Land freight from Saudi Arabia to Iraq runs through a single border post: the Jdeidat Arar crossing in the Northern Borders Region. Gulf International Shipping collects your furniture, cartons, trade goods and car anywhere in the Kingdom, drives them north to the crossing, has the load moved onto an Iraqi truck in the exchange yard, and sends it on to Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad and every other governorate. Allow roughly 4–6 working days for a dedicated truck out of central and eastern Saudi Arabia, 5–7 out of the Hijaz, Madinah or Tabuk, and a day or two more if the goods are bound for Basra or the Kurdistan Region. Prices open at SAR 137 per carton and SAR 13.8 per kilo on a shared truck; a bedroom set begins at SAR 2,300, a saloon car at SAR 1,640, and a truck of your own at SAR 5,980.
Ask around about shipping to Iraq and you will hear a lot of contradictory advice: that trucks go via Jordan, that some crossing with no link to the Iraqi border is the way in, or that used furniture enters completely duty-free. This guide sets out how the route actually works on the ground: where the truck leaves from, what happens at the border, how many days your shipment needs from your city, what each service costs to start with, and which papers, banned items and duties you should know about before you tape up the first box.
In short
- Crossing: Jdeidat Arar, the sole land gateway now open between the two countries, an hour or so north of Arar
- How the load crosses: it is usually moved from the Saudi truck to an Iraqi truck in the crossing’s exchange yard, with our team supervising
- Distance to the border: about 1,100–1,200 km from Riyadh, about 1,100 km from Dammam and about 1,400 km from Jeddah
- Road transit time: roughly a working week door to door: 4–6 days for a private truck from the centre and east, 5–7 from the west, 6–9 when sharing
- Air freight: for urgent parcels from SAR 41 a kilo, arriving in 2–4 days on whichever flights are running
- Prices: SAR 137 opens the carton rate; bedrooms begin at SAR 2,300, whole flats at SAR 4,140 and saloon cars at SAR 1,640
- Coverage: every Saudi city to Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, Karbala, Mosul, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok and the rest of Iraq
Route: your city → Jdeidat Arar → Nukhayb → Karbala & Najaf → Baghdad and beyond · Time: 4–7 days by road · Call: 0568829975
How does land freight from Saudi Arabia to Iraq work?
Every road shipment to Iraq has three clear stages: a long Saudi highway up to the northern frontier, customs at the Jdeidat Arar crossing, and an Iraqi road that starts in the western desert and ends in the cities. No truck leaves Riyadh and rolls into Baghdad without stopping. The crossing is laid out so that lorries from both countries park inside a fenced yard and only the cargo passes from one vehicle to the other; each driver then heads back home. This back-to-back handover is exactly why having someone on site to watch your load is essential rather than a nice extra.
Before Arar reopened for trade, after roughly three decades closed, Saudi goods had to detour through Jordan or Kuwait, which added days and cost. Today the direct route via Arar is the natural path for any household or commercial load, and it is the one Gulf International Shipping uses for all customers. Transit through Kuwait (Safwan) or Jordan (Trebil) remains a longer, paperwork-heavy option that we only consider for special cases after looking at the shipment.
Getting from your city to the northern border
The approach roads depend on where we load. From Riyadh, trucks usually head through Qassim, Hail and Rafha to Arar, not via Hafar Al-Batin as some sites claim. Eastern Province consignments take the northern highway via Hafar Al-Batin and Rafha, a run of roughly 1,100 km. Jeddah, Makkah and Taif climb north through Madinah and then Hail or Al-Jouf, about 1,400–1,500 km in all. Madinah sits around 1,000 km from Arar, while Tabuk is relatively close among the western cities, with an estimated 650–750 km run via Al-Jouf.
What happens to your shipment at the Jdeidat Arar crossing?
Jdeidat Arar lies in the Northern Borders Region about 70 km from Arar city. Facing it on the Iraqi side is the Arar border post in Anbar Governorate, and the nearest Iraqi town is Nukhayb. It never shuts, nights and weekends included, and its design capacity is about 500 lorries a day in both directions; queues lengthen when pilgrim and Umrah traffic peaks.
Before the truck sets off we book its arrival slot on Fasah, the ZATCA platform, as required at every Saudi land port. At the gate, officers compare the export entry with what is on board before waving the truck through to the exchange yard. Our representative stays with the handling crew while each piece is unloaded and stacked in the Iraqi truck in the same order, ticking the carton numbers off the inventory. A licensed broker on the Iraqi side then submits the import entry on the ASYCUDA system, duty is worked out from the genuine invoice price, and the Iraqi lorry heads off for Nukhayb.
Does the Saudi truck drive into Iraq?
Not on a normal household move: the Saudi truck’s journey ends in the yard and an Iraqi truck carries on. The narrow exception is certain trade cargo moved by Iraqi hauliers under the TIR transit system without a change of vehicle. So we never promise “the same truck door to door”; what we do promise is a team that oversees the handover and photographs your goods before and after unloading.
For a full hour-by-hour picture of the border, read our guide to the Jdeidat Arar border crossing.
How long does shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq take?
Road transit time to Iraq depends on three things: how far your loading city is from Arar, whether the truck is yours alone or shared, and which Iraqi city receives the goods. Your own truck departs the moment the last box is aboard; a shared one waits for other customers to fill it, trading two or three days for a lower price. Time spent at the border is usually measured in hours, stretching to a full working day around Eid and other busy periods.
These times run to Baghdad and the cities nearest the border. From Arar, the Iraqi truck needs about 5–6 hours to reach Karbala and Najaf and about 7–9 hours to reach Baghdad. Basra is a further 530 km or so beyond Baghdad, and loads for Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Mosul pass through Baghdad before heading north, which usually adds a day or two.
Approximate land freight prices from Saudi Arabia to Iraq
Gulf International Shipping prices start from the figures below. They are the same whether we load in Riyadh, Dammam or Jeddah, although large consignments can vary with the distance of the pickup city and the Iraqi destination; Basra and the Kurdistan Region are further than Najaf and Karbala. The lower number in the cost column is where our pricing begins; the higher one shows where market quotes for the same load typically top out.
Note: road deliveries land within 4–7 working days according to where we load, air parcels within 2–4 days; every figure is before Iraqi customs charges.
- Carton (part load): from SAR 137; a suitcase up to 20 kg from SAR 184
- Parcels up to 50 kg: from SAR 414; grouped parcels and gifts from SAR 276
- Shared road freight by weight: from SAR 13.8 per kg
- Kitchen with dismantling and refitting: from SAR 2,760; large appliances from SAR 1,100 each
- SUV: from SAR 2,760; pick-up or small truck from SAR 3,220
- Customs clearance, Iraqi duties and luxury cars in enclosed carriers: request a quote on WhatsApp based on the type and value of the shipment
For all categories and sample sums, open shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Iraq.
Shared load or dedicated truck to Iraq?
With a shared load (LTL), your goods occupy one section of a lorry whose remaining space goes to other customers heading for Iraq. Everything is gathered at our warehouse, each lot is wrapped in a different colour or marked separately, and the lots are stowed in their own sections of the box before the truck leaves once it is full. It suits anyone sending one room, a few appliances, some cartons or a small amount of stock, since the charge follows the room your goods actually take up.
A dedicated truck (FTL) is loaded with your goods alone at your home or warehouse and heads straight for the border without waiting for anyone else. It is the right choice for a whole house, a villa or a large commercial consignment, or when you need to arrive by a set date. A full dedicated truck starts from SAR 5,980 and becomes better value than a shared load once your volume gets close to the truck’s capacity.
What does Gulf International Shipping carry to Iraq?
Household furniture
Bedrooms, majlis seating, sofas, rugs, antiques and kitchens, dismantled, packed, numbered and reassembled in Iraq.
Appliances
Fridges, washers, AC units and screens, emptied of water and with drums and compressors fixed in place.
Cartons and suitcases
Family belongings, clothes, gifts and books, by the box or by weight in a shared truck.
Cars
Saloons, SUVs, pick-ups and EVs on open or enclosed carriers.
Commercial goods
Pallets, building materials, packaged food and stock by the kilo or by the truckload.
Office and company moves
Desks, files and equipment with a detailed inventory that makes clearance easier.
Temporary storage and tracking
If you fly out weeks after handing back your flat, or a shared load is still filling up, your packed belongings wait in a covered warehouse until departure, with the storage period and its cost agreed in advance. Throughout the trip our representative sends WhatsApp updates at the key points: the truck leaving your city, arriving at Arar, the handover to the Iraqi truck, exit on the Iraqi side, and the expected delivery time at your address.
Moving furniture and belongings from Saudi Arabia to Iraq by road
A house move to Iraq starts before loading day with a survey visit or video call to list the pieces and estimate the volume. On the day, the crew dismantles bedrooms, wardrobes and kitchens, numbers every part and bags its screws with a label, wraps wooden surfaces in bubble wrap and corrugated board, crates glass and antiques when needed, and covers sofas and mattresses in heavy plastic. Every item is photographed before packing and listed on a detailed inventory, which the Iraqi customs broker will need.
Appliances deserve a moment’s thought: Iraq runs on 230 V at 50 Hz, whereas Saudi Arabia uses 60 Hz, so equipment with motors or built-in clocks may behave differently. Check the rating plate on the back before deciding to ship it. We drain fridges and washing machines, lock the washer drum and separate air-conditioner units. For room-by-room packing and delivery across Iraq, see furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Iraq.
Used furniture is not fully duty-free, whatever you may have heard
The general relief is modest: Iraqis coming home to settle can bring used household belongings duty-free up to an assessed value of around half a million dinars, and certain categories of returnee enjoy wider concessions under separate rules. Whatever exceeds that ceiling, and anything new, pays duty by category and price, which is why the broker reviews your list and receipts with us before the truck is loaded. Details are in Iraq used household goods customs.
Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq
Gulf International Shipping moves cars to Iraq on open road carriers for everyday vehicles and enclosed carriers for luxury or classic cars. On the Saudi side we need a valid registration (istimara), cleared traffic fines, the owner’s ID or iqama, the export plates and certificate, a Fasah export declaration that matches the chassis number, and the finance company’s consent if instalments are still outstanding. Before loading we take a photo set of the bodywork and the mileage display, ask for a low fuel level, and for EVs a battery at a moderate charge.
Once in Iraq, a car attracts 15% duty and a conformity inspection, new models have to satisfy the national technical standard, and any vehicle with a flood, fire or serious crash history is turned away. Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok are stricter still: generally only cars built in the last two or three years, backed by a conformity certificate, and never right-hand drive. So we ask for the build year and destination before taking a booking. Moving a saloon costs SAR 1,640 upwards, a family SUV SAR 2,760 upwards and a pick-up SAR 3,220 upwards; read car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq for the paperwork.
Shipping cartons, parcels and commercial goods to Iraq
Sending boxes to family, suitcases or gifts does not call for a whole truck: these go in the shared load, priced from SAR 137 per box, SAR 184 per suitcase of no more than 20 kg, and SAR 230 per parcel of up to 30 kg. Write the Iraqi recipient’s name and mobile number on every box, seal it with wide tape, and leave out liquids, perfume in quantity and wet-cell batteries.
Commercial goods travel by the pallet (from SAR 550), by the kilo in a shared truck (from SAR 13.8) or as a full truckload. The file needs the sales invoice, your CR and the origin certificate, and for some product lines a certificate of conformity from an approved inspection agency before entering Iraq, plus documents legalised according to the goods. Food is among the Kingdom’s largest exports to Iraq, so if you are shipping dates or packaged food, make sure the packing is airtight and the shelf life long.
Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Iraq
For consignments that are too urgent for the truck, Gulf International Shipping books cargo space on a plane, from SAR 41 a kilo, charging on volume where that exceeds actual weight. Iraqi airports served are Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Basra, booked on whatever flights are operating that day. Non-stop links connect Jeddah with Baghdad, Dammam with Najaf and Baghdad, and Madinah with Baghdad and Najaf, while Riyadh parcels are routed onto the nearest of those. Expect delivery two to four days after collection.
Air suits important papers, permitted medicines once the relevant ministry has approved them, small high-value devices and urgent parcels. For furniture and bulk, road is far cheaper. When flights are reduced we fall back on road freight via Arar as the steady option, and tell you the difference in timing before you book.
Is there sea freight from Saudi Arabia to Iraq?
Sea freight to Umm Qasr port in Basra is available on request for full commercial containers from Dammam or Jeddah, typically taking 10–20 days depending on the shipping line. It rarely suits household moves, though: the road via Arar is quicker, involves fewer steps and delivers straight to the door with no extra port stage.
Documents required for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq
Worth doing: snap each paper with your phone and share the images with our team a day or two ahead of loading. Most border delays start with a missing page or a name spelt two different ways on the passport and the inventory.
Customs clearance in Saudi Arabia and Iraq
Clearance happens on both sides. In Saudi Arabia the export declaration is filed on Fasah, the truck’s slot at the land port is booked, and customs officers inspect the load where needed. On the Iraqi side a licensed agent enters the import through the automated system, with duty based on the real transaction price instead of the old reference tables. Iraqi customs apply a general 5% rate to many goods, a reduced rate to basic food, and 15% to luxury goods and cars.
Customs in the Kurdistan Region are run separately, and some goods are taxed at a different rate there. It often requires a full inspection and a detailed English inventory rather than a line such as “family belongings”, and clearance there may not run on Fridays and Saturdays. So we prepare the file for the destination from the start and tell you before loading what you will be asked for in your Iraqi city.
Prohibited and restricted items for Iraq
Iraqi customs are strict about certain goods: some are banned outright and others need prior approval from a ministry. The main ones are below, and we check any item you are unsure about before loading:
- Banned: weapons, ammunition and explosives; knives, swords and toy or decorative guns; military clothing and equipment
- Banned: two-way radios and telescopes, narcotics, pornographic material, counterfeit money
- Banned: goods of Israeli origin, ivory and endangered species, offensive literature or statues, gambling devices and playing cards
- Approval needed: medicines (Ministry of Health); perishable food, e-cigarettes and drones (Ministry of Interior)
- Checked by censors: books, films, discs and software, which can take longer to clear
Delivery across Iraq’s cities and governorates
Gulf International Shipping delivers to every federal governorate and to the Kurdistan Region. Karbala and Najaf are closest to the border via the Nukhayb road, then Baghdad, from where loads fan out south and north. The table shows the approximate extra time after the crossing or after Baghdad:
Steps for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq
- 1Start a WhatsApp chat
Message 0568829975 with room photos or an item list, plus where we collect and where in Iraq it is going. - 2Get the cost and a date
We suggest shared, dedicated or air, and send the starting cost and the earliest loading date. - 3Prepare your papers
ID or passport, iqama, inventory, and car papers or goods invoices. - 4Loading day
Our movers bring tools and materials, take furniture apart, label and photograph every piece, and stow it in the truck. - 5Paperwork and booking
The export entry goes in, and the truck gets its appointment at the border. - 6Crossing at Arar
Our representative oversees the handover to the Iraqi truck and clearance on the Iraqi side. - 7Delivery and assembly
The truck reaches your address, the furniture is unloaded and reassembled, and you sign for it.
How do you work out the cost of shipping to Iraq?
Six things shape the bill: how much you send, by metre or kilo; shared or private transport; the packing standard; stairs and lift access; the Iraqi delivery city; and Iraqi duty, which is paid on its own. Take a household in Riyadh’s Al-Narjis district sending a bedroom suite, a fridge and a washer to Karbala: SAR 2,300 and up for the room, SAR 2,200 and up for the two machines, so a starting total of SAR 4,500 before Iraqi customs.
The cheapest way to ship to Iraq
- Share the truck when your goods would fill less than half of one; your bill tracks your own kilos and metres.
- Slim down first: a worn-out wardrobe can cost more in freight than its resale value, so sell it locally and pack less.
- Avoid the Hajj and Umrah peaks if you can, as queues at the border lengthen.
- Send boxes by road, not air, unless they are urgent; a kilo by air costs about three times as much.
- Attach the receipt for anything new so the valuer works from a real figure, not a guess.
Common mistakes to avoid when shipping to Iraq
Plenty of lost days trace back to bad information. One page sends readers to Nassib, which is on the Syria–Jordan border. Another treats Al-Haditha, Halat Ammar or Al-Durra as gateways to Iraq, though all three open onto Jordan. Others advertise furniture as entirely duty-free, sometimes citing an article of the Jordanian customs code as though Baghdad applied it. Then there are practical slips: shipping a car without checking that the Kurdistan Region will accept it, writing a vague inventory such as “household goods”, or hiding banned items among clothes.
Shipping from Iraq to Saudi Arabia
We also run the opposite direction, from Iraq to the Kingdom through the same Arar crossing, for families relocating and for permitted goods. Requirements on the Saudi side differ, including conformity rules for some products, so message us on WhatsApp with the type of goods and the Iraqi pickup city for a price.
Why Gulf International Shipping for Iraq?
A clear route
We ship straight through Jdeidat Arar and explain every stage before you commit.
Someone at the border
A representative oversees the handover to the Iraqi truck and photographs your goods before and after.
Published prices
We publish starting prices and set out Iraqi duties separately.
Every city
Pickup across the Kingdom and delivery to federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
A direct line
Booking, tracking and after-delivery questions all go to the same number, 0568829975.
Ready to price your move to Iraq?
Share a few photos, tell us the collection city and the Iraqi address, and you will get a figure and the next free loading slot.
Related Iraq guides
- Households on the move: furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Iraq, room by room
- Before you pack: Iraq used household goods customs and the exemption ceiling
- At the border: Jdeidat Arar border crossing, the yard and Fasah slots
- Every category: shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Iraq with worked examples
- Car owners: car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Iraq and model-year rules
- Our service pages: air freight · land freight · furniture moving abroad · car shipping · customs clearance · destinations
