Selling to Saudi Arabia and the GCC from your UAE online store
How to sell from your UAE online store to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain: local prices, shipping, duties, VAT and Arabic.
By the Samay.ae teamUpdated 11 min read
Yes, you can sell to Saudi Arabia from the UAE with the online store you already have. You ship each order by courier, and the parcel clears Saudi customs on arrival.
To make it work, show prices Saudi shoppers understand and offer the payment methods they use. Be clear about delivery times, and about who pays any Saudi VAT or duty. If you are VAT-registered in the UAE, exports are zero-rated (0%) when you keep proof that the goods left within 90 days.
Ask a tax adviser whether you must register for anything in Saudi Arabia as a foreign seller. The same approach works for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, the other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.
Why sell to Saudi Arabia and the GCC?
Saudi Arabia is the biggest GCC country by population, and it borders the UAE. Tastes are often similar, especially in modest fashion, perfume, oud and gifts. Arabic is the official language of both countries, and Tabby and Tamara work in both. That makes Saudi Arabia a natural first step into GCC e-commerce.
If you sell modest fashion or scent, see our guides to starting an abaya business online and starting a perfume business online.
Check the demand first
Look at where interest already comes from:
- Your store's reports. Your sales reports show where orders come from, and a tool such as Google Analytics (Google's free tool for measuring visits) shows where visitors come from.
- Instagram. Insights on a professional account usually show your followers' top countries.
- Messages. Count WhatsApp messages from Saudi numbers (+966), and direct messages from Saudi followers, asking if you deliver.
If the interest is real, start small: a few best-sellers, one courier and clear delivery terms.
Prices, currency and Saudi VAT
The Saudi riyal (SAR) and the UAE dirham are both pegged to the US dollar. So the rate between them barely moves: AED 100 is about SAR 102.
SAR prices are easier for Saudi shoppers to understand. Whether you can also charge in SAR depends on your payment provider and how your store is set up, so ask your provider whether it can take payments in SAR. On a custom store, your developer can then set up prices and checkout in SAR. Ready-made platforms have their own rules. On Shopify, for example, this generally depends on Shopify Payments, which at the time of writing (October 2026) is in early access in the UAE and only on the Advanced and Plus plans.
If you cannot charge in SAR, show an approximate SAR price, and say clearly that cards are charged in AED. The shopper's bank may add a fee for paying in a foreign currency.
How Saudi VAT changes the final price
Saudi VAT is 15%. If it applies to an order, someone pays it: you or your customer.
Say a Saudi customer orders an abaya for SAR 600. If 15% VAT is charged when the parcel arrives, that is about SAR 90 more. A customer who did not expect it may refuse the parcel, and you pay for the trip back.
Saudi Arabia generally waives customs duty on low-value shipments, around SAR 1,000, but VAT may still apply. Check the current rules with your courier.
Payment methods for Saudi shoppers
Offer the ways Saudi shoppers like to pay.
| Payment method | What to know for Saudi orders |
|---|---|
| mada | Saudi Arabia's debit card network. Tap Payments and Amazon Payment Services accept it |
| Visa and Mastercard | Accepted by the main UAE payment providers |
| Apple Pay | Available through providers such as Tap Payments, Checkout.com and Amazon Payment Services. Confirm it with yours |
| Tabby | Works in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait |
| Tamara | Works in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain |
| Cash on delivery | Harder across borders. Ask your courier whether it collects cash in Saudi Arabia, and how fast it pays you |
If your payment gateway (the service that takes card payments for you) does not accept mada, consider one that does. Tabby and Tamara let shoppers split the price into smaller payments, while you are paid upfront, minus a fee. Ask each of them which currencies Saudi shoppers can pay in on your store.
Read more about Tabby and Tamara for online stores and choosing a payment gateway in the UAE.
Shipping to Saudi Arabia from Dubai
Common couriers into Saudi Arabia include Aramex, SMSA, Naqel, SPL (Saudi Post) and DHL.
Delivery takes longer than inside the UAE, because every parcel clears customs. Ask each courier for its usual times to your customers' cities, such as Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Then show those times on your product pages.
Questions to ask each courier:
- Do you offer duties paid by me, duties paid by the customer, or both?
- What documents do you need, such as a commercial invoice with product values?
- Are any of my products restricted or in need of special handling, such as perfume?
- Can you collect cash on delivery in Saudi Arabia, and how fast do you pay me?
- How do returns come back to the UAE, and what do they cost?
- How do you connect to my store, so I do not have to retype every order?
For couriers inside the UAE, see our guide to delivery companies for UAE online stores.
Who pays duties and VAT: you or your customer?
| Option | What happens | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Duties paid by you (DDP, delivered duty paid) | You pay any duty and VAT through your courier. The customer pays nothing at the door | Build these costs into your price, and check that your courier offers it |
| Duties paid by the customer (DAP, delivered at place) | The customer pays any duty, VAT and handling fees on arrival | Surprise charges can lead to refused parcels, and you usually pay for the return |
Tip: For orders to consumers, use duties paid by you if your courier offers it. A clear final price builds trust, and refused parcels are expensive.
If you choose duties paid by the customer, say so on product pages and at checkout.
Returns from Saudi Arabia
Returns cross the border too, so they take longer and cost more than UAE returns. Before your first Saudi order, decide who pays for return delivery, whether you offer exchanges, and how long refunds take. For low-value items, consider a refund or replacement without asking for the item back. Write it all into your return and refund policy.
UAE VAT and Saudi rules for cross-border sellers
Tax applies on both sides of the border.
UAE VAT: exports are zero-rated
If you are registered for UAE VAT, goods you physically export within 90 days are zero-rated. You charge 0% UAE VAT, as long as you keep proof of export, usually your courier's shipping and customs documents. Sales to other GCC countries currently follow the same export rules.
Place a test order to a Saudi address to check that your checkout does not add UAE VAT. For the full picture, read VAT for online stores in the UAE.
Saudi rules for foreign sellers
ZATCA (the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority) runs tax and customs in Saudi Arabia. Whether a foreign online seller must register for Saudi VAT, or anything else, depends on your situation. Ask a tax adviser who knows Saudi rules, and check ZATCA's website.
Check product rules too. Cosmetics, perfume, food and supplements may face extra rules in Saudi Arabia, as they can in the UAE.
Arabic and marketing for Saudi shoppers
Language and timing matter as much as price.
Make your store work in Arabic
Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia, so an Arabic version of your store matters even more there. Translate everything a shopper sees: products, menus, checkout, emails, and your delivery and returns pages.
Use machine translation only as a first draft, and have a native Arabic speaker check it. The layout must also work right to left, the way Arabic is read, on phones as well as computers. See how to build an Arabic and English online store.
Stores we build can be in Arabic and English, and we can help you set up selling to Saudi Arabia and other countries. See what every store includes.
Plan around Saudi dates
- Saudi Founding Day, 22 February. A good moment for a themed collection or offer.
- Saudi National Day, 23 September. Consider green and white, the national colours, for themed products and packaging.
- Ramadan and Eid. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, so Founding Day will likely fall during Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is expected around 10 March 2027.
- Earlier cut-offs. Cross-border delivery takes longer, so set earlier last-order dates for Saudi Arabia.
See every season in our UAE sales calendar for online stores.
Where to reach Saudi shoppers
Instagram is a natural start, and Snapchat is worth testing for Saudi audiences. Put delivery times and duty terms in your ads. If you pay Saudi creators to promote you, ask what permits they need to advertise there.
Selling online to Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain
The same steps apply in the rest of the GCC. Check demand, choose a courier that covers the country, decide who pays duties and VAT, and show clear delivery times. Tax and customs rules differ by country, so check them before you set prices.
| Country | Currency | Tabby or Tamara, at the time of writing |
|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) | Both work there |
| Qatar | Qatari riyal (QAR) | Neither lists Qatar; check |
| Oman | Omani rial (OMR) | Neither lists Oman; check |
| Bahrain | Bahraini dinar (BHD) | Tamara |
When to set up in Saudi Arabia
Shipping from the UAE is the simplest way to test the market. Consider a local setup when:
- Saudi orders are a large and steady part of your sales.
- Customers want faster delivery than cross-border shipping allows.
- Duties, returns and refused parcels are eating your margin.
- You want to charge in SAR and offer every local payment option.
Options include keeping stock with a fulfilment company in Saudi Arabia, or setting up a Saudi business. Both can change your tax position, so talk to an adviser first.
Step by step: how to sell to Saudi Arabia from the UAE
- Check demand in your store reports, Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Choose 5 to 20 products to test. Pick items that ship easily and have good margins.
- Get quotes from two or three couriers that deliver to Saudi Arabia, including duties paid by you.
- Set your prices with delivery, duties and Saudi VAT in mind. Show SAR if you can.
- Add the payment methods Saudi shoppers use: mada, Apple Pay, Tabby and Tamara.
- Translate your store and policies into Arabic.
- Write a Saudi delivery page that covers delivery times, who pays duties and how returns work.
- Keep proof of export for every order, if you are VAT-registered.
- Send test orders to friends or family in Saudi Arabia.
- Launch with a small campaign. After a month, review costs, delivery times and refused parcels.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules in both countries change, so check with ZATCA, the UAE Federal Tax Authority or an adviser before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell to Saudi Arabia from my UAE online store?
Yes. You ship orders from the UAE by courier, with prices, payment methods and delivery terms that suit Saudi shoppers. As sales grow, ask a tax adviser whether you need to register for anything in Saudi Arabia.
Do Saudi customers pay customs duty on orders from the UAE?
Saudi Arabia generally waives customs duty on low-value shipments, around SAR 1,000, but 15% Saudi VAT may still apply. The rules depend on the product and can change, so check with your courier. If you ship with duties paid by you, the customer pays nothing extra at the door.
Do I charge UAE VAT on orders to Saudi Arabia?
If you are VAT-registered and the goods physically leave the UAE within 90 days, the sale is zero-rated, so you charge 0% UAE VAT. Keep proof of export, such as your courier's shipping documents. If you are not VAT-registered, you do not charge UAE VAT at all.
Which courier is best for shipping to Saudi Arabia?
No single courier is best for every store. Aramex, SMSA, Naqel, SPL (Saudi Post) and DHL all deliver to Saudi Arabia, so compare quotes, delivery times, duty options and returns for your products. Send a few test parcels before you choose.
Can I show prices in Saudi riyals?
Yes, you can show SAR prices. Whether you can also charge in SAR depends on your payment provider and how your store is set up, so ask your provider, and ask Tabby and Tamara too. If you cannot charge in SAR, show an approximate SAR price and say clearly that cards are charged in AED.