Gulf International Shipping is a shipping company from Madinah to Syria that carries household furniture, cartons, dates, family parcels and trade goods from Madinah city and the towns around it north through Tabuk and the Halat Ammar crossing, then across Jordan in transit to the Jaber border post, where the load changes trucks in the Nassib customs yard and a licensed Syrian truck brings it to your door. Shipments reach Damascus in roughly 6–9 working days, Homs and Hama in 7–11, and Aleppo and Latakia in 8–12. From Madinah, Gulf International Shipping charges from SAR 92 for a small parcel up to 5 kg, SAR 165 for a parcel up to 20 kg, SAR 920 for a sitting-room set and SAR 1,380 for a complete bedroom.
Madinah sits in a handy spot for anyone shipping to Syria: it is closer to the Jordanian border than Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh or Dammam, and only Tabuk is nearer. In practice that means fewer days on the road and, for many items, starting prices below those of Jeddah and Riyadh. This guide walks through the route stage by stage, lists Madinah prices item by item, and answers the questions we hear from Madinah in particular: how we pack villa furniture, how we send dates and gifts, and how a sofa gets up to a third-floor flat in Damascus.
At a glance
- Distance: about 1,250–1,300 km from Madinah to Damascus, around 400 km shorter than from Jeddah
- Route: Madinah → Tabuk → Halat Ammar crossing → Al Mudawwara → Ma’an → Amman → Jaber → Nassib
- Road transit time: about 6–9 working days for Damascus; allow one or two more for Homs or Hama
- Syrian border: the load switches trucks inside the Nassib yard, because Saudi trucks may not drive within Syria for now
- Air freight: Madinah airport to Damascus as the airline timetable allows, starting at SAR 23 a kilo, delivered within 3–5 days
- Prices: SAR 73 to send documents, SAR 92 for a parcel of 5 kg or less, SAR 1,380 for a bedroom, a truck-mounted 20 ft container from SAR 5,520
- Coverage: every governorate, from Daraa and Damascus to Homs, Aleppo, Latakia and Qamishli
Route: Madinah → Tabuk → Jordan → Nassib → Damascus · Time: 6–9 working days · 0568829975
Madinah to Syria: distance and the road north
By road, Madinah is about 1,250–1,300 km from Damascus, depending on the route and crossing. There is no land border between Saudi Arabia and Syria, so every shipment passes through Jordan. From Madinah the natural exit is the Halat Ammar crossing north of Tabuk, the closest to its line of travel, which faces Al Mudawwara on the Jordanian side. Tabuk is roughly the halfway mark, and after it only a short stretch remains inside the Kingdom.
When a shipment is consolidated with loads from Qassim or Ha’il, it may leave through Al Haditha instead of Halat Ammar, which faces Al Omari in Jordan. We choose the crossing according to the load and the queues, and tell you which one when you book.
Approximate shipping prices from Madinah to Syria
Madinah prices are built on the lowest published rates for Madinah to Syria, with ours set below them. Because Madinah sits nearer to Syria than Jeddah or Riyadh do, no item here costs more than the same item from those farther cities. Each range runs from our opening price up to what larger volumes typically cost.
Note: a truck from Madinah needs about 6–9 working days to deliver in Damascus and 8–12 to deliver in Aleppo or Latakia, with border queues, the reload and clearance setting the pace; an air parcel is usually with its receiver within 3–5 days.
Item-by-item prices from Madinah
You will notice that air conditioners, televisions and mid-sized parcels start lower from Madinah than in many adverts, because we tied each item to the price of the nearest farther city. Other Saudi cities are compared in shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
How long does shipping from Madinah to Syria take?
Driving from Madinah to Halat Ammar and across Jordan takes only a few days; it is the border that makes the difference between a load arriving in six days and one arriving in nine. At Nassib the load waits its turn in the yard, then it is cleared and moved onto the Syrian truck. Governorates far from Damascus add their own days after that:
These times apply to a dedicated load or a shared load that has already filled. If you choose the economy shared service, add 3–5 days for the truck to fill. Nassib works around the clock, but peak periods and expansion works can hold trucks for a day or more, which is why we give you a realistic estimate rather than a fixed date.
What happens to your furniture at the Nassib crossing?
After leaving Jordan at Jaber, our truck rolls into the Nassib customs compound, just across the line. The current Syrian rule does not allow non-Syrian trucks into Syrian territory except in escorted transit, meaning trucks crossing Syria to another country under customs-police escort. Your shipment is bound for Syria itself, so a transfer takes place: the goods are taken off our truck and loaded onto a licensed Syrian truck inside the yard.
This step worries families most, and understandably so. We handle it with three rules: the Syrian truck is booked before ours arrives so nothing sits on the ground; our team watches the unloading and reloading and checks the numbers against the inventory; and heavy pieces and appliances go at the bottom of the Syrian truck with light cartons on top, just as they were in ours. Some exceptions have been made for goods that cannot be transferred safely, such as glass, electronics and liquids, and they apply as customs decide at the time.
Crossing details, opening hours and the new yard Jordan has prepared at Jaber for about 200 trucks are all in our Nassib border crossing guide.
Packing Madinah furniture for a trip with two loadings
Spacious Madinah homes, especially villas in the newer districts, usually mean big furniture: corner sofas, long dining tables, floor majlis seating and complete children’s rooms. We start by sorting everything in the garage or hall into groups by room, then wrap and number each group with a different tape colour, so the crew in Syria knows which carton goes to which room.
- Sofas and majlis seating: bubble wrap, then a moving blanket, then stretch film; legs are removed and bagged with the piece.
- Heavy wood: wardrobes are dismantled, doors and drawers secured, corners protected with corrugated card.
- Glass and marble: closed wooden crates, because a crate survives a second loading that cardboard does not.
- Appliances: drained of water and gas, internal parts fixed, fully wrapped.
- The inventory: a number for every piece and a photo after wrapping, with one copy for you and one with the load.
For returning families
If you plan to claim the used-furniture exemption from Syrian customs, make our numbered list the same list that the Syrian embassy or consulate certifies, in the same order and quantities, so the paperwork matches what is on the truck.
Where do we collect in Madinah and its governorates?
We collect from every district of Madinah, including Quba, Al Awali, Al Aziziyah, Shuran, Al Difa, Sultanah, Al Uyun, Al Khalidiyah, Al Jurf and Al Harrah Al Sharqiyah, and from the surrounding governorates: Yanbu, AlUla, Badr, Khaybar, Al Hanakiyah, Al Mahd and Wadi Al Fara. Because the central area around the Prophet’s Mosque is busy and has its own traffic arrangements, we agree a morning slot with residents there, or a nearby loading point the truck can reach easily.
From Yanbu, AlUla and Khaybar we send the truck straight to the house when the load is large, or bring smaller loads into Madinah by van to join the northbound run. If you need temporary storage before you travel, we have a covered warehouse for wrapped belongings.
Shipping Madinah dates, gifts and family parcels to Syria
Madinah dates go into almost every parcel that leaves the city for Syria, alongside rugs, clothes and small appliances. Dates and dry foods are allowed in tight commercial packaging, ideally sealed factory packs rather than open bags, with a label listing the contents. A consignment of foodstuffs and dates of 10–20 kg starts at SAR 460.
- Small parcel 1–5 kg: from SAR 92.
- Parcel 6–20 kg: from SAR 165.
- Documents and papers: from SAR 73.
- Small electronics: from SAR 184, shipped in their boxes with the invoice if new.
- Rug: from SAR 276, rolled and wrapped.
We group several families’ parcels on one run and deliver each one to its named receiver and mobile number in their Syrian town. For details, read cartons and parcels shipping to Syria.
Moving a returning family from Madinah to Syria, and the customs exemption
Under the most recent rules on record, a Syrian moving home for good may bring used furniture and personal effects in duty-free one time, provided the person has spent six months or more living abroad, has the inventory certified by the Syrian embassy or consulate in Saudi Arabia, attends clearance in person, and the goods are used and suited to one family: up to three bedrooms, two sitting-room suites, a single dining room, three rugs and a single unit of each appliance. Exempt items may not be sold for three years, and anything beyond the limits pays duty.
Syria has issued a new customs law, and according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) it still lets returnees bring their furniture and belongings when they come back for permanent residence. As we have found no new implementing instructions setting other limits, we double-check the conditions before each loading. New furniture and appliances are dutiable under their tariff line. Read Syria used household goods customs and furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Delivery in Damascus and to upper-floor flats
Most Damascus homes are flats in multi-storey buildings, many without a lift or with a lift too small for a sofa. So when you book we ask about the floor, the lift and the width of the stairs, and the Syrian truck comes with enough crew to carry large pieces by hand. If a piece will not fit up the stairs, we work out a solution with you before delivery day, not at the door.
On delivery the receiver checks the piece numbers against the list, opens anything they want to inspect in front of the crew, and then signs. We reassemble bedrooms and wardrobes on request.
Air freight from Madinah to Damascus
For urgent parcels, official papers and permitted personal medicines, air is the answer. There are direct flights from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah to Damascus, subject to the airline schedule, and if space is not available on the date you need, we route through Jeddah or Riyadh, both of which have daily flights to Damascus. Air rates open at SAR 23 a kilo, and the receiver usually has the parcel 3–5 days after pickup, subject to flights and customs.
Airlines bill on the higher of real weight and volumetric weight, so a light but bulky parcel can cost more than you expect. That is why we recommend air for small, valuable items and road for everything else. For Aleppo, shipments can go through Riyadh, which has direct flights to Aleppo subject to the schedule. Our dedicated page covers air freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Car shipping from Madinah to Syria
Syria is not admitting used cars for local use at the moment, and you should know this before asking about price. What can actually be shipped is a new car no more than two model years old, as the import decision now in force allows, an expatriate’s own car on temporary entry that goes back once the permitted period ends without being sold, or a vehicle crossing Syria on its way to a third country. Motorcycles of every kind are banned from entry.
Customs duty on a new car follows the current tariff, at around 20% for conventional cars and 10% for electric ones. Qualifying cars travel to Nassib on open or enclosed carriers, and we deal with the export papers through Absher and Fasah. A sedan is priced from SAR 3,220, an SUV from SAR 4,140 and a luxury car from SAR 5,520. Ignore any post claiming used imports have reopened for a token fee unless it comes from an official source. The full rules are set out in car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Shipping trade goods from Madinah to Syria
For traders and shop owners we offer shared trucks for small quantities and a 20 ft container on a truck for larger ones. A trade consignment of 20–50 kg starts at SAR 920, light equipment at SAR 735, office furniture at SAR 1,100, a 20 ft container on a truck at SAR 5,520, and bulk road freight at SAR 4.6 per kg. Goods need a commercial invoice and packing list, may need a certificate of origin, and are cleared at Nassib under the Syrian tariff. Full and part truckloads are covered in land freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Documents required for shipping from Madinah to Syria
- For every shipment: passport plus iqama or national ID copies, and a Fasah authorisation so we can file the export declaration.
- For returnees’ furniture: an inventory certified by the Syrian embassy or consulate, plus the owner’s passport or ID and presence at clearance in Nassib.
- For cartons and family parcels: a contents list for each carton and the receiver’s name and Syrian mobile number.
- For goods: commercial invoice, packing list, CR, and a certificate of origin where needed.
- For an eligible car: registration in the owner’s name, export steps on Absher, and entry papers for the case.
What cannot be shipped from Madinah to Syria?
We turn away, or check case by case: motorcycles of any type, arms and ammunition, drugs, two-way radios and remote-control toy planes, cars and boats, goods of Israeli origin, gas cylinders, chemicals and flammables, and large sums of cash without a permit. On the Saudi export side: antiquities, subsidised goods and items barred from export.
Steps to ship from Madinah to Syria
- 1Get in touch
Send your list or photos, your Madinah district and Syrian town on WhatsApp 0568829975. - 2Price and date
We match the service to your load and send the price with a loading day. - 3Paperwork
You prepare your ID and certified list if returning; we prepare the export declaration and Fasah slot. - 4Packing and loading
Sorting, wrapping, numbering and photos, then loading at your door. - 5Transit
Tabuk, Halat Ammar, then Jordan in transit to Jaber. - 6Nassib
Customs release the goods and our team oversees the reload onto a Syrian truck. - 7Delivery
Goods carried inside, list checked, and assembly on request.
Find out what your Madinah to Syria shipment costs
Photograph your things and tell us your Madinah district and Syrian town, and we will send the cost and the earliest loading date.
How do you calculate the cost of shipping from Madinah to Syria?
Our quote reflects the cubic metres or kilos involved, the service (shared, dedicated or air), the Syrian governorate, how hard loading and delivery are (floors with no lift, narrow lanes), special packing, the transfer and clearance charges at Nassib, and insurance if you choose it, from 0.9% of value.
A rough example: a family in Shuran, Madinah, ships a full bedroom set (from SAR 1,380), a sitting-room set (from SAR 920), a large fridge (from SAR 735), a washing machine (from SAR 550), two rugs (from SAR 276 each) and eight mid-sized parcels (from SAR 165 each) to Damascus on a shared truck. The cost starts at about SAR 5,457 before clearance and insurance.
Keeping the cost down from Madinah to Syria
Sharing a truck always wins on price, since you only pay for the space your goods take up; the catch is 3–5 more days. Costs come down further if you dismantle what you can, sell old heavy appliances in Madinah, combine your things with travelling relatives in one shipment, and pick a date away from travel and holiday peaks. For returning families, the biggest saving is having the list certified at the embassy, because that exempts used furniture from duty.
Common mistakes when shipping from Madinah to Syria
- A certified list that differs from the actual goods in number or description.
- Hiding new appliances among used furniture, which holds the load up at Nassib.
- Packing dates in open bags whose smell and moisture seep into clothes.
- Not telling the company that the Damascus flat is on a high floor with no lift.
- Believing adverts for “a Saudi truck right to your door in Syria”.
- Shipping a motorcycle or a gas cylinder with household goods.
Do you ship from Syria to Madinah?
Yes, the route runs both ways. We arrange shipments from Damascus and the other governorates to Madinah via Nassib and Jaber, then across Jordan to the Halat Ammar crossing, with import clearance on the Saudi side. It suits students and workers coming back to Madinah with their belongings, and anyone bringing things from family. Ask us about the entry paperwork before shipping.
Payment, insurance and follow-up
You pay in riyals here in the Kingdom, and receive an itemised note of what the price includes. We update you when the truck is loaded, when it clears Halat Ammar, when it reaches Jaber and Nassib, and when the Syrian truck sets out on delivery. Insurance is optional and covers damage under the policy terms.
Why Gulf International Shipping for Madinah to Syria?
Madinah prices, not Jeddah’s
Prices built on Madinah itself and set below advertised rates.
A short route
Straight from Madinah to Halat Ammar with no detours.
A managed transfer
A Syrian truck booked in advance and a team checking the list.
Villa packing
Colour-coded groups and wooden crates for glass and marble.
Upper-floor delivery
Enough crew for the stairs of Damascus buildings.
One number
0568829975 for calls and WhatsApp.
Related Syria guides
- Overview: shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Syria
- The closest city to Syria: shipping from Tabuk to Syria
- From Makkah: shipping company from Makkah to Syria
- From Jeddah: shipping from Jeddah to Syria
- From the capital: shipping from Riyadh to Syria
- From the Eastern Province: shipping from Dammam to Syria
- Services: shipping destinations, land freight, air freight, car shipping and customs clearance
