Gulf International Shipping runs land freight from Riyadh to the UAE as full truckloads (FTL) or shared space (LTL). Our trucks cross at Al Batha and then Al Ghuwaifat and reach Abu Dhabi and Dubai within 3–5 days. A pallet on a shared truck starts from SAR 740, a full 15 m trailer from SAR 6,450, a sedan on a shared car carrier from SAR 1,100, and a carton from SAR 92. To book a truck or space: 0568829975.
At a glance
- Border: trucks exit at Al Batha and enter at Al Ghuwaifat, the single road link between the Kingdom and the Emirates, working around the clock
- Usual road: Riyadh → Haradh → Al Batha → Al Ghuwaifat → Abu Dhabi → Dubai, about 1,000 km to Dubai
- Transit: 3–5 days from shipper’s door to consignee’s door, about one more day for the northern emirates
- Shared load (LTL): a pallet from SAR 740
- Full truckload (FTL): a 15 m trailer from SAR 6,450
- Cars: sedan from SAR 1,100, SUV from SAR 1,390, luxury on an enclosed flatbed from SAR 2,300
- Pre-clearance: the declaration goes on Fasah about 24 hours before the truck reaches the border
This guide is for anyone who needs a specific road solution out of Riyadh: a trader supplying a distributor in Sharjah, a factory sending a monthly load to a warehouse in Jebel Ali, or someone shipping a car with a few belongings. It explains when to book a whole truck and when space is enough, what happens to the truck day by day up to the border, and how the price is built.
Why road is the first choice between Riyadh and the UAE
Riyadh and the Emirates are linked by a direct road of about 1,000 km. Riyadh has no seaport, so sea freight would first need a truck to Dammam. That is why most cargo leaving Riyadh for the UAE goes by truck, with air reserved for urgent, light shipments. How the three modes compare from Riyadh:
Rule of thumb: if your shipment weighs more than a few dozen kilograms and you do not need it within two days, road is far cheaper. If it is a handful of urgent cartons, air saves days.
Shared load (LTL) or full truckload (FTL) from Riyadh?
This is the first question, and it sets both price and timing. With a shared load you pay for the space your pallets occupy and wait for the truck to fill with other customers’ cargo. With a full truckload the truck is yours alone and leaves as soon as it is loaded.
When does a full truck work out cheaper?
Multiply your pallet count by SAR 740 and compare it with the trailer price from SAR 6,450. When the two figures get close, the full truckload wins because it is faster and skips warehouse handling.
Truck types on the Riyadh–UAE lane
Gulf International Shipping picks the truck for the nature of the load, not just its size. These are the vehicles we arrange on this lane:
Day by day: a truck’s journey from Riyadh to Dubai
The 3–5 days are not all driving. The road itself takes about a day; the rest is loading, formalities and distribution. Knowing the stages helps you have the right papers ready at the right time:
- 1Day 1: collection and checks
Cargo is collected from your warehouse or factory in Riyadh, and the pallet and carton count is matched against the invoice and packing list. - 2Day 2: loading and declaration
The truck is loaded and sealed, and the broker files the declaration on Fasah about 24 hours before the truck reaches the border. - 3Day 3: Al Batha and Al Ghuwaifat
The truck takes the Haradh road to Al Batha, completes Saudi exit and then UAE entry at Al Ghuwaifat, where it may be opened for inspection. - 4Day 4: Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Deliveries start in Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra, then Dubai and Jebel Ali. - 5Day 5: the northern emirates
Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, or unloading of shared cargo at the distribution warehouse followed by final delivery.
About the Al Batha crossing
Al Batha lies in Al Udayd governorate in the Eastern Province and is the only land crossing linking the Kingdom with the UAE. It faces the Emirati post at Al Ghuwaifat, which operates around the clock. Do not confuse it with Salwa, which is the crossing to Qatar.
Approximate land freight prices from Riyadh to the UAE
At Gulf International Shipping, land freight from Riyadh to the UAE starts from SAR 740 per pallet on a shared load and from SAR 6,450 for a full trailer. The summary table:
Note: trucks from Riyadh usually arrive within 3–5 days depending on the emirate and how quickly both border posts clear the load, while air freight arrives within 24–48 hours.
Other land freight items from Riyadh:
To compare these figures with Dammam and Jeddah, see shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
How to prepare pallets for a long road trip
Most damage on long-haul road freight does not come from accidents. It comes from a badly stacked pallet that shakes for four hundred kilometres before it leans. Good preparation protects the goods and speeds up inspection at the border:
- Heavy at the bottom: the heaviest cartons form the base, the lightest go on top, and nothing overhangs the pallet edge.
- Stretch wrap: several turns that include the wooden pallet itself, so the load becomes one block.
- Corner boards: on all four edges under the wrap to stop cartons crushing when strapped.
- Labels on two sides: consignee, emirate and the pallet number out of the total (for example 3 of 8).
- Even height: pallets of equal height sit side by side with no gaps, which saves you money on a shared load.
If you have no pallets or wrapping equipment, the Gulf International Shipping team prepares the shipment at the Riyadh consolidation warehouse before loading.
Tracking the truck to delivery
After loading you receive updates at each key stage: the truck leaving Riyadh, arriving at Al Batha, completing entry at Al Ghuwaifat, and the expected delivery time in the emirate. If customs asks for an extra document or an inspection, we tell you at once so you can provide it, instead of discovering the delay two days later.
Where we collect in Riyadh and deliver in the UAE
We collect commercial cargo from the Riyadh industrial cities, the warehouses of Al Sulay and the Al Kharj road, and shops and showrooms across the city, as well as homes for private shipments. In the UAE, deliveries go to industrial areas, warehouses and residential districts:
Shipping cars by road from Riyadh to the UAE
Cars travel on dedicated vehicles, not on the goods trailer. A shared carrier takes several cars on two decks and is the economical option: a sedan from SAR 1,100 and an SUV from SAR 1,390. Luxury and electric cars ride on an enclosed hydraulic flatbed that keeps out dust and sun, from SAR 2,300.
- From Saudi traffic: export plates and a final export certificate, with an Absher authorisation and a clearance letter for traffic fines.
- In the UAE: 5% customs duty and 5% VAT on the car’s value, followed by a technical test, local insurance and registration in the emirate.
- Vehicle age: some emirates cap the age of an imported car at roughly 10 years, so confirm your emirate’s rule before shipping.
- Damaged cars: vehicles classed as major-accident or flood cars may be refused or referred for extra procedures.
Full details on paperwork and registration are in car shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Air freight from Riyadh to the UAE: when to use it instead of road
When a production line is waiting on a spare part, or a customer needs a sample before signing an order, waiting for a truck makes no sense. Gulf International Shipping sends these consignments from King Khalid International Airport to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah within 24–48 hours, from SAR 46 per kg. Many of our clients combine the two: the main volume by road and a small share by air so sales can start before the truck arrives. More in air freight from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Cartons and small parcels by road from Riyadh
Road freight is not only for traders. A carton starts from SAR 92, a small parcel or documents from SAR 37 and loose items from SAR 14 per kg, all travelling on the same shared trucks. If you are moving a whole home, furniture moving from Riyadh to the UAE covers dismantling, packing and the customs exemption.
Documents for land freight from Riyadh to the UAE
Goods of Saudi origin are usually treated as national products in the UAE when they travel with a GCC certificate of origin, which keeps duties down. Goods originally imported from outside the Gulf and re-exported from Riyadh are reviewed by the broker before shipping.
Prohibited and restricted items on road freight to the UAE
- Prohibited: explosives and fireworks, weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods, fake currency and material contrary to public morals.
- Dangerous goods needing special arrangements: chemicals without a safety data sheet (MSDS), loose lithium batteries, flammable gases and liquids.
- Restricted, permit needed: medicines, drones, wireless communication equipment, seeds and plants, and some foodstuffs.
This is a list of common prohibited items, not an exhaustive one. If your goods fall in an unclear category, send us the description and HS code before booking so we can confirm they are accepted.
How to book land freight from Riyadh to the UAE
- 1Send the shipment details
Type of goods, number of pallets or cartons, approximate weight, and the destination emirate and area. - 2Receive the quote and truck type
We recommend LTL or FTL and the right truck, with the price and departure date. - 3Prepare the documents
Invoice, packing list and commercial registration, or the car or residence papers depending on the shipment. - 4Collection and loading
From your site in Riyadh, or by dropping pallets at the consolidation warehouse. - 5Crossing and clearance
Fasah declaration, then Al Batha, Al Ghuwaifat and UAE customs clearance. - 6Delivery and sign-off
Unloading at the address and checking the count against the packing list.
What pushes the cost of land freight up or down?
- Volume and weight: shared freight is priced per pallet or per kg, using the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
- Truck type: refrigerated trucks and enclosed car carriers cost more than a dry trailer.
- Emirate and area: Dubai and Abu Dhabi are closer; the northern emirates and the east coast are further.
- Nature of the goods: dangerous and fragile cargo needs extra packing and arrangements.
- Clearance: from SAR 460, varying with the number of lines on the invoice.
- Insurance: a percentage of the declared value.
Example: a Riyadh distributor sends 6 pallets of cleaning products to a warehouse in Sharjah. On a shared load the cost starts from 6 × 740 = SAR 4,440. If the shipment grows to 9 pallets it passes SAR 6,600, and at that point the full trailer from SAR 6,450 becomes both cheaper and faster.
The cheapest way to ship by road from Riyadh to the UAE
- Consolidate small orders into one weekly shipment instead of sending each one separately.
- Stack pallets to an even height so you do not pay for empty space above them.
- Book early before peak periods, as trucks fill quickly ahead of seasons and holidays.
- Have the GCC certificate of origin ready to avoid unnecessary duty.
- Switch to a full truckload once your pallet total approaches the trailer price.
Mistakes that hold trucks up at Al Batha
- An invoice that does not match the actual number of cartons on the truck.
- A vague description such as “assorted items” instead of an exact description and HS code.
- No certificate of origin for Saudi goods, so they are treated as foreign goods.
- Undeclared flammable items packed among the cartons.
- Filing the Fasah declaration late, only when the truck is already at the border.
What sets Gulf International Shipping apart on the Riyadh–UAE lane?
From a single pallet
Shared freight from SAR 740 without booking a whole truck.
A truck for every load
Trailers, reefers, flatbeds, and open and enclosed car carriers.
Declaration before the border
We file on Fasah a day before the truck reaches Al Batha.
All seven emirates
From Mussafah and Jebel Ali to Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Need a truck from Riyadh to the UAE?
Tell us the number of pallets, the type of goods and the emirate, and we will send the truck type, price and departure date.
Related UAE shipping guides
- Land freight from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Goods shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Shipping from Jeddah to the UAE
- Shipping from Dammam to the UAE
- Al Batha border crossing guide
- Carton and parcel shipping to the UAE
- Land freight service
- Customs clearance service
- All shipping destinations
