As a shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Syria, Gulf International Shipping picks up home contents, cartons, family parcels and commercial cargo anywhere in the Kingdom, drives them across Jordan on a transit permit as far as Jaber, and hands them over inside the Nassib customs compound to an approved Syrian carrier for the final run to the receiver’s address in Damascus and its countryside, Daraa, Homs, Hama, Aleppo or the coast. Damascus is 4–7 working days away for a Tabuk pickup, 6–9 for Madinah, 7–10 for Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah or Taif, and 8–11 for Dammam and the rest of the Eastern Province. Gulf International Shipping rates begin at SAR 73 for a small parcel or documents, SAR 165 for a carton up to 25 kg, SAR 1,100 for a complete bedroom, SAR 3,680 for a small apartment and SAR 23 per kilo by air.
Sending goods to Syria works differently from what many people remember. Jordan sits between the two countries, so every northbound truck drives through it; on top of that, a Saudi truck’s journey currently stops at the Syrian gate, where a local carrier picks up the freight in the customs compound. Plenty of advertisers leave this out, and the customer only learns at the frontier that the furniture will be unloaded and reloaded. This guide is written so that every Syrian living in the Kingdom, and every trader selling into the Syrian market, knows exactly what happens to the shipment: which border it leaves from, how long each governorate takes, what it costs, which papers and banned items to watch, and what is currently possible with cars.
At a glance
- Route: your city → Al Haditha crossing (Riyadh, Eastern Province, Qassim) or Halat Ammar (Tabuk and the west) → transit through Jordan → Jaber → Nassib customs yard → Syrian truck to your door
- Transfer: at Nassib the cargo changes from our Saudi truck to a Syrian one, since Saudi trucks cannot currently drive into Syria; our staff oversee it
- Distance to Damascus: about 650 km from Tabuk, 1,250–1,300 km from Madinah, 1,600–1,750 km from Riyadh and roughly 1,750–1,850 km from Dammam
- Road transit time: Tabuk 4–7 working days, Riyadh/Jeddah/Makkah/Taif 7–10, Eastern Province 8–11; Aleppo, the coast and the northeast take 2–4 days longer
- Air freight: scheduled nonstop services into Damascus and Aleppo, priced from SAR 23 a kilo, 3–5 days door to door
- Prices: small parcel from SAR 73, bedroom from SAR 1,100, small apartment from SAR 3,680, eligible car from SAR 3,220
- Cars: Syria currently does not allow used-car imports; new cars are accepted under the import decision in force, and motorcycles are banned
Route: Saudi Arabia → Jordan (transit) → Jaber → Nassib → Damascus · Time: 4–11 working days · 0568829975
How does a shipment get from Saudi Arabia to Syria?
It travels by road through Jordan, since the Kingdom has no land border with Syria. The truck leaves through one of two Saudi crossings on the Jordanian frontier, depending on where the goods are collected. Al Haditha, near Qurayyat in Al Jouf, faces Jordan’s Al Omari post and serves loads coming from Riyadh, the Eastern Province, Qassim and Ha’il. Halat Ammar in the Tabuk region faces Jordan’s Al Mudawwara post and is the natural exit for Tabuk, Madinah and the western coast. Once inside, the truck crosses Jordan in transit, meaning no unloading and no Jordanian import clearance, until it reaches Jaber on the northern border.
From Al Omari the road runs north past Azraq and Mafraq to Jaber; from Al Mudawwara it climbs through Ma’an and Amman to the same point. Across the line sits Syria’s Nassib crossing in Daraa governorate, the approved land gateway for freight between Jordan and Syria. Beyond Nassib come the Syrian roads: about 100 km to Damascus, then another 162 km to Homs, 362 km from Damascus to Aleppo and 332 km to Latakia. That is why Daraa, Damascus and its countryside are the fastest deliveries, and the journey lengthens as you head north, to the coast or to the Jazira region.
Why is the cargo moved to a Syrian truck at Nassib?
Because the Syrian instructions now in force keep foreign trucks out of Syrian territory unless they are passing through to a third country with a customs escort. Cargo destined for Syria itself is shifted in the crossing’s customs yard from the foreign truck to a Syrian one, a step known locally as «al-munaqala» (transshipment). The exemption from it covers a narrow category between Jordan and Syria, namely Jordanian-origin goods on Jordanian trucks, so loads coming from the Kingdom go through the transfer.
What does that mean for you? First, your furniture will be unloaded and loaded a second time, so the packing must be built for two rounds of handling, not one. Second, the contents list has to match the cartons precisely or the customs inspection drags on. Third, the company you ship with needs someone on the ground at Nassib to receive the load in front of customs and put it on the Syrian truck. At Gulf International Shipping our team follows the transfer in the yard, counts the numbered cartons before and after, and sends you the Syrian truck’s number and expected arrival.
Advertising claims that do not match reality
A promise of a Saudi truck unloading at your Damascus door does not match how this route works today. Jaber is the Jordanian post; its Syrian counterpart is Nassib. Halat Ammar is not another name for Al Haditha either: they are two separate crossings hundreds of kilometres apart. Always ask: who receives my load at Nassib?
How long does shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria take?
The total is four pieces added together: the drive from your city to the Saudi exit, the departure formalities and the Jordanian transit, the wait, transfer and clearance at Nassib, and finally distribution inside Syria. Driving time hardly changes; the border is the variable part. Nassib and Jaber operate around the clock, yet a queue can hold a truck for a full day or longer at busy times and while yard expansion works are under way. That is why our timings come as ranges, and the kilometres shown are estimates that shift with route and crossing.
These times apply to a consolidated load leaving on its scheduled run, or to a dedicated truck. If your shipment is small and waits for a shared truck to fill, allow another 3–5 days before departure. Time is counted from the loading day rather than the day you call, and public holidays in the three countries are excluded.
Extra days by Syrian governorate
Approximate prices for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria
We compared the rate cards advertised for the Syria lane from Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Tabuk, and pitched our opening prices underneath. Each row carries two numbers: the lower is our opening price, the higher is the level the same item tends to reach with more volume, a more distant pickup or a remote governorate.
Note: by road, Damascus is normally reached in 4–7 working days from Tabuk, 7–10 from the Riyadh–Jeddah–Makkah–Taif group and 8–11 from the Eastern Province; air takes 3–5 days from pickup to delivery, subject to flights and clearance.
Starting price for each item
Most people who contact us are not moving an entire house. A family sends a bedroom set and a fridge to relatives in Homs, a student sends books in boxes, a trader sends a pallet of spare parts to Aleppo. So we list a starting price per item. The opening prices are based on Tabuk and Madinah, the pickup points nearest the border, and climb the farther south or east you are; an Aleppo, Latakia or Hasakah address costs more than one in Damascus. Send us your city and the governorate for an exact figure.
Prices cover road transport to the agreed address in Syria and the organisation of the Nassib transfer. Syrian duties on new items, or on quantities above the exemption, are calculated separately according to the tariff, and we explain them before loading so nothing surprises you at the border.
What does Gulf International Shipping send to Syria?
We take whatever a Syrian living in the Kingdom, or a Saudi trader dealing with the Syrian market, needs to send, as long as it may leave Saudi Arabia and enter Syria. Preparation differs by item: furniture needs dismantling and multi-layer wrapping, goods require an invoice plus origin certificate, and medicines or food need controlled temperature.
Household furniture
Bedrooms and kitchens including IKEA units, majlis seating and sofas, rugs and antiques, AC units, screens and appliances.
Boxes and family parcels
Cartons of clothes, books, gifts and suitcases, students’ belongings, and documents families send home.
Trade cargo
Full or shared loads by tonne or pallet: food, spare parts, building materials and e-commerce stock.
Refrigerated freight
Dates, food and medicines that need a steady temperature, on reefer trucks with the Nassib transfer planned ahead.
Solar and equipment
Solar panels and batteries, medical devices and light machinery with their own papers and packing.
Eligible cars
New cars that meet the current import rules, or an expatriate’s own car on temporary entry, on dedicated carriers.
Furniture and household moving from Saudi Arabia to Syria
Household removals are the job we are asked for most, largely by Syrian families heading home to settle after years in the Kingdom. Work begins with a visit or video call to estimate the volume in cubic metres. On the day, the crew dismantles beds, wardrobes and the kitchen, numbering each piece and bagging its screws under the same number. Wood is wrapped in blankets, bubble film and heavy board; glass and marble go into wooden crates; fridges and AC units are drained of water and gas; and every item is photographed before it is sealed.
The Nassib handover is what makes Syria different. Furniture wrapped for a single loading can suffer when it is unloaded and stowed again, so we pack for two handlings: wooden corners on sharp edges, strapping around heavy cartons, and clear marks for “this way up” and “fragile”. The contents list is prepared in Arabic with carton numbers, because that is the document Syrian customs will compare against the truck. On arrival, the delivery crew reassembles beds and wardrobes in the new home. Full details are in furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Can furniture be stored before it ships to Syria?
Yes. Many families hand back a rented flat before their travel papers are ready, or before their home in Syria is finished. We collect the furniture packed and numbered, keep it in a closed, monitored warehouse until you set the shipping date, and it goes onto the truck from there without being wrapped again. Storage is charged by cubic metre and duration and shown in the same quote.
Customs exemption for returning Syrians’ furniture
Syrian customs allow a citizen returning for permanent residence to bring personal effects and used household furniture without duty, once only, under conditions. The latest published rules require at least six months’ residence outside Syria; an inventory bearing the stamp of Syria’s embassy or a consulate in the host country; the owner’s presence; goods shipped from that country and showing signs of use. Quantities must suit one family: up to three bedrooms, two seating sets, one dining room, three rugs, one appliance of each type and one dozen kitchen sets. The goods may not be disposed of for three years, anything beyond the limits pays duty, and cars are outside this exemption.
Syria has issued a new customs law that keeps the principle of exempting returnees’ furniture for permanent residence, but the detailed implementing rules may change, so we check the conditions with the broker at Nassib before every load. The papers and cases are explained in our guide to Syria used household goods customs.
Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria: what is allowed now?
Plainly put: Syria currently does not permit imports of used cars for the domestic market, and it bars motorcycles of every kind, new or used. So when we talk about car shipping to Syria we mean three cases only: a new car whose model year falls inside the model-year limit of the current import decision, paying the duty in the new customs tariff (around 20% for conventional cars and 10% for electric); an expatriate’s own car taken in on temporary entry and brought back; or a car returning from Syria to the Kingdom.
Temporary entry has been allowed under the published rules for set periods depending on the owner’s nationality and residence, once a year, with no selling or lending the car; confirm the current terms and fees before travelling. On the Saudi side we handle export or temporary exit through Absher and the Fasah platform. Eligible cars travel to Nassib on a covered or open car transporter: sedans from SAR 3,220, SUVs from SAR 4,140 and luxury cars from SAR 5,520. Rumours keep circulating about used-car imports reopening for a token fee; they are false, so never pay anyone on that basis. More in car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Shipping boxes, parcels and family packages to Syria
A carton is the smallest unit we ship and the most requested before Eid and the school year. Each box is weighed and billed on its real or dimensional weight, whichever is more, then joins a groupage truck heading for Syria. A small parcel up to 5 kg starts at SAR 73, a carton up to 25 kg at SAR 165, up to 30 kg at SAR 184, a large carton up to 45 kg at SAR 320 and a suitcase at SAR 138. For bigger quantities per-kilo pricing works out cheaper, from SAR 4.6 per kg by road.
Use double-wall cartons, keep each one under 30 kg so it is easy to carry during the transfer, and mark two faces of each box with the receiver’s name and Syrian mobile. Leave out commercial quantities of medicine, two-way radios and anything flammable, as they hold up the whole box at inspection. Weights and sizes are priced in cartons and parcels shipping to Syria.
Commercial freight to Syria: full truckload (FTL) or shared load (LTL)
Traders have two options. A full truckload is yours alone: it leaves as soon as it is loaded, is sealed at the warehouse and opened only for inspection at Nassib, after which the entire load is switched to one Syrian truck. That suits 20–25 tonnes or anything filling a 20 ft container or more; a container load by truck starts at SAR 5,520. With a shared load you pay by kilo, cubic metre or pallet and share the truck with other consignments, so the cost drops and the wait grows by 3–5 days.
Commercial cargo needs an invoice, packing list and origin certificate, with the export entry lodged on Fasah with the truck’s border arrival booked in advance. In Syria the declaration is cleared at Nassib under the new customs tariff, and duty depends on each product’s tariff line, so there is no single percentage for everything. We gather goods from across the Kingdom at our consolidation warehouse first, so small shipments travel together on one run.
Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria
Air freight is the answer when a shipment cannot spend a week on the road: official papers, personal medicines, urgent spare parts, gifts for an occasion just days away. Saudi and Syrian airlines fly nonstop into Damascus from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, into Aleppo from Riyadh, and from Madinah and Taif as their timetables allow. Flying time is about two hours, but door to door the shipment needs 3–5 days depending on flight times and airport clearance.
Gulf International Shipping air rates start at SAR 23 per kg, with a 10 kg shipment from SAR 230, billed on real or dimensional weight, taking the larger (L × W × H in cm ÷ 6000). Air is not suitable for furniture or large appliances because volumetric weight drives the cost up sharply. Tabuk has no direct flight, so air shipments from there route via Riyadh or Jeddah, or go by road, since Tabuk is the Saudi city closest to Damascus. More in air freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Can goods go to Syria by sea from Saudi Arabia?
Sea is really an option for traders: a full container leaves Jeddah port for Latakia or Tartus, changes ship at a hub port on the way, and we book it when asked. It fits a trader moving whole containers who is not in a hurry, since the voyage takes weeks. Furniture, cars and boxes go by road through Jordan: it is faster, simpler and delivers to the front door rather than to a quayside.
Delivery across the Syrian governorates
After Nassib our Syrian truck reaches every governorate served by commercial road transport. Daraa comes first, then Damascus and its countryside, then the international highway north to Homs, Hama and Aleppo, westward to Latakia and Tartus, and eastward into the Jazira. We deliver inside the neighbourhoods right to the building entrance and arrange upper floors if you tell us in advance.
Documents required for shipping to Syria
Paperwork depends on what you send. One missing document can hold a truck at Al Haditha or at Nassib, so we check every sheet with you ahead of pickup.
Prohibited and restricted items for Syria
These are the main items that are refused or need special permission. The list is not exhaustive, so check with us before you pack anything doubtful:
- Motorcycles of every type, new or used.
- Weapons, ammunition and their parts; narcotics and psychotropic substances.
- Two-way radios and remote-controlled drones, cars and boats.
- Goods of Israeli origin.
- Gas cylinders, chemicals, flammable liquids and damaged batteries.
- Large sums of cash and commercial quantities of gold without a declaration.
- On the Saudi side: antiquities and manuscripts, subsidised goods, and anything export rules restrict.
Some items are not banned but attract duty or review, such as new electrical appliances in quantity, e-bikes, medicines beyond personal use, and large numbers of books or discs.
Shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria, step by step
- 1Tell us what you have
WhatsApp 0568829975 with pictures or an inventory, plus where you live in Saudi Arabia and where it goes in Syria. - 2Receive your price
We match the load to a shared truck, a dedicated truck or a flight, then confirm cost and pickup day. - 3Prepare the papers
Passport and iqama, the Fasah authorisation, and the certified contents list if you are claiming the exemption. - 4Dismantle, pack and load
Our crew dismantles, packs for two handlings, labels and photographs each piece before it goes on the truck. - 5Exit and transit
The truck leaves via Al Haditha or Halat Ammar and crosses Jordan in transit to Jaber. - 6Transfer and clearance at Nassib
We receive the load in the customs yard, clear it and move it to a Syrian truck after checking every carton. - 7Delivery and assembly
The truck arrives at your door, we reassemble the furniture and you sign for every piece.
What decides the cost of shipping to Syria?
Seven factors set the price. First, volume or weight: furniture is charged by cubic metre, boxes and goods by kilo or volumetric weight, whichever is higher. Second, pickup city: Tabuk is cheaper at about 650 km from Damascus, while the Eastern Province, the farthest, costs more. Third, Syrian governorate: Daraa and Damascus cost less than Aleppo or Qamishli. Fourth, truck type: shared or dedicated. Fifth, packing, dismantling and assembly. Sixth, the transfer and clearance at Nassib. Seventh, insurance, from 0.9% of the goods value.
Worked example
A family sends a complete bedroom (from SAR 1,100), a fridge (from SAR 460), a washing machine (from SAR 410) and six cartons up to 25 kg (6 × 165 = SAR 990). The total starts at roughly SAR 2,960 to Damascus on a shared load from the nearest pickup cities, and rises from Riyadh or the Eastern Province, or for Aleppo. A whole small apartment starts at SAR 3,680.
Which is the cheapest way to send goods from Saudi Arabia to Syria?
The cheapest way is a shared road load. You pay only for the space you take and split the cost of the truck and the transfer with other shipments, in return for a short extra wait. To trim the bill further: leave behind heavy old furniture that costs more to ship than to replace, pack small items in uniform cartons, and book early ahead of peak periods such as Eid and the summer holidays, when the yards get crowded. If you live in Tabuk or Madinah, make the most of being close: shipping from there costs less and arrives sooner.
Payment, insurance and tracking
You settle the freight bill in riyals here in the Kingdom, by transfer or cash, with a deposit at loading and the balance before delivery as agreed; neither you nor the receiver in Syria is asked to pay anything that does not appear on the invoice. Cargo insurance is optional, starts at 0.9% of the declared value and covers damage and loss during transport and the transfer, subject to its terms. You hear from us at loading, as it clears the Saudi border, when it reaches Jaber, once the Nassib handover is done, and when the Syrian truck sets off.
Common mistakes when shipping to Syria
- Trusting a promise of a Saudi truck to your door: that is not possible at present, and the promise shows the transfer and its cost were never counted.
- Sending the list without embassy certification: without it your belongings are treated as imports and pay duty.
- Shipping a used car hoping it will be allowed later: it will sit at the border and you will pay to bring it back.
- Overweight cartons: boxes above 30 kg tend to drop and tear during the second handling.
- Mixing trade goods with household items: commercial quantities take the whole shipment out of the exemption.
- Forgetting the Syrian contact number: the carrier in Syria needs a working local number to arrange delivery.
Shipping from Syria to Saudi Arabia
We also move goods the other way: personal belongings, boxes and trade cargo from Syria to the Kingdom via Nassib and Jordan. This direction has its own Saudi customs requirements, including an invoice and certificate of origin for goods and approvals from the relevant authorities for some foodstuffs. Tell us what you want to bring and the Syrian city we collect from, and we will send you the requirements and the cost.
Why Gulf International Shipping?
A clear route
We tell you which crossing your load uses, who receives it at Nassib and the Syrian truck’s number.
Packed for two handlings
Furniture is prepared for the unloading and reloading of the transfer, not for a single trip.
Below published prices
Our starting points sit under what Syria shipping companies advertise.
Every governorate
From Daraa and Damascus to Aleppo, Latakia, Deir ez-Zor and Qamishli.
Honest about cars
We will not take a car Syria does not admit, and we explain which cases qualify.
One number
Calls and WhatsApp on 0568829975 from pickup to delivery.
Price your Syria shipment today
Photograph your items and tell us your Saudi city and the Syrian governorate; we will send the cost and the next loading date.
Related Syria guides
- land freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria and furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Syria
- By city: shipping from Riyadh to Syria, shipping from Jeddah to Syria, shipping from Dammam to Syria, shipping from Makkah to Syria
- shipping from Madinah to Syria, shipping from Taif to Syria, shipping from Tabuk to Syria
- Nassib border crossing to Syria, Syria used household goods customs, shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Syria
- car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria, air freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria, cartons and parcels shipping to Syria
- The transit country: land freight from Saudi Arabia to Jordan, and all destinations from Saudi Arabia
- land freight service, furniture moving abroad, air freight, customs clearance
