 20 cm has a volumetric weight of 4 kg; if it actually weighs 2 kg, it is charged at 4.
- Perfumes, oud oil, liquids and lithium batteries are restricted on flights, so ask the team before including them.
- Furniture and large carpets do not suit air; the cost ends up far higher than road.
Documents
Syrian rules on returning citizens’ effects, car imports and fees change from time to time, so we do not quote fixed exemptions or figures here. The team checks the current rules for your case before booking.
| Shipment type | Documents usually needed |
|---|---|
| Villa furniture and personal effects | Passport copy, a detailed contents list in Arabic that clearly lists carpets and inlaid pieces, and the receiver’s details |
| Commercial goods | Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and importer details; goods of Arab origin may benefit from GAFTA |
| Cars | Ownership, UAE export certificate and plate cancellation, owner’s passport and an empty car, all after eligibility is confirmed |
Prohibited and restricted items
- Prohibited: narcotics, weapons and ammunition including hunting guns, counterfeit goods and gambling equipment.
- Permit needed or restricted: drones, satellite and wireless devices, and some medicines.
- Special rules: batteries, especially lithium, gas cylinders, flammable liquids and charcoal.
Prices
There are no fixed published rates for UAE-to-Syria shipping; every villa is different, and inlaid pieces need crates that vary in number and size. Each request is priced individually:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Villa furniture from Al Ain by road to Daraa or Sweida | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
| Furniture to Damascus and the other governorates | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
| Wooden crates for mother-of-pearl inlaid pieces | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
| Carpets and majlis seating | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
| Luxury 4×4 in a closed container | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
| Air freight for parcels and documents | Send the details on WhatsApp and get your price |
Or fill in the quote request form and the team will contact you.
What decides the price from Al Ain to Syria?
| Factor | Effect on the price |
|---|---|
| Method | Road for furniture, sea for full containers, air the highest per kilo |
| Volume | Cubic metres; compressing majlis mattresses reduces the volume charged |
| Shared or dedicated | A truck or container just for you costs more than sharing, but your pieces are not handled with other loads |
| Governorate and access | Daraa and Sweida are close to Nasib; the north-east is further, and narrow lanes need a small truck and hand carrying |
| Packing | The number and size of wooden crates for inlaid pieces, and carpet wrapping |
| Documents | Personal effects are simpler than commercial goods or a car |
How to ship from Al Ain to Syria, step by step
- Send the villa location in Al Ain, the Syrian city and photos of the inlaid pieces, carpets and majlis on WhatsApp +971557643821.
- The team works out the number of crates and the right method and sends you the price.
- If there is a car, its import eligibility is checked first.
- The contents list is written in Arabic and the documents are prepared.
- The packing crew comes to the villa: crates for inlaid pieces first, then carpets, then the rest, then loading.
- You get WhatsApp updates on leaving the UAE, transit, arrival at Nasib and clearance.
- Delivery to the family house, crates carried inside and opened once the pieces have adjusted to the room.
Tips before you ship
- If an inlaid piece has loose shell, have it fixed before shipping, since road vibration makes it worse.
- Do not clean inlaid pieces with water- or alcohol-based products before packing; use a dry cloth.
- Photograph valuable carpets front and back; the photos help when laying them out in the new house.
- Keep gold, cash and original documents with you, not in the load.
- Ask about optional insurance if the shipment includes high-value pieces or a car.
- Book early before the summer holidays and Eid, when more families are travelling.
Delivery in Syria: Daraa, Sweida and the other governorates
A truck from Al Ain enters Syria at Nasib in Daraa governorate, so delivery in the south is close to the entry point. Family homes in Daraa and Sweida are often detached houses of one or two floors, some in narrow old lanes. In that case the large truck stops at the nearest point and items are moved in a smaller vehicle and carried by hand, arranged with the receiver before the shipment arrives. Winters in Sweida are cold and snow can fall on high ground, so the weather is taken into account when setting the delivery date.
| Governorate | Usual best method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daraa and Sweida | Road via Nasib | The closest governorates to the crossing; cold winters, especially in Sweida |
| Damascus and Rural Damascus | Road | Mezzeh, Malki, Abu Rummaneh and Kafr Souseh have wider streets; Bab Touma, Al Midan and Rukn Al Din are narrow lanes. Delivery also covers Jaramana, Sahnaya, Qudsaya, Al Tal, Douma and Dummar |
| Homs and Hama | Road | North of Damascus; cold, rainy winters |
| Aleppo | Road, or air for parcels via Aleppo airport | Longer distance from the south |
| Latakia and Tartus | Sea container or road | Humid coast, so crates are opened and inlaid pieces aired quickly |
| North-east: Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hasakah, Qamishli; also Idlib | Mostly road | Delivery date set after clearance |
To compare with the other emirates, see the complete UAE to Syria guide; if part of your belongings is in the capital there is the Abu Dhabi to Syria guide, and for loads collected in Dubai the Dubai to Syria guide.
Frequently asked questions
Will mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture reach Syria intact?
Yes, when it is packed properly: soft cloth on the inlay, no tape on the surface, corner guards on the edges and a wooden crate for small, delicate pieces. Everything is photographed before packing and the photos are sent to you.
How long from Al Ain to Daraa or Sweida?
By road roughly 8 to 14 days door to door including clearance, and the south is close to the Nasib crossing where the truck enters.
How are hand-made carpets shipped?
Dusted and dried, rolled lengthwise and never folded, wrapped in a breathable cover and an outer sleeve, and carried flat with nothing heavy on top.
Can I ship a Land Cruiser or Patrol to Syria?
Yes, if it is eligible for import under the current Syrian rules. The team checks it first, then it travels in a closed container, strapped and covered.
Which airport is used for air freight from Al Ain?
Abu Dhabi or Dubai airport, to Damascus International Airport or Aleppo International Airport, with parcels arriving in roughly a few days.
Do you collect from farms around Al Ain?
Yes. We collect from farms, Al Hayer, Al Wagan and the outer roads, sending a truck sized for the track if the access is sandy or narrow.
Does compressing the majlis mattresses lower the price?
Usually yes, because the price depends on volume and compression bags shrink the space mattresses and cushions take up.
How do I follow my shipment?
The team sends you WhatsApp updates at each stage, from loading in Al Ain to the delivery appointment in Syria.
Your inlaid pieces deserve packing made to measure
Send photos of the pieces and carpets, the villa location and the Syrian city, and get your price.
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