Gulf International Shipping moves household furniture from every city in Saudi Arabia to Qatar in closed trucks that cross at Salwa and enter Qatar through Abu Samra, with dismantling and packing at your Saudi home and reassembly in Doha, Lusail or Al Wakrah. Furniture from Riyadh usually arrives in 2 to 4 days, from Dammam in 1 to 3 days and from Jeddah in 3 to 5 working days. Our prices start at SAR 1,470 to move a bedroom (SAR 1,660 with dismantling, packing and assembly), SAR 3,230 for a 3-bedroom apartment with a living room, SAR 6,350 for a villa and SAR 120 per carton.
This guide is written for people relocating to Qatar for a job or a new home who want to take their household with them, not for someone sending a one-off parcel. So it opens with the customs question that shapes every other decision: will your used furniture enter duty-free, or will it be charged? Then it walks through price, transit time, packing and assembly, so you know what to bring and what to leave behind before you tape the first box.
In short
- Border crossing: Salwa in Al-Udaid governorate, the sole road border between the Kingdom and Qatar, facing Abu Samra on the Qatari side, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Customs exemption: used furniture of non-Qataris arriving to work for the first time qualifies when it lands within 6 months of the owner’s arrival in Qatar, with an employer letter, residence permit and an itemised list
- Transit time: 1–3 days from the Eastern Province, 2–4 days from Riyadh, 3–5 working days from Jeddah, Makkah and Taif
- Prices: a bedroom from SAR 1,470, an apartment from SAR 3,230, a villa from SAR 6,350 and a carton from SAR 120
- Service: dismantling, packing and numbering in Saudi Arabia, assembly in your new Qatar home, and wooden crates for glass and screens
- Urgent items by air: 24–48 hours to Doha, from SAR 1,110 per cubic metre
Route: your Saudi home → Salwa → Abu Samra → Doha, Lusail and Al Wakrah · Transit: 1–5 days by city · Contact: 0568829975
Is used furniture duty-free in Qatar?
Yes, under specific conditions. Qatar’s General Authority of Customs exempts personal luggage and used furniture and household appliances of non-Qataris coming to Qatar to work for the first time, and it also exempts returning Qatari citizens bringing their used belongings when they meet the legal criteria. This exemption is the biggest single factor in the cost of moving your home, because furniture that loses it can be charged the standard customs duty (usually 5% on goods of non-GCC origin).
The key point is that the exemption is neither automatic nor open-ended. It is tied to the date you entered Qatar, a letter from your employer and a written list of your belongings. That is why, at Gulf International Shipping, we ask every client when they start work in Qatar before we ask how many rooms they have: the start date decides when the truck needs to leave.
What the exemption does not cover
New appliances and tools never qualify, and a personal car is never part of it: cars pay duty under the unified tariff. If you were planning to buy a new fridge or washing machine before you leave, it is usually cheaper to buy it in Qatar after you arrive.
In practice, you will normally need to authorise the clearing agent online on the Qatari customs platform (Al Nadeeb) using a Qatari mobile number registered to your Qatar ID. A 5% duty may be charged if the paperwork is incomplete, or if you have been in Qatar for more than six months before the shipment arrives. So if you can, finish your Qatar residency first, then book the loading date in Saudi Arabia so the furniture lands in your first few weeks. The full rules are in our guide to Qatar used household goods customs.
Qatar has no VAT so far, so no extra tax percentage is added to your furniture on top of customs duty, if duty applies at all. Some pages confuse Qatar with other Gulf states on this point.
Approximate prices for furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Qatar
Gulf International Shipping prices are set below the rates other movers publish for this route. The first figure is where the price starts; the second is what larger loads, or loads needing special packing or upper-floor handling, usually reach.
Note: expect 1–3 days by road from the Eastern Province, 2–4 from Riyadh and 3–5 working days from the west; your delivery area in Qatar and how quickly Salwa and Abu Samra clear the truck can shift this. Air freight takes 24–48 hours.
Prices for single items and rooms
If you are only moving part of your home, these are the starting prices for items and rooms on a shared load:
To compare every city and shipment type, see shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
How long does furniture moving from Saudi cities to Qatar take?
Every furniture truck bound for Qatar ends up at the same place: the Salwa crossing. So the real question is how far your city is from Salwa. From Riyadh the road runs via Khurais and then Hofuf; from Dammam it drops straight down to Hofuf; trucks from the western region cross the Kingdom to Riyadh first and then continue east. After Abu Samra only about 90 km remain to Doha.
Treat these distances as approximate: actual mileage depends on the truck’s route and where the load is consolidated, and the transit times include loading, clearance and delivery; and is usually shorter with a dedicated truck because it does not wait for a shared load to fill up. Each city has its own detailed page: shipping from Riyadh to Qatar, shipping from Dammam to Qatar, shipping from Jeddah to Qatar, shipping from Makkah to Qatar, shipping from Madinah to Qatar, shipping from Taif to Qatar and shipping from Tabuk to Qatar.
Dismantling and packing furniture before shipping to Qatar
The road to Qatar is long enough to expose any weak packing: hundreds of kilometres of desert highway, high heat inside the truck body, then a possible unload and reload at inspection. That is why the Gulf International Shipping crew starts by taking large pieces apart in your home rather than wrapping them whole: a dismantled piece takes up less space and takes less strain.
Once packed, every carton and piece carries a number and the name of the room it will go to in your new home. The numbering is not just tidy: it is the basis of the belongings list Qatari customs ask for, and the basis of a fast assembly on arrival. We also photograph valuable pieces before wrapping, so both of us have a record of their condition.
Glass, mirrors and antiques: wooden crates
A glass tabletop, a large gilt-framed mirror, antiques and chandeliers need more than layers of bubble wrap. We build wooden crates to size, protect the corners with thick foam blocks and fix the piece inside so it cannot shift however much the truck shakes. These crates travel upright at the front of the truck, with nothing stacked on top.
Shared load or a dedicated truck for your household?
A shared load means your furniture travels with other families’ furniture in the same truck, and you pay only for the space it takes. A dedicated truck (dyna) carries your home alone and leaves on the date you choose. The difference is not just price: it is also how often your things are handled, how flexible the date is and how fast they arrive.
A simple rule we use at Gulf International Shipping: if your furniture is more than one room plus a kitchen, ask about a dedicated dyna before adding up single-item prices. It usually works out cheaper, as the worked example below shows.
The belongings list Qatari customs ask for
The belongings list (packing list) is the paper your exemption is processed on, and it is what the officer checks if they decide to open the shipment. A good list saves hours at Abu Samra; a vague one such as “assorted household goods” invites questions and a full inspection.
- A number for every carton and piece: matching the number written on the carton itself.
- A clear description: “winter clothes”, “kitchen pans”, “children’s books” instead of “miscellaneous”.
- Condition: used or new; new items fall outside the exemption and are best listed separately.
- Room: to make unloading and assembly in the new home easier.
- Valuables: electronics and antiques described more precisely, with a photo where possible.
Our crew builds the list with you during packing, not afterwards, and sends it to you to review before the truck is loaded. Keep a digital copy on your phone.
Documents required for furniture moving to Qatar
A returning Qatari citizen provides proof of their previous residence abroad and its end, and is treated under the rules for returning nationals. If your car is travelling with the furniture, it needs an entirely separate set of papers, covered in the car section below. Our customs clearance team checks the paperwork before loading.
Items to keep out of your household boxes
One carton with a prohibited item can hold up the whole truck at Abu Samra. These are the main items Qatar bans or restricts; if you are unsure about anything, check before it is packed:
- Prohibited: alcohol, pork products, e-cigarettes, heated-tobacco devices and e-shisha, chewing and sniffing tobacco, used vehicle tyres, weapons and ammunition, narcotics of any kind, ivory and endangered-wildlife products, material offensive to religion or public morals, counterfeit goods and radar jammers.
- Restricted: personal medicines with their prescription, pets with an import licence, food and dates with a health certificate, drones and wireless equipment with prior approval, and cash or valuables of QAR 50,000 or more, which must be declared.
- Not carried in household loads: gas cylinders, fuel, damaged batteries and flammable materials.
Furniture assembly in Doha, Lusail and Al Wakrah
Reaching Qatar is only half the job. Many newcomers live in residential towers in Lusail, Al Dafna or The Pearl, and these buildings have their own rules: booking the service lift, set moving hours and sometimes a permit from building management. We ask you to find out these arrangements before the arrival date, so the truck does not wait outside the tower for hours.
On arrival our crew unloads cartons into their rooms by number, reassembles the beds, wardrobes and kitchen units dismantled in Saudi Arabia, removes the covers and clears away the packing waste. These are the areas we deliver to:
Moving your car with the furniture: what changes?
Many families want their car to travel with the furniture on the same trip, and that is possible, but a car follows a completely different set of rules: it is not covered by the used-furniture exemption, it pays 5% customs duty on its value, and no VAT is added. Age matters too: in practice Qatar usually turns away light vehicles more than 5 years past their model year, with a handful of exceptions such as classics over 35 years old. Right-hand-drive conversions and cars with flood or major accident damage are refused outright.
Gulf International Shipping rates for moving the car alongside your furniture begin at SAR 1,100 for a sedan sharing a multi-car carrier, SAR 1,390 for an SUV and SAR 1,850 for a luxury model in an enclosed transporter. Saudi export steps and the 14-day registration rule in Qatar are covered step by step in car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Air freight for urgent belongings to Doha
You will not need to fly your whole home, but you may need your first-week essentials before the truck arrives: work clothes, basic kitchen items, school supplies for the children and your computer. That is why we suggest splitting the move: furniture by road, and a few urgent cartons by air to Hamad International Airport.
At Gulf International Shipping, air freight for belongings starts from SAR 1,110 per cubic metre, door to door in 24 to 48 hours. For parcels, the per-kg air rate compares scale weight with dimensional weight and charges the higher, so send us your carton sizes and we will quote. Flight options and rates per city are covered in air freight from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Steps for furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- 1Fix your start date in Qatar
It starts the six-month exemption window, and we build the loading schedule around it. - 2Send room photos or book a survey
On WhatsApp 0568829975, so we can recommend a shared load or a dedicated dyna and send a price. - 3Prepare your employer letter and residence permit
We go through the remaining documents with you, including the agent authorisation on Al Nadeeb. - 4Dismantling, packing and the belongings list
Our crew takes pieces apart, wraps and numbers them, and builds the list with you room by room. - 5Loading and filing on Fasah
The closed truck is loaded and the shipment data filed before it reaches Salwa. - 6Crossing and clearance at Abu Samra
We follow the formalities at both posts and update you at each stage. - 7Delivery and assembly
The crew unloads cartons into their rooms and reassembles the furniture in your new home.
If there is a gap between leaving your Saudi home and getting the keys in Qatar, ask us about short-term storage before shipping, its duration and cost. Shipment insurance can also be arranged based on the declared value of your belongings.
What decides the cost of moving your furniture to Qatar?
The final price depends on several factors, chiefly:
- Volume: in cubic metres; loose items start from SAR 415 per cubic metre
- Truck type: shared, a dedicated dyna, or more than one truck for a villa
- Loading city: the Eastern Province is closer to Salwa than Riyadh, and Riyadh closer than the west
- Qatari destination: Doha, Lusail and Al Wakrah differ from Al Khor, Dukhan and the north
- Services: dismantling, packing, assembly and wooden crates
- Floors and lifts: upper-floor loading with no lift needs extra hands and extra hours
- Insurance: based on the declared value of the goods
Worked example
A family in Riyadh is moving a two-bedroom apartment to Lusail. Priced item by item on a shared load: a bedroom with dismantling and assembly at SAR 1,660, a living room at SAR 1,560, kitchen units at SAR 1,380, a fridge at SAR 370 and 10 cartons at SAR 120 each (SAR 1,200) come to a starting total of SAR 6,170. The whole apartment in a private dyna starts from SAR 3,230. That is why we price both ways for every client and pick the cheaper one together.
How to cut the cost of moving furniture to Qatar
- Let go of what you will not use: moving heavy old furniture can cost more than it is worth.
- Do not buy new before you travel: new items pay duty and add volume.
- Pack small items into cartons: a carton starts from SAR 120 instead of pricing each piece.
- Use a shared load for small moves: one room does not need a whole truck.
- Avoid peak periods: demand for trucks rises at the end of the school year and before holiday seasons.
- Get your papers ready early: losing the exemption over one missing document will cost you more than any discount could save.
Mistakes that delay furniture at Abu Samra
- Shipping the furniture more than six months after you entered Qatar, so the exemption lapses.
- Mixing new and used appliances on one list without marking which is which.
- Writing “miscellaneous” on dozens of cartons.
- Leaving an e-cigarette or another banned product inside a box of clothes.
- Packing the fridge or washing machine wet, so it arrives smelling of mould.
- Not booking the tower lift in Lusail or Al Dafna before the arrival date.
- Filling the car with personal belongings, which is not allowed when it is shipped.
Why choose Gulf International Shipping to move your furniture to Qatar?
We start with customs
We plan your shipping date around the six-month window and the exemption rules, not just the truck schedule.
Published prices
A clear starting price per item, room, apartment and villa before any survey.
Packing by item
Dismantling and numbering, wooden crates for glass and screens, and a detailed belongings list.
Delivery and assembly in Qatar
From Doha and Lusail to Al Wakrah and Al Khor, with everything we took apart put back together.
Start planning your move to Qatar
Send us your move date, your current city, your area in Qatar and photos of your rooms, and we will reply with a price, a loading date and the expected transit time.
Related articles
- Qatar used household goods customs
- Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- Land freight from Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- Cartons and parcels shipping to Qatar
- The Salwa–Abu Samra border crossing
- Furniture moving abroad service
- All destinations from Saudi Arabia
