The Al Batha border crossing is the only land crossing between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It lies in Al Udaid Governorate in the Eastern Province, faces the UAE’s Ghuwaifat post in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and operates 24 hours a day. Every UAE-bound truck of Gulf International Shipping crosses here, whichever Saudi city it left from. Road shipments from Dammam arrive in 2–4 working days, from Riyadh in 3–5 days and from the western cities in 4–6 days. Prices start from SAR 37 for a personal parcel, SAR 92 per carton and SAR 1,100 for a bedroom or a sedan. Call 0568829975 to book.
Saudi Arabia → Al Batha crossing (Eastern Province) → Ghuwaifat crossing (Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi) → Abu Dhabi → Dubai and the northern emirates · open 24 hours · Fasah pre-clearance about 24 hours before arrival · 0568829975
At a glance: Al Batha crossing for shipping to the UAE
- Location: Al Udaid Governorate, Eastern Province, on the border with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- Facing post: The UAE’s Ghuwaifat crossing, where the highway to Abu Dhabi and Dubai begins.
- Opening hours: 24 hours a day.
- Transit by city: Dammam 2–4 working days, Riyadh 3–5 days, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and Taif 4–6 days, Tabuk about 5–7 days.
- Prices: Parcel from SAR 37, carton from SAR 92, consolidated freight from SAR 7.5 per kg, full trailer from SAR 6,450.
- Cars: Sedan from SAR 1,100 on a multi-car carrier; luxury in an enclosed flatbed from SAR 2,300.
- Air alternative: From SAR 46 per kg in 24–48 hours, without using the land border.
Where is the Al Batha crossing, and why is it the only route to the UAE?
Al Batha sits at the far south-eastern tip of the Eastern Province, within Al Udaid Governorate, on the land border with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Saudipedia describes it as the only crossing linking Saudi Arabia with the UAE, so all truck and car traffic between the two countries passes through it, from household furniture to commercial cargo and vehicles.
Published figures show its weight: imports through it reached about SAR 117 billion and exports about SAR 105 billion over three consecutive years. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has upgraded the crossing, and a design contract for a new cargo facility there has been signed. From the east, a regional road of 284 km links Jubail with Al Batha, according to Saudipedia.
Don’t confuse Al Batha with Salwa or Al Sila
Is the Al Batha crossing open 24 hours?
Yes, the crossing operates around the clock, so trucks can cross day and night. But a 24-hour crossing does not mean every truck passes immediately. Waiting time depends on whether the paperwork is complete, whether the data was filed in advance, and how busy the lanes are at peak times and holiday seasons. That is why Gulf International Shipping schedules a truck’s arrival after pre-clearance is complete, not before.
Transit times through Al Batha from each Saudi city
Every Saudi city reaches the UAE on the same final stretch of road, but the distance before the border varies hugely. A Dammam shipment reaches Al Batha in a few hours via Al Ahsa, while a Tabuk shipment covers more than 2,200 km before reaching Dubai. This table sums up the approximate distance and transit time for each city:
Note: distances are approximate and depend on the road and consolidation point; the northern emirates and the east coast usually add about one day.
How does a shipment cross Al Batha, step by step?
Crossing is not a single moment at the gate but a chain of steps that begins before the truck leaves your city. This is the sequence Gulf International Shipping follows for every UAE-bound shipment:
- 1Prepare the documents: Packing list and ID or iqama; or invoice, commercial registration and certificate of origin; or the car’s export papers.
- 2Electronic authorisation: The shipper authorises the carrier through the Fasah platform to handle formalities in their name.
- 3Pre-clearance: Roughly a day before the truck is due at the border, the shipment details go onto Fasah.
- 4Saudi exit formalities: The truck enters the crossing lanes, the data is matched with the load, and it may be inspected.
- 5Entry at Ghuwaifat: The customs declaration is presented to the UAE side, the load is inspected if needed, and any duty is assessed.
- 6On to the destination: The truck heads to Abu Dhabi, then Dubai and the northern emirates for door-to-door delivery.
What is Fasah pre-clearance?
Fasah is the electronic platform where shipment data is filed before reaching Saudi ports and land crossings. When a truck arrives with its data ready and reviewed, waiting time at Al Batha drops, because the officer is matching the load against information already in the system. A truck that arrives with incomplete data may have to wait until it is completed, and that is the single most common cause of delays.
At Gulf International Shipping our clearance team files the data right after loading and checks that the packing list matches the cartons and that descriptions are specific rather than generic. That is why we ask customers to write down what each carton contains instead of just “belongings”. See our customs clearance page for the service.
Documents needed to cross Al Batha
For a fuller list by shipment type, see land freight from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Used furniture at Ghuwaifat: when is it duty-free?
When furniture enters the UAE, the customs exemption rules for used personal effects apply. Under Dubai Customs rules, the exemption normally covers a foreigner moving to the UAE for the first time, once residence and work are proven, and a UAE national returning for good. The goods must be used, in quantities suitable for a home, registered in the beneficiary’s name, and accompanied by a packing list of all contents.
New appliances and items are not covered and attract 5% customs duty and 5% VAT. Mixing new items with used ones without declaring them clearly holds shipments up at Ghuwaifat. The full set of conditions and refusal cases is in UAE customs rules for used household goods.
Cars through the Al Batha crossing
Cars cross either on a multi-car carrier, from SAR 1,100 for a sedan and SAR 1,390 for an SUV, or on an enclosed hydraulic flatbed for luxury cars from SAR 2,300. Before reaching the border the car must carry export plates, with the export certificate and clearance letter ready. At Ghuwaifat the car attracts 5% duty on its freight-and-insurance-inclusive value, and VAT of 5% is then added on top.
Some emirates require a car to be no more than about 10 years old, right-hand-drive cars are generally accepted only at 25 years or older, and major-accident or flood-damaged cars may be refused. So we review the car’s status before it heads to Al Batha. Before booking, read the vehicle checklist in car shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Commercial goods and the GCC certificate of origin
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are both members of the GCC customs union, so Saudi-origin goods are normally treated as national products on entering the UAE when accompanied by a GCC certificate of origin. The certificate saves the trader customs duty, but it does not replace the invoice, packing list and accurate Fasah data.
Traders have two options through Al Batha: shared freight by pallet from SAR 740 or by cubic metre from SAR 740, or a full load in a 15 m trailer from SAR 6,450. Commercial shippers can find pallet and certificate details in goods shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Cross Al Batha with your papers ready
Send your shipment type, your city and the destination emirate, and we will prepare the documents, pre-clearance and price.
Why shipments get delayed at Al Batha, and how to avoid it
After Ghuwaifat: the road to UAE cities
After the Ghuwaifat crossing the truck enters the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, passes the town of Al Sila and follows the E11 highway along the Gulf coast towards Abu Dhabi city. From Abu Dhabi it continues to Dubai, then Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, or turns towards Al Ain or the east coast at Fujairah and Khor Fakkan.
Gulf International Shipping delivers in all seven emirates, including Dubai districts such as Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, Deira and Bur Dubai, Abu Dhabi areas such as Khalifa City, Al Reem Island and Mussafah, and Al Nahda and Al Majaz in Sharjah.
Approximate shipping prices through Al Batha to the UAE
These are “from” prices for shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE via Al Batha, set 5–10% below the lowest published competitor prices. Read each range as our starting price followed by the typical market ceiling.
Note: road shipping via Al Batha usually takes 2 to 6 days depending on the origin city, the emirate and customs clearance, and air freight 24 to 48 hours.
These prices are based on Riyadh and Saudi-wide rates; prices from the western cities and Dammam differ slightly. To compare each city, see shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Air freight: an alternative that skips the land border
If your shipment is small and urgent, there is no need to wait for the road and the border. Gulf International Shipping flies cargo from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam airports to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, delivered in 24–48 hours from SAR 46 per kg. Actual or volumetric weight is charged, whichever is greater, so air suits documents and small devices rather than furniture. Weights, packing and airports are explained in air freight from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
What is not allowed through Al Batha into the UAE?
- Weapons, explosives, ammunition and hazardous chemicals.
- Gas cylinders and highly flammable materials.
- Loose lithium batteries.
- Narcotics and unlicensed medicines, counterfeit money and counterfeit goods.
- Material contrary to public morals.
- Drones, radio equipment, seeds and plants unless permitted.
These are the best-known prohibitions and restrictions; we check any unclear item before loading so it does not hold up the whole shipment at the border.
Why cross Al Batha with Gulf International Shipping?
Pre-clearance on every load
Data filed about 24 hours before arrival.
Accurate border information
Al Batha then Ghuwaifat, never confused with Salwa or Al Sila.
From every Saudi city
Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Taif and Tabuk.
Published prices
“From” prices 5–10% below competitors.
Furniture, cars and cargo
Every shipment type through the same crossing.
All seven emirates
From Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
Related articles
- Land freight from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Furniture shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Shipping from Dammam to the UAE
- Land freight from Riyadh to the UAE
- UAE customs rules for used household goods
- Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Land freight service
- Shipping destinations
