Shipping from Dubai to Riyadh is done by road in most cases: we collect your home, office or car from your address in Dubai, the truck heads west to the Al Ghuwaifat border crossing and Al Batha on the Saudi side, then continues through Al Ahsa to Riyadh, a road of roughly 1,060 km. Door to door, including customs clearance, it usually takes about 2–4 days. Al Basmah International Shipping works from its branch in Dubai – Deira – Port Saeed Street and takes orders on WhatsApp at +971557643821 around the clock, whether you are a family moving, an employee transferred to a Riyadh head office, or a company moving an entire office.
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Before loading day
- Fix the delivery address precisely: a residential district, a compound that needs a gate permit, or an office building in the north Riyadh business districts.
- If you live in a Dubai tower, book the service lift and the move permit with building management, and ask the Riyadh building about its truck delivery hours.
- Approximate transit to Riyadh, Al Kharj and Diriyah: 2–4 days; a shared load may wait a few extra days until the truck is full.
- Furniture in a shared truck starts from AED 90 per cubic metre; a sedan on an open carrier starts from AED 2,000.
- Have a copy of your passport and Saudi ID or iqama and a detailed contents list ready; for a car, the export certificate and plate surrender.
- The team sends you a WhatsApp update at every stage: collection, the border, entry into the Kingdom, and the delivery appointment.
How does a shipment get from Dubai to Riyadh?
The truck leaves Dubai on the Abu Dhabi road and carries on west along the E11 to Al Sila and the Al Ghuwaifat crossing on the UAE side, enters the Kingdom at Al Batha, then heads to Hofuf in Al Ahsa and on to Riyadh. It is the only practical road link between the UAE and central Saudi Arabia, so every Riyadh shipment from any emirate uses it.
- Dubai to the border: roughly 4–5 hours of driving, depending on the pickup point and traffic.
- At the two crossings: UAE exit formalities, then clearance on the Fasah platform on the Saudi side.
- Al Batha to Al Ahsa to Riyadh: the longest stretch, ending at Riyadh’s eastern entrances.
- Inside Riyadh: entry to the district or compound is scheduled, because large trucks may only enter the city at set times.
If your destination is another Saudi city, the route and transit times for every city are in our Dubai to Saudi Arabia shipping guide. This guide stays on Riyadh itself: its districts, compounds, offices and warehouses.
What do we move from Dubai to Riyadh?
Dubai–Riyadh shipments vary, but most fall into one of these groups, each with its own loading method and paperwork:
Household furniture
Whole apartments and villas or selected rooms, dismantled, wrapped and reassembled in Riyadh when agreed.
Office furniture
Desks, workstations, chairs, filing cabinets and equipment, numbered by department.
Cars
Sedans and SUVs on an open carrier, luxury cars inside an enclosed carrier.
Commercial goods
Stock for Riyadh shops and warehouses on pallets, with Fasah clearance and origin papers.
Parcels and boxes
A few boxes of personal items by road, or by air when urgent and light.
Equipment
Light machines, devices and exhibition gear, in a dedicated truck when needed.
Office relocation from Dubai to Riyadh head offices
Many companies move a team or a regional office from Dubai to Riyadh, mostly into the north Riyadh business districts and central areas such as Al Olaya. An office move differs from a home move in one key way: the aim is to get the team working again in Riyadh with as little downtime as possible, so loading and delivery are planned by department, not by room.
Inventory and numbering before the first box
We start with a visit or a video call to count workstations, chairs, cabinets and meeting rooms. Every piece gets a number showing its department and desk in the new office, so when the truck reaches Riyadh the unloading crew knows where each item goes without asking. Sending us the Riyadh floor plan, if it is ready, helps a lot.
Equipment and files
Each monitor is wrapped separately in a padded cover and loaded upright; printers and office machines are emptied of toner and paper first. Archive files go into sealed, numbered boxes labelled with the department name only, not the contents. Servers and network gear are shipped once your IT team has disconnected them and confirmed they are ready to move.
Delivery to business towers in north Riyadh
Riyadh office buildings usually set hours for truck deliveries and service-lift use, and may ask for the crew’s names in advance. Because large trucks have restricted entry times inside the city, we book the slot with building management, and if a trailer cannot reach the loading dock, the load moves to a smaller truck for the final leg. Tell us the opening date of the new office so we can plan backwards from it.
Moving employees and their families with the company
When a company transfers several employees from Dubai to Riyadh, we end up handling several homes at once. Each employee is treated as a separate shipment with a contents list in their own name, their own documents and their own Riyadh delivery address, even when several homes share one truck to keep costs down.
- Each employee’s boxes carry their own label colour or code, so one family’s belongings never mix with another’s.
- The contents list is written in the owner’s name, because clearance as used personal effects is done in the owner’s name with their residence permit or visa.
- HR can send us the list of employees and addresses, and the team contacts each employee to book a collection time.
- Delivery in Riyadh is staged according to when each employee’s housing is ready, whether an apartment, a villa or a compound.
Pickup areas in Dubai
We collect from any address in Dubai; the Deira branch is close to the older districts and to the road out towards Abu Dhabi. Most Riyadh-bound orders come from:
- Office areas: Business Bay, DIFC, Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City.
- Residential areas: Dubai Marina, Al Barsha, Mirdif, Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Al Warqa, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Arabian Ranches.
- Deira and Bur Dubai: apartments and shops near the branch, the easiest collections to schedule.
- Warehouses: Al Quoz, Jebel Ali Free Zone and the Al Qusais industrial area.
Delivery to Riyadh compounds and districts
Many people arriving from Dubai, especially employees transferred with their companies, live in residential compounds in Riyadh. A compound will only let a truck in with a permit arranged in advance, usually listing the truck’s plate, the crew’s names and the arrival time. Ask compound management for the permit as soon as the team gives you the expected delivery date, and send us the name and number of the gate contact.
Among residential districts, the most requested by Dubai movers are in north Riyadh: Al Malqa, Hittin, Al Narjis, Al Yasmin, Al Aqiq, Al Sahafa and Al Nakheel, followed by central districts such as Al Olaya, Al Sulimaniyah and Al Malaz, eastern ones such as Al Rawdah, Al Nahda and Al Rimal, and western ones such as Dhahrat Laban and Irqah. Where streets are narrow or a building has no loading bay, we may switch to a smaller truck inside the district, and the team tells you before the appointment.
How long does shipping from Dubai to Riyadh take?
About 2–4 days from collection in Dubai to delivery in Riyadh, clearance included, on a dedicated truck that leaves on your date. A shared load may wait a few days before departure until the truck is full. These are approximate times that depend on border traffic and on documents being ready:
| Destination in the Riyadh area | Mode | Approximate time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central districts and Al Olaya | Road — shared or dedicated truck | 2–4 days | Slot booked with building management |
| North districts and compounds | Road | 2–4 days | Compound gate permit in advance |
| Second Industrial City and Al Sulay warehouses | Road — trailer or 10-ton lorry | 2–4 days | Commercial papers ready before loading |
| Al Kharj and Diriyah | Road | 2–4 days | May add a day on a shared load |
| Riyadh Dry Port | Sea from Jebel Ali to Dammam, then rail | 2–3 days sailing + handling and clearance | For large commercial containers |
| King Khalid International Airport | Air | 1–3 days | For urgent, light shipments |
Car shipping from Dubai to Riyadh
A regular family car travels on an open multi-car carrier; a luxury or new car can go inside an enclosed carrier if you want it protected from dust and sun along the desert road. In the enclosed carrier the car is covered and its wheels are strapped down, so it reaches Riyadh as clean as it left Dubai.
- The car must be no more than 5 years old from its model year, counted without the current year.
- You need the registration card, the owner’s passport and ID, and an export certificate with plate surrender through the RTA in Dubai.
- The car is shipped empty of personal belongings; put your things in the furniture load, not on the back seat.
- Special cases, such as a car under bank finance or registered to a company, are checked with the team before booking.
The car is handed over in Riyadh after clearance, and it can ship in the same week as your furniture so the family arrives to find both waiting.
Commercial cargo from Dubai to Riyadh warehouses
Riyadh is a large market for goods from Dubai, and commercial loads usually go to the Second Industrial City, the Al Sulay warehouses and wholesale shops in the city. We load wrapped pallets in a shared truck for medium quantities, or a 12–13.6 m trailer for a full load.
- Saudi customs clearance is electronic through the Fasah platform.
- Usually required: a commercial invoice (certified when requested), a packing list and a certificate of origin.
- Many consumer products need a SABER conformity certificate; food, cosmetics and medicines must meet SFDA requirements.
- The consignee in Riyadh needs a commercial registration for commercial imports.
- Goods of UAE origin with a GCC certificate of origin are exempt from customs duty; 15% Saudi VAT applies on imports.
When is sea better than road?
If the cargo is very large or already in containers, it can sail from Jebel Ali to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam in about 2–3 days, then travel by rail to Riyadh Dry Port, plus port handling and clearance. For normal shop and warehouse loads, road stays faster and simpler because the truck pulls up at the warehouse door.
Air freight from Dubai to Riyadh
Air freight is for what cannot wait: original documents, laptops an employee needs on day one, trade samples or urgently needed spare parts. The shipment flies from Dubai to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and usually takes 1–3 days including clearance.
- Air does not suit large furniture; it is charged on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
- Lithium batteries, liquids and perfumes are restricted on air freight, so ask before packing.
- The air price depends on weight and dimensions: send the details on WhatsApp and the price comes back to you.
A practical plan when relocating is to fly the essentials for the first days and send the rest of the home or office by road for less.
Packing with the desert road and Riyadh heat in mind
The road from Dubai is desert, Riyadh is very hot in summer, and a load can stand for hours at the border. So packing starts with whatever reacts to heat:
- Electronics and screens in their original boxes if you kept them, or double padded wrapping.
- Candles, cosmetics and some foods in separate boxes that can sit in a cooler spot — better still, buy them in Riyadh.
- Glass and mirrors in cardboard frames with corner guards; sofas in plastic film over a moving blanket.
- Office chairs wrapped one by one; desk drawers locked or emptied before loading.
Mark one box “Open first” and put phone chargers, basic kitchen items and important papers in it. It will be the first box your home or office in Riyadh needs.
Documents for shipping from Dubai to Riyadh
Personal effects and used furniture
A copy of the owner’s passport and Saudi ID, iqama or residence visa, with a detailed contents list in Arabic or English. Items must be used personal effects; new items in commercial quantities are dutiable.
Office furniture and company assets
Office furniture and equipment going to a company in Riyadh is treated as a company shipment, not personal effects, so the receiving entity’s commercial registration and an invoice or asset list are usually requested. The team checks the papers your case needs before loading so the truck is not held at the border.
Commercial goods and cars
Goods: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and SABER or SFDA requirements depending on the product. Cars: registration, RTA export certificate and plate surrender, and the owner’s passport and ID.
What cannot be shipped to Riyadh
Warning: Narcotics, alcohol, pork products, weapons and ammunition without permits, counterfeit goods and gambling tools are not allowed. Drones and some medicines need prior permits, so tell the team about them before packing, not after.
Dubai to Riyadh shipping prices, starting from
| Shipment type | Price |
|---|---|
| Furniture and household goods, shared truck | Starts from AED 90 per cubic metre |
| Small parcels by road | Start from AED 45 |
| Sedan on an open carrier | Starts from AED 2,000 |
| SUV on an open carrier | Starts from AED 2,750 |
| Car in an enclosed carrier | Starts from AED 4,100 |
| Full office move or dedicated truck | Send the details on WhatsApp for a price |
| Air freight and containers | Ask for a price with weight and dimensions |
The final price depends on volume, weight, city, packing and documents. You can also fill in the quote request on the site.
What sets the cost of your shipment?
- Volume in cubic metres: the main factor for furniture; a small flat is very different from a villa or a thirty-desk office.
- Actual vs volumetric weight: for parcels and air freight the higher one is charged, so a big light box can cost more than you expect.
- Shared or dedicated: a dedicated truck costs more but leaves on your date, which office moves usually need.
- Packing, dismantling and reassembly: more fragile pieces and large wardrobes mean more work.
- Access at both ends: high floors, no service lift, or a smaller truck needed inside Riyadh.
- Type of documents: personal effects are simpler than goods needing SABER or SFDA approval.
To keep costs down: clear out what you won’t need before the survey, send everything in one shipment rather than several small ones, and choose a shared load if your date is flexible.
How to ship from Dubai to Riyadh, step by step
- Send your Dubai area, your Riyadh delivery address and photos or a list of what you are shipping on WhatsApp.
- The team estimates the volume and truck type, and you receive the price and expected date.
- Prepare the documents and the building permits in Dubai and at the Riyadh compound or building.
- The packing crew arrives on time, dismantles, wraps, numbers and writes the contents list.
- The truck heads to Al Ghuwaifat and Al Batha, and clearance is done on Fasah.
- The team calls you before arrival to confirm the entry slot for the district or compound.
- Unloading and reassembly in Riyadh, then checking the boxes against the list with you.
Tips before moving from Dubai to Riyadh
- Do not fix a Riyadh delivery day until the lease and the permit are ready; a late permit means a waiting truck.
- Photograph devices and valuables before packing, and keep a copy of the contents list on your phone.
- If your employer covers the move, ask exactly what the allowance includes before the survey so the difference does not surprise you.
- Air conditioners and fixed appliances must be removed before loading day; arrange it early.
- Keep the keys and your Dubai landlord’s contacts at hand on collection day.
Riyadh and around: where we deliver
We deliver to every Riyadh district, north, centre, east, west and south, from Al Malqa and Al Narjis to Al Shifa, Al Aziziyah and Al Dar Al Baida, and to Al Kharj, Diriyah, the Second Industrial City and Al Sulay. We also ship from Dubai to the rest of the Kingdom, including Dammam, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. If you are moving from another emirate, see Abu Dhabi to Riyadh shipping and Sharjah to Riyadh shipping; every option is gathered in the UAE to Riyadh shipping guide.
FAQ: shipping from Dubai to Riyadh
How long does shipping from Dubai to Riyadh take?
About 2–4 days from collection to delivery including clearance, with a few extra days possible on a shared load while the truck fills. Air freight usually takes 1–3 days.
Do you move a complete office from Dubai to Riyadh?
Yes, from the survey and department numbering to packing and unloading in the new building. Loading and delivery are scheduled with you and with both buildings’ management, usually on a dedicated truck.
Can several employees’ belongings share one truck?
Yes. Each employee has a contents list and documents in their own name and distinct labels on their boxes, and each load is delivered to its owner’s address in Riyadh.
Do you deliver inside Riyadh residential compounds?
Yes, once the resident has arranged the gate permit with compound management. We send you the truck and crew details and the expected time so the permit is issued before arrival.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Dubai to Riyadh?
A sedan on an open carrier starts from AED 2,000, an SUV from AED 2,750, and an enclosed carrier from AED 4,100. The final price depends on the car and the documents.
Do I pay customs on my used furniture?
Used personal effects of someone moving to Saudi Arabia are cleared with personal documents and a contents list; new items in commercial quantities are dutiable. The team reviews your case before shipping.
How do I know where my shipment is?
The team sends you a WhatsApp update at collection, at the border, on entry into the Kingdom and before delivery, and you can ask on the same number at any time.
How is payment arranged?
The payment method and timing are agreed with the team on WhatsApp when the booking is confirmed, so everything is clear from the start.
From Dubai to your home or office in Riyadh
Send your Dubai area, your Riyadh address and what you are shipping, and get the price and date on WhatsApp.
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