Looking for a shipping company from Makkah to Kuwait? Gulf International Shipping collects furniture, cartons, cars and trade goods from your home or shop in Makkah and the surrounding governorates and trucks them to any governorate in Kuwait, leaving Saudi Arabia at the Al Ruqi crossing and entering Kuwait at Al Salmi. Door to door, the trip normally takes 3 to 5 working days. At Gulf International Shipping a carton from Makkah to Kuwait starts at SAR 110, grouped cargo at SAR 4.1 per kilo, a bedroom set at SAR 920, the contents of a whole villa at SAR 3,680 and a sedan at SAR 2,300.
We wrote this page for people with a real shipment to plan: an employee whose job has moved to Kuwait, a Kuwaiti family heading home after a long stay in Makkah, or a trader supplying the Kuwaiti market. It explains which border post your truck uses and why, lists the price of each item, sets out the paperwork for every type of shipment and tells you how Kuwaiti customs treats your furniture.
In short
- Distance: about 1,400–1,450 km from Makkah to Kuwait City, depending on the road and the border post
- Usual crossing: Al Ruqi (Hafar Al-Batin governorate) on the Saudi side and Al Salmi (Al Jahra governorate) on the Kuwaiti side
- Road transit: 3–5 working days from collection in Makkah to delivery in Kuwait, with dedicated trucks beating shared ones on time
- Air freight: through Jeddah airport to Kuwait International, a flight of about two hours, delivered in 24–72 hours depending on available flights
- Prices: sedans from SAR 2,300, bedroom sets from SAR 920, cartons from SAR 110 and grouped cargo from SAR 4.1 a kilo
- Taxes in Kuwait: no VAT; customs duty of 5% normally applies to goods made outside the GCC
- Delivery: door-to-door in Jahra, Farwaniya, the Capital, Hawalli, Mubarak Al-Kabeer and Ahmadi
Route: Makkah → Qassim or Riyadh → Hafar Al-Batin → Al Ruqi → Al Salmi → Kuwait City · Transit: 3–5 working days · Contact: 0568829975
Which border post will your Makkah shipment cross into Kuwait?
Trucks have two land crossings between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, not one. The first is Al Khafji in the Eastern Province, facing Kuwait’s Al Nuwaiseeb post about 3.5 km away; this coastal crossing serves cargo from Dammam, Al Khobar and Jubail. The second is the new Al Ruqi post in Hafar Al-Batin governorate, facing Al Salmi in Al Jahra governorate; this inland crossing is the closest way out for freight starting in western or central Saudi Arabia.
Most loads from Makkah head for Al Ruqi, because the road out of Makkah climbs north-east towards Qassim or Riyadh and then Hafar Al-Batin, which makes Ruqi the closest exit without a detour to the coast. Ruqi is a modern post built to process around 2,000 trucks daily alongside thousands of cars, so it copes well with long-haul freight arriving from the Hijaz.
So when would we route a Makkah consignment through Khafji? When it is going to Kuwait’s southern coastal districts, such as Fahaheel, Mangaf or Wafra, and is small enough to group with other freight in Dammam before crossing. In that case your cartons travel with the Eastern Province load along the Abu Hadriyah coastal road to Nuwaiseeb. We decide this with you at booking, based on the delivery address and the size of the shipment.
A common mistake on shipping websites
On the Saudi side, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority requires each truck bound for a land border post to hold a Fasah booking made in advance, and to turn up within its slot. At Gulf International Shipping we file the load’s details on Fasah and reserve the crossing slot ahead of the truck’s arrival at Ruqi, so nothing is held back in the queue for want of paperwork. For a full comparison of the two crossings see Saudi–Kuwait border crossings for shipping.
Approximate shipping prices from Makkah to Kuwait
We found no shipping company publishing prices specifically for the Makkah–Kuwait lane, so we used Jeddah’s published prices, Jeddah being the nearest priced city (about 80 km from Makkah), and set our starting figures below them. Read each cell as a range: the lower figure is where Gulf International Shipping prices begin, the higher one is roughly where a bigger or trickier load tends to end up.
Note: a road shipment from Makkah arrives in 3–5 working days, varying with the Kuwaiti governorate and the speed of clearance; an air shipment via Jeddah arrives in 24–72 hours, subject to cargo space on flights.
Starting price for every item on the Makkah–Kuwait lane
Most people who call us from Makkah are not moving a whole house; they are sending a room, a fridge or a stack of cartons. So we price each item separately, and every figure below includes road transport to the agreed Kuwaiti governorate:
Why does a kitchen cost more than a bedroom, even though the bedroom is heavier? Because a kitchen needs careful removal of the wall units, separate wrapping for every door and worktop, and often a carpenter in Kuwait to refit it to new measurements. The gap between the per-kilo rate (SAR 4.1) and the cubic-metre rate (SAR 505) comes down to the nature of the cargo: heavy, compact goods are charged by weight, while light, bulky things such as cushions and chairs are charged by the space they take up in the truck.
Anything not on the list, such as antiques, chandeliers, large gym equipment or machinery, we price from photos and measurements. Send them on WhatsApp to 0568829975 and request a quote, and we will come back to you with a figure and the first free loading date. Prices from every Saudi city on the Kuwait lane sit side by side in our shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait.
Price your shipment from Makkah to Kuwait
Send us your district or governorate in Makkah, the type of shipment and the area in Kuwait where it should be delivered, and you will hear back with a figure, a delivery estimate and when the next truck leaves.
How far is Makkah from Kuwait, and how long does a shipment take?
A truck covers about 1,400–1,450 km from Makkah to Kuwait City; the exact figure shifts with the road the driver takes and the crossing used. The longest stretch is inside Saudi Arabia, while the run from Al Salmi to Kuwait City is relatively short, taking around two hours. The table sets out the shipping options from Makkah and how long each one takes:
Transit time runs from the day of loading in Makkah, not the day you first call, and stretches a little at weekends and in holiday seasons, when waits at the border build up on Thursday and Friday evenings. A shared truck may also wait a day to fill up. If you have a fixed date in Kuwait, tell us at the start so we can pick the right truck.
The truck’s route from Makkah to Al Salmi, stage by stage
A Makkah truck does not drive straight from your door to the border. Every shipment from Makkah to Kuwait passes through the stages below, and knowing them explains why the journey takes 3 to 5 days rather than one:
- 1Collection in Makkah: our crew dismantles and packs at your home, or collects ready-packed cartons; if the street is narrow, a small vehicle shuttles the load to the main truck.
- 2Leaving the Makkah region: the truck heads north-east towards Qassim, or east towards Riyadh if it is also carrying freight from the capital.
- 3Hafar Al-Batin: the last large city before the border; from here the truck heads to the Ruqi crossing in the same governorate.
- 4Al Ruqi crossing: the truck crosses at its booked Fasah slot and the export data is matched against the load.
- 5Al Salmi crossing: the Kuwaiti clearing agent completes the customs declaration, any required inspection is done, and the truck enters Kuwait.
- 6Delivery: the truck heads to Jahra, the Capital, Hawalli or any other governorate, where the crew unloads and reassembles the furniture.
Collection from Makkah districts and nearby governorates
We collect from every part of Makkah: Al Taneem, Al Utaybiyah, Kudai, Batha Quraish, Al Rusaifah, Al Sharaye, Al Awali, Al Zahir, Al Naseem, Al Shawqiyah, Al Aziziyah and the rest. In the older hillside districts, with stone stairways and lanes a large truck cannot enter, we first move the load by small vehicle or by hand to the nearest main road and load it onto the truck there. That is why, before deciding how many workers to send, we always ask how wide the street is, which floor you live on and if the building has a lift.
We also cover the governorates of the Makkah region: Al Qunfudhah, Al Lith, Adham, Al Ardiyat, Rabigh, Khulais, Al Kamil, Bahrah and Al Jumum. Small loads from these towns are usually gathered in Makkah or Jeddah and join the Kuwait-bound truck there, while a large shipment gets a truck sent straight to its address. If you live in Jeddah itself, see shipping company from Jeddah to Kuwait, and for Taif residents shipping company from Taif to Kuwait.
Before collection day
Moving household furniture from Makkah to Kuwait
Household furniture is what we ship most from Makkah to Kuwait, and it is also what suffers most if it is packed in a hurry. The journey is long, more than 1,400 km, through hot desert stretches with constant vibration. So we treat each piece according to what it is rather than wrapping everything the same way:
- Bedrooms and wardrobes: dismantled, each part numbered, screws kept in labelled bags, then wrapped in layers of stretch film and corrugated board.
- Majlis seating and sofas: covered with thick moving blankets and strapped so the fabric does not rub against the truck wall; cushions go into separate bags.
- Glass, marble and antiques: wooden crates built to size, because cardboard alone will not protect glass on a trip this long.
- Appliances: the fridge is switched off, emptied and left to dry the day before, screens go into padded boxes, and air-conditioner gas is recovered before the units are removed.
- Carpets: cleaned, rolled on a tube and covered in film so they pick up neither dust nor damp.
Before the truck is closed we photograph the load and give you a numbered inventory. In Kuwait the receiver checks the pieces against the same list, and our crew reassembles beds and wardrobes and rehangs whatever needs it. If your move-in date in Kuwait is not fixed yet, we can store the packed furniture before shipping until you are ready. For a complete house move, our furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait page goes into more detail.
Used furniture and Kuwaiti customs
The exemption has a legal basis. Article 103 of the common Gulf customs code, in the form Kuwait enforces, waives duty on second-hand furnishings and personal effects for a returning Kuwaiti who had been resident overseas and for an expatriate taking up residence in Kuwait for the first time, within limits that Kuwait’s customs directorate sets. Expect to show your Kuwaiti Civil ID, your work permit and an itemised list; the fine print of the exemption is checked with Kuwaiti customs before your goods leave Makkah.
Brand-new furniture and appliances generally attract 5% duty, except where a certificate shows they were made in a Gulf state, and Kuwait has yet to introduce VAT. If you bought new furniture in Makkah before leaving, keep the invoice and ask us whether the piece is Saudi-made, because a GCC certificate of origin exempts it from duty. The full rules are in Kuwait used household goods customs.
Car shipping from Makkah to Kuwait
Cars leave Makkah for Kuwait with Gulf International Shipping on one of three carrier types: an open multi-car carrier for everyday vehicles, a private flatbed for a single car, and an enclosed carrier for luxury, sports and electric cars. A sedan starts at SAR 2,300, a private flatbed at SAR 2,300, a family car or SUV at SAR 3,500 and a luxury car on an enclosed carrier at SAR 4,140.
Reaching the border does not mean Kuwait will accept the car. The Kuwaiti decision in force bans importing cars more than 10 years old from their date of manufacture, and a recent model gets through clearance with fewer questions. Right-hand-drive, rebuilt and flood- or heavily accident-damaged vehicles are also banned, and every car is inspected and its chassis number checked before it can be registered with the Kuwaiti traffic department. Expect 5% duty on the car’s assessed value; VAT does not apply.
Car paperwork before it leaves Makkah
- A traffic export certificate and export plates.
- Clearance of all traffic fines.
- The owner’s ID or iqama and the vehicle registration (istimara).
- An Absher e-authorisation if a relative or driver, rather than the owner, hands the car over.
- A release letter from the bank if the car is financed.
- An export declaration on Fasah matching the chassis number.
If you only want to take your car into Kuwait temporarily and bring it back, that is a different route: it relies on valid registration, a roadworthiness inspection, insurance covering Kuwait and a triptyque (carnet), with no final export certificate. Our advice before loading: a quarter tank of fuel, an electric car’s battery between 30% and 50%, nothing personal left in the cabin, and photos of the car from every side. The full rules are set out in our car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait.
Air freight from Makkah to Kuwait
Makkah has no airport, so air shipments go through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, about 80 km away. The plane covers Jeddah to Kuwait International in about two hours, and from collection in Makkah to the parcel reaching the receiver usually takes one to three days, depending on which flight is available. Taif airport is another option if the pickup is on the eastern side of the region.
Air freight suits documents, urgent parcels, small high-value devices and personal medicines with a prescription; it is not economical for heavy furniture. Airlines bill on the higher of two figures, the weight on the scale or a weight worked out from length, width and height, so we need both before pricing: message the measurements and weight and ask us for a quote. We confirm flight schedules and available cargo space when you book.
If a shipment is urgent but too big for a plane, the quick fix is to fly or truck it to Dammam first and let it cover the last stretch over the Khafji crossing, roughly 420 km to Kuwait City. Bear in mind that alcohol-based perfumes, aerosols and loose lithium batteries are usually restricted on aircraft, so they are better sent by road. Each Saudi airport’s options are compared in our air freight from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait.
Shipping cartons, parcels and gifts from Makkah
Many Makkah-to-Kuwait shipments are small: cartons of clothes and books, gifts such as prayer rugs, copies of the Qur’an, dates, bakhoor and oud, or orders for relatives in Kuwait. They do not need a truck of their own; they join a shared load. A small parcel costs from SAR 46; a medium parcel (6–15 kg) or a standard 60×40×40 box from SAR 110; and a travel bag (30 kg maximum) from SAR 184. Once your cartons pass 100 kg, it is cheaper to pay by the kilo, from SAR 4.1.
Tape every carton firmly, mark it with the receiver’s name and Kuwaiti mobile, and slip a list of what is inside under the lid. Kuwaiti customs instructions exempt personal parcels of limited value (around KWD 100) from duty; anything above that, or in commercial quantities, is treated as goods. More detail in cartons and parcels shipping to Kuwait.
Commercial freight from Makkah to Kuwait
Traders and factories in Makkah have two options. With a part load (LTL) your goods take up part of a shared truck and you pay by the pallet, kilo or cubic metre. With a full truckload (FTL) you hire the whole truck, which departs as soon as it is loaded. At Gulf International Shipping a pallet starts at SAR 595, large consignments over 500 kg at SAR 3.2 per kilo and a dedicated truck at SAR 6,900.
Goods made in Saudi Arabia usually pay nothing at the Kuwaiti border if they travel with a GCC certificate of origin. Imports from beyond the Gulf normally attract 5%, though duty already settled at a Saudi port can be offset under the GCC maqassa arrangement. Food and dates need an invoice and sound packaging, and chilled products travel in a refrigerated truck, starting at SAR 1,840 for a small quantity. See goods shipping from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait.
Documents required for shipping from Makkah to Kuwait
We upload the export data on Fasah, book the crossing slot and coordinate with the Kuwaiti clearing agent at Salmi or Nuwaiseeb. Your job is simply to give us accurate papers that match the load; a gap between the list and what is in the truck is the usual reason clearance stalls.
What is prohibited from shipping to Kuwait?
Kuwaiti customs will turn back weapons and ammunition, antique pieces included, two-way radios, drugs, alcohol and home-brewing gear, pork in any form, gaming and gambling machines, pornography, second-hand medical devices, anything linked to Israel, and cars older than 10 years.
Other things are allowed only with permission: the Ministry of Health must approve medicines, a pet needs a veterinary health certificate, and printed matter and media pass through the censor. We do not ship e-cigarettes commercially. The list changes from time to time, so mention any doubtful item before it is packed and we will look into it for you.
Do not hide anything inside the furniture
Delivery across Kuwait’s governorates
Trucks from Makkah usually enter Kuwait from the west through Al Salmi, so Al Jahra is the first governorate on the road, followed by Farwaniya and the Capital. The south of Kuwait may be served via Khafji when the load is grouped in Dammam. This is how we plan deliveries:
In the residential towers of Hawalli and Salmiya we usually need the lift booked in advance with the building watchman, and some buildings only allow loading at set hours. Ask the receiver to arrange this a day before the truck arrives so your belongings are not left waiting on the pavement.
Steps to ship from Makkah to Kuwait
- 1Get in touch: send the type of shipment, your Makkah district and the Kuwaiti area on WhatsApp to 0568829975.
- 2Price and booking: we send the price and transit time and fix a collection day once you agree.
- 3Papers: prepare a copy of your ID and a contents list, plus the car documents if there is a vehicle.
- 4Collection and packing: our crew arrives on time, dismantles, wraps, numbers, loads and photographs the load.
- 5Fasah and the border: we upload the data on Fasah and book the Ruqi slot; the clearing agent completes the declaration at Salmi.
- 6Delivery and assembly: the truck reaches the address, the pieces are handed over against the inventory, and the furniture is reassembled.
What decides the price of a Makkah–Kuwait shipment?
There is no single fixed price; the cost is built from several factors: the volume in cubic metres or the weight, the type of truck (shared or dedicated), the level of packing (film only or wooden crates), the number of floors and whether there is a lift at each end, the area of Kuwait you are delivering to, and the season.
A worked example: a family sends a bedroom set (from SAR 920), a fridge (from SAR 735) and ten cartons (10 × SAR 110 = SAR 1,100) from Al Sharaye to Al Jahra. The estimated cost starts at SAR 2,755 on a shared truck. If they add the majlis and the kitchen, it may become cheaper to price the move as an apartment or villa, because the package rate comes in below the sum of the separate items.
Ways to cut the cost of shipping from Makkah to Kuwait
- Choose a shared truck over a dedicated one if you are not in a hurry: you pay only for your share of the truck.
- Leave old pieces behind; a worn-out wardrobe may cost more to move than a new one costs in Kuwait.
- Group your cartons into one consignment and pay by the kilo once it passes 100 kg.
- Avoid peak periods like the weeks after school exams finish and the holidays, when trucks are in short supply.
- Get your papers ready early so you do not pay for extra waiting days at the border.
Mistakes people make when shipping from Makkah to Kuwait
- Shipping an old car: a car more than 10 years old is usually refused in Kuwait, so check the year of manufacture before paying anything.
- A vague contents list: writing just “household items” without detail slows clearance at Salmi.
- Believing a “one-day” promise: Makkah is more than 1,400 km from Kuwait; next-day delivery by road is not realistic.
- Skimping on glass packing: glass tables and mirrors need wooden crates on a journey this long.
- Fuel and battery left full: a full tank or a fully charged battery goes against carrier rules.
Do you also ship from Kuwait to Makkah?
Yes, we handle the reverse route too: from Kuwait to Makkah and its governorates, for families returning to the Kingdom and for goods bound for the Saudi market. The truck crosses from Salmi to Ruqi, Saudi customs procedures apply, and we arrange collection in Kuwait and delivery in Makkah in the same way.
Why Gulf International Shipping for Makkah shipments?
The right crossing
We choose between Ruqi and Khafji based on your Kuwaiti address, not habit.
A booked Fasah slot
Data filed and crossing time reserved while the truck is still on the road.
Hillside know-how
Small vehicles and crews for stairs and lanes trucks cannot enter.
Published starting prices
You see the price before booking and know what you pay for each item.
Cars, furniture and goods
Open and enclosed carriers, shared and dedicated trucks, and air via Jeddah.
Delivery and assembly
We deliver against the inventory and reassemble furniture in your chosen governorate.
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