Gulf International Shipping, operating as a shipping company from Makkah to Oman, picks up furniture, cars, cartons and trade goods across Makkah’s districts and the nearby governorates and carries them by road to Muscat, Sohar, Nizwa, Sur and Salalah through the Empty Quarter border post, the single road crossing joining Saudi Arabia directly to the Sultanate of Oman. The truck covers roughly 2,150–2,300 km, so expect delivery in Muscat after roughly five to seven working days, and in Salalah after six to eight. Pricing opens at SAR 46 for a small carton and SAR 138 for one weighing up to 30 kg, with a complete bedroom from SAR 1,380, air cargo from SAR 41 per kilo, and a sedan from SAR 2,020 on a shared car carrier.
Moving from Makkah to Oman means crossing the entire peninsula, from the shores of the Red Sea to the Hajar range and the Arabian Sea. It is not a trip anyone should improvise. The truck heads east to Riyadh, turns south to Haradh, then joins the Empty Quarter highway, which runs for hundreds of kilometres through sand with no towns along it, before it reaches the border and then Ibri, the first Omani city on the road. That is why this page follows the journey itself: what happens on each day, what it costs, how we prepare your belongings for heat and dust, what Omani customs asks for, and how we deliver in each governorate.
At a glance
- Distance: roughly 2,150–2,300 km to Muscat, varying with where we load; 564 km of it is the Empty Quarter highway on Saudi soil and a further 161 km runs inside Oman as far as Ibri
- Border: the Empty Quarter post on the Saudi side, with its Omani counterpart near Ibri in Al Dhahirah; freight lanes stay open day and night
- Road transit: 5–7 working days to Muscat, Nizwa and Sohar; roughly 6–8 days to Salalah and Duqm
- Air freight: from King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah to Muscat on a nonstop flight of about 3 hours 15 minutes, from SAR 41 per kg
- Prices: SAR 46 is our starting price for a small carton, SAR 1,380 for a bedroom, and SAR 2,020 each for a two-bedroom flat or a sedan
- Tax: Oman levies 5% customs duty, then 5% VAT, on new goods of non-GCC make; used furniture belonging to a new resident is exempt under conditions
- Delivery: door to door in every governorate of Oman, from Muscat and Al Batinah to Ad Dakhiliyah, Ash Sharqiyah and Dhofar
Itinerary: Makkah → Riyadh → Al Kharj → Haradh → Rub’ al Khali → Ibri → Muscat · On the road: 5–7 working days · Bookings: 0568829975
How does a shipment travel from Makkah to Oman, day by day?
The first thing our Makkah customers ask is “when will it arrive?” An honest answer means breaking the trip into stages, because the long road is rarely what slows a shipment down. The stops are: waiting for a groupage truck to fill, the Fasah appointment at the border, and clearance on Oman’s Bayan system. The table below is the usual plan for a groupage load leaving Makkah for Muscat; the days are approximate and shift with border traffic and the type of cargo.
A dedicated truck, meaning a whole vehicle reserved for you alone, usually saves a day or two because it does not wait for consolidation in Riyadh and leaves Makkah straight after loading. Salalah, on the other hand, sits in the far south of Oman: past the border the truck heads south by way of Adam, Haima and Thumrait, which is why one or two extra days are added to the Muscat timeline.
Why can the truck not take a shorter line? Because from Makkah the route has to swing east around the desert mass; there is no truck road cutting across the Empty Quarter from the west. The only paved road through the sands to Oman starts at the Batha–Haradh junction, some 25 km short of the Batha post, and runs past the Shaybah oil field on its way to the frontier. That is why the distance on a map looks shorter than what the driver actually covers.
Approximate shipping prices from Makkah to Oman
We built the Gulf International Shipping rates on the lowest prices published for the Makkah–Oman lane and set our starting price below them. Where the published Tabuk price for the same item was lower, we used the lower figure: it makes no sense for Makkah to cost more than a city that is farther from Oman. Each price cell holds two figures: the left-hand one is where our price starts, and the right-hand one is the usual ceiling for larger shipments or those needing special packing.
Note: count on 5–7 working days by road from Makkah to Muscat, or 6–8 to Salalah; congestion at the crossing, a late Fasah slot or slow Omani clearance can stretch that, while air via Jeddah airport arrives in 48–72 hours door to door.
Prices for single items
Not everyone shipping from Makkah is moving a whole house. Many orders are one or two items: a fridge for a relative who has taken a job in Muscat, a treadmill, or a desk and its chairs. These are starting prices per item within a groupage load:
Salalah, Duqm and Musandam deliveries are priced above Muscat because the drive after the border is much longer; the road between Muscat and Salalah alone runs to roughly 1,047 km. So we do not print a fixed figure for them; we price them on volume, weight and delivery address. Send the details on WhatsApp 0568829975 and we will come back with your price.
Find out what your Makkah to Oman shipment costs
Tell us the district you are loading from and the Omani city, and send photos or a list of your items; and we will send back a price along with the date of the next departure.
Where do we collect in Makkah and its governorates?
Our trucks reach every Makkah neighbourhood; among the busiest for us are Al Shawqiyah, Al Aziziyah, Al Naseem, Al Awali, Al Sharaie, Al Zahir, Al Utaybiyah, Batha Quraysh, Al Kakiyah, Wali Al Ahd, Al Nawariyah, Jarwal, Al Rusaifah and Al Zaidi. Outside the city we reach Al Jumum, Bahrah, Al Kamil and Khulais, south to Al Lith, Al Qunfudhah and Al Ardiyat, and north to Rabigh. Loads from the outlying governorates are gathered in Makkah or Jeddah and added to the Oman line, so you never pay for a whole truck for a handful of items.
Makkah’s districts have their own character. Many are built on mountain slopes, some streets are narrow or steep, and older buildings often have no lift. So ahead of loading day we check which floor you are on, how wide the street is and whether a large truck can pull up outside. Where it cannot, a smaller van ferries your belongings to a nearby transfer point and the big truck is loaded there. That one step avoids losing a whole day trying to reach a neighbourhood the truck cannot enter.
When to book from Makkah
During Hajj, Ramadan and public holidays, restrictions on trucks entering the districts near the central area tighten and the roads get busy. It is better to book loading a week before the season or after it, or to agree a loading point outside the congested zone. We arrange the permits and the right timing for each district.
Preparing your Makkah home for the Empty Quarter road
Shipping to Oman differs from a move across Makkah in two ways: heat and dust. The truck spends almost a full day on an open desert road, the temperature inside a closed box can climb sharply in summer, and fine dust finds its way into any gap. So we pack in three layers: paper or cloth against the surface so nothing scratches it, bubble wrap to absorb vibration, then tight stretch film that shuts the dust out. Heavy fragile pieces such as mirrors, marble tops and glass go into fixed wooden crates.
Rugs and majlis cushions are among the things Makkah families ship most, and they spoil if they are folded or exposed to damp. We roll each rug rather than fold it, wrap it in clear film and pack the cushions in sealed bags. Bedrooms are dismantled piece by piece, with every screw and hinge in a numbered pouch fixed to its own panel, and everything is photographed before loading. On arrival in Oman our team reassembles using the same numbers.
Appliances need special care on this trip. Switch the fridge off a day ahead and let it dry out inside so trapped moisture does not turn mouldy on the road; the washer gets drained and its drum secured; air conditioners are taken down and their pipes sealed. We also recommend sending new appliances with their invoices, because Omani customs may treat them as new goods, as explained further down.
If you fly before the truck leaves, or your new home in Oman is not ready yet, we keep your belongings in a closed warehouse and ship them when you ask. Storage also suits anyone happy to wait for a groupage load to fill in order to save on cost.
The Empty Quarter crossing: what happens to your shipment at the border?
Administratively the crossing belongs to the Eastern Province, and no other land border post links the two countries directly. Its access road covers 564 km on the Saudi side, and the Omani continuation adds 161 km up to Ibri, making a desert highway of about 725 km in total. Its freight yard was built to process roughly 966 trucks daily, counting arrivals and departures, and it runs 24 hours for commercial traffic, though waits vary with demand.
Before a truck reaches the border it must hold an appointment booked on Fasah, the customs platform run by ZATCA (the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority), and arrive within the set time window. This applies to every carrier at Saudi land ports, and a late booking is the most common reason a truck loses an extra day. Our team books that slot before the truck leaves Riyadh and file the export declaration in advance.
On the Omani side the shipment enters the facing post, known as Ramlat Khaylah, near Ibri, and is cleared on the Bayan electronic system by a licensed customs broker. Household shipments are usually fully inspected, which is why an accurate inventory matters to us: every carton is numbered and labelled with its contents, so inspection finishes sooner.
Wrong border names
Some pages claim the route to Oman goes through Al Ruqi, which is a Kuwait crossing, or call Al Ghuwaifat an Omani post when it is on the UAE side. The direct road from Makkah to Oman has a single crossing: the Empty Quarter. The UAE route is a fallback we use only when needed, for example for deliveries to Musandam.
Oman VAT and customs on your Makkah shipment
The Sultanate of Oman applies 5% value added tax, calculated on imports on the value of the goods plus freight and insurance, with customs duty added in. Separately, duty of 5% applies to the majority of imports that did not originate in the GCC. A Saudi product accompanied by a GCC certificate of origin crosses without customs duty, although VAT still applies to commercial imports.
A worked example: new non-GCC appliances valued at SAR 3,000 with freight and insurance attract SAR 150 in duty; VAT at 5% is then charged on SAR 3,150, adding SAR 157.5, so the total due is about SAR 307.5. This is useful for anyone buying new furniture in Makkah before moving; sometimes buying it in Oman works out cheaper.
Used furniture and personal effects are exempt for Omani citizens returning from abroad and for foreigners coming to live in Oman for the first time. The conditions: personal belongings only, no trade quantities, shipped from your former country of residence, and your ID card, passport or residence visa presented with a detailed inventory. Cars are outside the exemption, and the shipment is inspected. Every condition is listed in our article on Oman used household goods customs.
If you have moved to Kuwait or Qatar before
Some people assume no Gulf state charges VAT. Oman charges 5%, so build it into your budget if your shipment includes new appliances or furniture, and keep your purchase invoices.
Car shipping from Makkah to Oman
A sedan leaves Makkah on a shared car carrier starting at SAR 2,020; a single flatbed starts at SAR 2,300, a private hydraulic flatbed for big family vehicles at SAR 2,760, and enclosed transport for luxury and sports cars at SAR 4,140. The car moves with the trucks through Riyadh and the Empty Quarter and reaches Muscat in about the same time.
Check the car’s age before you book: Omani customs allows private cars under 7 years old to be imported, with exceptions for classic vehicles subject to traffic authority approval. The car must be left-hand drive, meet the approved specifications, and must never have suffered major accident, fire or flood damage. Cars entering from another GCC country currently require an export certificate from the competent authority of the state where it is registered, so for a car registered in the Kingdom you obtain export plates and that certificate via Absher.
- In Saudi Arabia: settle any traffic fines, hold a valid registration and inspection, get the bank’s release if the car is financed, then apply for export on Absher and file the export declaration on Fasah.
- In Oman: customs duty of 5% on the value, followed by 5% VAT on the value with the duty added, Omani insurance in place before arrival, then registration with the Royal Oman Police.
- At loading: keep roughly a quarter tank, empty the cabin of personal items, and the car is photographed from every angle while you watch.
Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Oman walks through carrier types and every requirement.
Air freight from Makkah to Muscat via Jeddah airport
Makkah has no international airport of its own, so we fly cargo from Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, roughly 80 km down the road. The nonstop flight from Jeddah to Muscat takes around 3 hours 15 minutes, and both Oman Air and SalamAir run direct services on the route. Air cargo is charged from SAR 41 per kilo for parcels and online-store goods, and your parcels are usually at the door 48 to 72 hours after pickup, subject to flights and clearance.
Air suits documents, personal medicines, small electronics, trade samples and anything you need in your first days in Oman before the truck arrives. It does not suit heavy furniture, because volumetric weight pushes the cost up sharply. Traders moving containerised stock can also ask about a sea service from Jeddah port to Salalah, but furniture and cars go by road. Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Oman lists schedules and rates.
Shipping cartons, Makkah gifts and personal items
Most small orders from Makkah are cartons for family living in Oman: prayer rugs, copies of the Quran, clothes, dates and Umrah gifts. We send them in the weekly groupage load: small cartons from SAR 46, parcels up to 5 kg from SAR 92, and cartons or suitcases up to 30 kg from SAR 138. Ten clothing cartons start from SAR 595.
A few items need attention. Alcohol-based perfumes usually cannot fly, so we send them by road. Food should travel sealed in its original packaging, and we avoid cooked or perishable food. Religious books and printed matter may be reviewed by Omani customs before release, so list them clearly on the inventory. For more, see cartons and parcels shipping to Oman.
Shipping trade goods from Makkah to Oman
Makkah is a big market for dates, perfumes, clothing, gifts and rugs, and many traders send stock to shops in Muscat, Sohar and Nizwa. We offer two options: groupage by the ton from SAR 780, suited to small and medium quantities; and a dedicated truck from SAR 4,140 for a small vehicle or SAR 5,980 for a large one, which makes more sense when the load is full or delivery is urgent.
Saudi-made stock should travel with a GCC certificate of origin so it enters duty-free, alongside the commercial invoice, packing list and exporter’s commercial registration. The Omani importer must hold a commercial registration too, and clearance runs through Bayan. Goods shipping from Saudi Arabia to Oman explains all of this in depth.
After the border: delivery from Ibri to Muscat, Nizwa, Sur and Salalah
The first part of Oman a truck enters is Al Dhahirah Governorate, so Ibri, Yanqul and Dhank are the closest delivery points to the border, followed by Buraimi and Nizwa. From Ibri the road climbs through the Hajar Mountains to Muscat in about 3 hours. Sur in Ash Sharqiyah and Salalah in Dhofar take longer. This table shows the usual delivery order:
The road from Ibri to Nizwa and Muscat is mountainous in places, with bends and wadis. Our drivers know it, and we plan arrival so unloading happens in daylight and the assembly team does not reach your home at night after a long haul. Because homes in Oman range from villas to flats and gated compounds, we ask in advance about compound entry permits, the lift and the number of floors, so we send the right vehicle and crew.
Musandam Governorate in the far north is a special case: no land road reaches it from the rest of Oman except through UAE territory. So we ship there via the Batha border post and then the UAE–Oman crossings, with extra transit formalities. We confirm the timing and cost with you before booking.
Documents required for shipping from Makkah to Oman
The authorisation for the company on Fasah is done online and we guide you through it step by step. We do not load any shipment before checking the papers with you, because one missing document can hold an entire truck at the border.
What is prohibited when shipping from Makkah to Oman?
Oman Customs has published a list of the main prohibited items, and we refuse to load them in any shipment:
- Weapons of any type, bladed ones included even when ornamental, along with explosives, narcotics and psychotropic drugs
- Clothing and equipment resembling military uniform, and toy guns that look like real weapons
- Rifle scopes, night-vision scopes and stun guns
- Ivory, and counterfeit goods or goods breaching standards or intellectual property rights
- E-cigarettes, drones and two-way radios need approvals and may be refused in household shipments
Books, printed matter and discs are subject to review, and perishable food is not accepted on the long road trip. Not sure whether something is allowed? Ask us first, before it is packed.
Steps to ship from Makkah to Oman
- 1Send the details
Message 0568829975 on WhatsApp with your Makkah district, the destination city in Oman and pictures or a list of your things. - 2We set the method and price
Groupage, dedicated truck or air, with price and transit time before you commit. - 3We prepare the paperwork
Which papers your shipment needs, and how to authorise us on Fasah. - 4Dismantling, packing and loading
Three-layer packing, with every piece numbered and photographed. - 5The road and the border
Makkah to Riyadh, then the Empty Quarter with a booked border slot, with updates from us. - 6Clearance in Oman
On Bayan through a licensed broker, then the road to your city. - 7Delivery and assembly
Unloading and reassembly by the same numbers, checked against the list in front of you.
What decides the cost of shipping from Makkah to Oman?
Cost depends on several factors: volume in cubic metres or weight, groupage or dedicated transport, the level of packing, insurance if you want it, floors and lifts at both ends, the delivery city in Oman, and the season. Example: a family moving a bedroom, a seating set, a fridge, a washing machine and ten clothing cartons from Al Aziziyah to Muscat by groupage starts from 1,380 + 2,390 + 550 + 460 + 595, about SAR 5,375. If the volume grows to a small truckload, a dedicated truck from SAR 4,140 becomes the cheaper choice.
The cheapest way to move your things from Makkah to Oman
- Groupage: you are billed just for the space your goods take, the best value for small homes and cartons.
- Sell what is easy to replace: low-value bulky pieces may cost more in freight than a new replacement in Muscat.
- Avoid peak seasons: booking outside Hajj and Ramadan is faster and less congested.
- Prepare documents early: a truck waiting at the border raises the cost for everyone.
Common mistakes when shipping from Makkah to Oman
- Writing just “Oman” in Arabic on labels or papers, where it can be read as Amman in Jordan; write “Sultanate of Oman” and the city name.
- Believing “48-hour” promises from Makkah to Muscat; the distance alone exceeds 2,000 km, plus a border and clearance.
- Booking a car aged 7 years or over, only for Omani customs to turn it away after the long trip.
- Hiding new appliances among used furniture without invoices; it slows inspection and can raise the duty.
- Leaving the fridge wet or the washing machine full of water, so they arrive smelling of mould.
Do you ship from Oman back to Makkah?
Yes, we run the reverse direction too: from Muscat, Sohar, Nizwa and Salalah to Makkah and Jeddah, for returning families and for traders. The route is the same via the Empty Quarter crossing, with the procedures reversed: export on the Omani side, then Saudi clearance on Fasah. Send us the details and we will confirm the timing and price.
Why choose Gulf International Shipping for Makkah to Oman?
Starting prices below the market
Each item starts below the lowest published price on the Makkah–Oman lane.
Border slot booked in advance
We book the Fasah appointment before the truck leaves Riyadh.
Packing built for the desert
Three layers against scratches, vibration and dust.
We know Makkah’s districts
We match the truck to the street and the slope before loading day.
Delivery in every governorate
From Ibri and Muscat to Sur and Salalah, and Musandam on request.
WhatsApp updates
We let you know at every stage, from Makkah to your door in Oman.
For a closer look at border formalities read the Empty Quarter border crossing guide for Oman; for rates from every Saudi city, open shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Oman.
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