As a shipping company from Makkah to Qatar, Gulf International Shipping picks up furniture, cartons, cars and trade goods from homes and shops in Makkah and its governorates and trucks them to Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, Al Rayyan and every other Qatari town. All our trucks enter Qatar the same way: out through Saudi Arabia’s Salwa post and in through Qatar’s Abu Samra post, since no other land border exists between the two. By road it takes 3 to 5 working days from Makkah; by air through Jeddah airport, a day or two.
Our starting prices on this lane: a carton costs from SAR 120 and a grouped consignment of personal effects from SAR 740; furniture runs from SAR 555 per cubic metre; a bedroom set or part load sharing a truck starts at SAR 2,030; emptying a 3–4-bedroom flat into a jumbo dyna starts at SAR 6,000; and an open carrier for a sedan also starts at SAR 2,030. Book by phone or WhatsApp on 0568829975.
In short
- Distance: about 1,500 km from Makkah to Doha via Riyadh, Khurais, Hofuf and the Salwa crossing, roughly 13.5–16.5 hours of driving
- Crossing: the Salwa post (Al-Udaid) on the Saudi side and Abu Samra on the Qatari side, with crossings day and night
- Road freight: typically 3–5 working days until unloading; a private truck saves a day or more over a shared one
- Air freight: Jeddah airport to Doha’s Hamad airport, roughly two and a half hours in the air, with delivery in 24–48 hours
- Prices: starting at SAR 120 a carton, SAR 555 a cubic metre of furniture and SAR 2,030 to move a sedan
- Taxes: Qatar has not introduced VAT yet; customs usually levies 5% on goods made outside the GCC
- Delivery: Doha and Lusail, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah, plus Al Khor, Umm Salal, Al Shahaniya, Dukhan and Mesaieed
Route: Makkah → Riyadh → Khurais → Hofuf → Salwa → Abu Samra → Doha · Time: 3–5 working days · Contact: 0568829975
Approximate shipping prices from Makkah to Qatar
No competitor publishes a price list specific to the Makkah–Qatar lane; the pages that rank for it only describe the service. So we based our Makkah prices on the published rates for Jeddah to Qatar, since Jeddah is the nearest city with public prices and lies only about 80 km from Makkah, and pitched our starting price 5–10% under the cheapest figure on offer there. Items that Jeddah companies don’t price were taken from published Riyadh rates.
In each cell the first figure is where Gulf International Shipping starts, and the second is the top of the published market range for the same item, so you know where your quote should fall before you contact us.
Note: road freight from Makkah to Qatar usually takes 3–5 working days depending on the Qatari city and how fast Salwa and Abu Samra clear the load; air freight via Jeddah arrives in 24–48 hours.
Full “from” price list for the Makkah–Qatar lane
These are starting prices; the final figure depends on volume, access at your Makkah address and the Qatari city of delivery. To compare Makkah with Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam in one table, see shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
How far is Makkah from Doha, and how long does a shipment take?
By road, Makkah to Doha is about 1,500 km depending on the collection point and the route, which means roughly 13.5 to 16.5 hours of actual driving before stops. A shipment never moves that fast, though. Heavy-truck drivers must take rest periods, the load goes through export formalities at Salwa and import formalities at Abu Samra, and then it is distributed inside Qatar. That is why the honest answer is 3 to 5 working days from your door in Makkah to your door in Qatar.
There is no direct road from western Saudi Arabia to Qatar that avoids Riyadh. Trucks leave Makkah on the expressway to the capital, continue east from Riyadh through Khurais to Hofuf in Al-Ahsa, then turn south-east towards Salwa. Once across the border, Doha is only about 90 km from Abu Samra.
Note: figures are approximate and vary with the loading point in Makkah or the governorate; the total is about 1,500 km.
A dedicated truck and a shared truck behave very differently on this lane. Your own truck leaves as soon as loading is finished, so it usually arrives at the low end of the range. With a shared load, the truck first has to fill up with other customers’ goods from Makkah, Jeddah and Taif, which can add a day or two, but the price drops sharply because the cost of the long haul is split between several customers.
Your Makkah shipment, day by day
- 1Day 1: survey of the home or a list of items, then dismantling, packing, numbering and photographing, and loading at your door or a transfer to the consolidation point.
- 2Day 2: the truck sets off for Riyadh while we prepare the export data, which goes onto Fasah roughly a day ahead of the border.
- 3Day 3: on from Riyadh via Khurais and Hofuf to the Salwa crossing, and Saudi exit formalities.
- 4Day 4: entry through Abu Samra once the Qatari declaration is completed on the Al Nadeeb system, then the 90 km run to Doha.
- 5Day 5: unloading at your address in Doha, Lusail, Al Rayyan or Al Wakrah, with furniture put back together if you booked it.
A customs broker handles the formalities on both sides; your part is to have your ID or iqama copy and the contents list ready before loading. For a closer look at the formalities at the crossing itself, read our separate guide to the Salwa and Abu Samra border crossing.
Collection from Makkah’s hillside districts and the wider region
Makkah is a city of mountains before it is a city of wide roads. Many of its districts climb the slopes, so you find steep streets, narrow lanes a large truck cannot enter, and older buildings with no lift. These details decide how we collect far more than the distance from your home to the expressway.
In such cases Gulf International Shipping works in two stages: a small van or short dyna enters the district and shuttles the wrapped pieces to a nearby spot where the big truck can stand, and then the load is stowed properly in the truck bound for Qatar. Nothing gets dragged down a slope, and we never have to squeeze a large truck into a street that cannot take it.
Makkah districts we collect from
We reach every district of Makkah, including Al Awali, Al Sharaie, Al Nawwariyah, Al Hussainiyah, Al Zaidi, Al Umrah, Al Khalidiyah, Al Rusaifah, Al Kakiyah, Al Hijrah, Al Maabdah, Rei Zakher, Al Shisha, Al Malawi, Al Aziziyah, Al Naseem, Al Zahir, Jarwal, Al Taneem and Al Otaibiyah. In newer districts with wide streets such as Al Sharaie and Al Awali the truck can usually stop at your door; for older, higher districts we plan a loading point beforehand.
Governorates of the Makkah region
We don’t stop at the city limits. We collect Qatar-bound shipments from Al Jumum, Bahrah, Al Kamil, Khulais, Rabigh, Al Lith, Al Qunfudhah, Adham and Al Ardiyat, and combine them with Makkah loads in the same truck when the shipment is small. If you live in Jeddah or Taif, each city has its own page: shipping from Jeddah to Qatar and shipping from Taif to Qatar.
Before loading day in Makkah
Moving a family’s furniture from Makkah to Qatar
Most household loads we carry from Makkah to Qatar belong to families relocating because one parent has started a job in Qatar, or who are moving to be near relatives there. They typically include wooden bedroom sets, floor majlis seating, rugs, kitchens, appliances, and cartons of books and clothes. With a road journey of more than 1,500 km, packing is what decides the condition of your furniture on arrival.
At Gulf International Shipping we dismantle beds and wardrobes, number every part and keep the screws in bags taped to them, wrap sofas in a fabric layer and then reinforced film, crate mirrors and glass in wood, drain fridges and washing machines and lock their moving parts. Heavy pieces go at the bottom of the truck and fragile ones in the middle, away from the walls and doors.
On arrival our crew reassembles beds and wardrobes at the new home if you book it, using the numbering done in Makkah. For packing details by furniture type, see furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Can your used furniture enter Qatar duty-free?
Qatar’s General Authority of Customs publishes clear rules for non-Qataris arriving on their first work posting, and those rules let their used furniture and belongings in without duty. Here is what applies to most families leaving Makkah:
- Who qualifies: a non-Qatari employee on a first arrival for work; the relief extends to personal luggage plus used furniture and home appliances
- Documents: a letter from the employer giving your role and nationality, a copy of your ID with the work residence permit, and an inventory of belongings that customs stamps
- Deadline: the goods must arrive no later than 6 months from your entry into Qatar
- Undertaking: exempt items may not be disposed of for one year from entry, or duties and fines become due
- Not covered: new tools and household appliances, and personal cars, which pay duty under the tariff
In practice, a household that lands after the six-month window, or with papers missing, can end up paying 5% of its value. So we advise booking your Makkah shipment as soon as your Qatari residence is issued. Full details are in Qatar customs rules for used household goods.
Car shipping from Makkah to Qatar
For Makkah customers we put cars on one of two carrier types: open, or enclosed hydraulic. Open carriers are fine for an everyday car, priced from SAR 2,030 for a sedan and SAR 2,590 for an SUV. Enclosed carriers keep dust and sun off the paintwork for the full 1,500 km, with prices beginning at SAR 3,880 for sedans, SAR 4,600 for SUVs and SAR 5,540 for sports models or EVs.
Will Qatar accept your car?
Before booking, check that Qatar will register the car at all. As a rule, Qatar refuses light vehicles more than five years past their model year, with only a few exceptions, classics over 35 years among them. Any car whose steering was switched from the right side is refused outright, and so are cars with a history of flooding, fire, serious crashes or chassis damage.
Duty on a car is 5% of its value, and no VAT is added. Travelling alongside your furniture does not bring a car under the household exemption. Once it has entered by road, you have 14 days to put it through technical inspection, register it with the traffic department and insure it locally.
Car paperwork on the Saudi side
- Final export: an export certificate from traffic, Saudi plates handed in and replaced with export plates, an unexpired periodic inspection, and all fines settled
- Ownership: the istimara (registration card), the owner’s identity document or iqama, and an e-authorisation in the carrier’s name
- Financed cars: written approval from the bank or finance company before export
- Temporary entry: for visits or tourism: a valid registration and a triptyque/carnet instead of final export
At hand-over we photograph the car all round; leave roughly a quarter of a tank in it and take out every personal item. For carrier types and full pricing see car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Air freight from Makkah to Qatar via Jeddah airport
With no commercial airport in Makkah, air cargo is driven about 80 km to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International and flown from there to Doha. Time in the air is roughly two and a half hours, and a parcel usually goes from your door in Makkah to the recipient’s door in Qatar within 24 to 48 hours once the paperwork is complete.
Air freight suits urgent, light and high-value items: documents, permitted personal medicines, electronics, and the clothes a family needs in its first days before the furniture arrives by road. Flying a whole household is expensive, and road freight is the practical choice for it.
Note: for air cargo we multiply the three dimensions in centimetres and divide by 5,000 to get volumetric weight, then charge whichever is higher, that or the scale weight.
For the other Saudi airports linked to Doha and their flight times, see air freight from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Cartons, gifts and personal effects from Makkah
Not every Makkah shipment is a whole household. Plenty of customers simply post boxes of clothing, books and household bits to family in Qatar, suitcases that did not fit on the plane, or gifts from Makkah such as prayer rugs, prayer beads, perfumes and packed dates. Small loads like these ride in a shared truck, starting at SAR 120 per carton (up to 30 kg), SAR 138 per suitcase, SAR 148 for a 20 kg parcel and SAR 7.5 a kilo for loose small items.
Use new double-wall cartons, keep each one under 30 kg so it can be carried without tearing, and write the recipient’s name, Qatari phone number and general contents on every box. Liquid perfumes need careful wrapping because heat affects them. More in cartons and parcels shipping to Qatar.
Trade shipments from Makkah’s shops and factories
For traders, factories and shops in Makkah there are two options. A part load (LTL) suits goods that don’t fill a truck; they travel with other cargo, starting from SAR 370 per tonne by road. A full load (FTL) means the whole truck is yours: hiring a dyna or trailer starts at SAR 2,300, and filling a 13.6 m trailer bound for Doha starts at SAR 11,500.
Goods made in Saudi Arabia usually cross with a GCC origin certificate, which lets Qatar treat them like local products under the Gulf customs union. Imported goods on which Saudi duty has already been paid use the GCC clearing (statistical statement) arrangement, so nobody pays twice. Anything of non-GCC origin generally attracts 5% duty. For the trade side, see goods shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Want a quote for your Makkah to Qatar shipment?
WhatsApp us pictures of what you’re sending, where you live in Makkah and where it’s going in Qatar, and we’ll come back with a price and pickup day.
Documents required for shipping from Makkah to Qatar
In Saudi Arabia, Gulf International Shipping lodges the export declaration on Fasah in advance, so the truck isn’t parked at Salwa while data is keyed in. In Qatar, the consignee or their representative names its clearing agent on Qatar’s Al Nadeeb e-customs system before the truck turns up, a step that normally requires a Qatari phone number tied to the Qatar ID.
Items banned or restricted on the Makkah–Qatar route
Below are the headline items Qatari customs bans or limits. If something isn’t on the list but makes you hesitate, check with us before it goes in a box:
- Prohibited: guns, ammunition and explosives; drugs of any kind; alcohol; anything containing pork; vapes and heat-not-burn tobacco devices; snuff and chewing tobacco; second-hand car tyres; fake goods or money; radar jammers
- Restricted: medicines that need a prescription; pets, which need an import permit; drones and radio equipment, which need approval first; food, which needs health certificates; and money or precious items valued at QAR 50,000 or higher, which have to be declared
Cylinders and fuels
Hajj and Umrah seasons: when should you ship from Makkah?
Planning a move in Makkah is not like anywhere else. During Hajj, large vehicles in and around the city are subject to temporary traffic arrangements, entrances and ring roads are congested, and in Ramadan and peak Umrah periods traffic around the central area is heavy. The right collection slot therefore differs from district to district at those times.
If your move falls close to Hajj, book early so we can collect before the arrangements begin, or straight after the season ends. Districts far from the centre, such as Al Sharaie and Al Awali, are easy to collect from most of the time. Either way, we tell you the realistic date before confirming, not after you have emptied your home.
Steps to ship from Makkah to Qatar
- 1Contact us: on 0568829975 or WhatsApp, with the shipment type, photos, your Makkah district and the Qatari city.
- 2Get your quote: we estimate the volume, recommend shared, dedicated or air, and confirm the price and pickup date.
- 3Prepare the papers: ID or iqama copy, the Qatari employer letter if you want the exemption, and car documents if any.
- 4Dismantling and packing: our crew arrives on time, dismantles, wraps, numbers and photographs, then loads the truck.
- 5Clearance and crossing: export data goes onto Fasah, and once the Qatari side has the declaration the truck passes Salwa and Abu Samra.
- 6Delivery and assembly: the load arrives at your new address, beds and wardrobes go back together, and you tick off each item on the inventory.
Delivery in Doha, Lusail and across Qatar
Abu Samra is about 90 km from Doha, so the capital is reached a couple of hours after the border, and onward drops to other towns go out from there. Lusail is a frequent destination for families moving from Makkah, because many new apartments there are in towers that need a lift booking and an entry slot agreed with building management, which we arrange with you before the truck arrives.
Note: these are rough door-to-door estimates; volume, paperwork and border timing all move them.
How is the cost of shipping from Makkah to Qatar calculated?
Gulf International Shipping prices a shipment on five things: volume in cubic metres, method (shared, dedicated or air), the type of pieces and how much dismantling and packing they need, access at your Makkah home, and the Qatari city of delivery. Customs clearance starts from SAR 138, and insurance, if you choose it, is a percentage of the declared value.
A rough example: a family with a bedroom set, a majlis, a fridge, a washing machine and 15 cartons comes to about 8 cubic metres. Shared freight by volume starts at about 8 × 555 = SAR 4,440, while a whole jumbo dyna from SAR 6,000 may make more sense if the volume grows or the family wants faster delivery. The right choice becomes clear after a survey or a look at your photos.
How to keep the cost of your Makkah shipment down
- Shared freight: if you are not in a hurry, a shared truck cuts the price because the cost of 1,500 km is split between customers
- Less volume: sell or donate large old pieces before the move; every cubic metre less lowers the bill
- Cartons, not air: clothes and books by carton on the road cost far less than flying them
- Timing: avoid Hajj weeks and holiday peaks, and book at least two weeks before your move
- Combine loads: share a truck with a relative in Makkah or Jeddah shipping to Qatar the same week
Common mistakes when shipping from Makkah to Qatar
- Shipping a car before checking its model year against Qatar’s rules, then finding it cannot be registered.
- Sending the household goods more than 6 months after entering Qatar, which loses the exemption.
- Mixing new appliances into sealed cartons of used goods without listing them.
- Not mentioning a steep street or a missing lift, so loading stalls because the truck cannot reach the door.
- Packing e-cigarettes or their liquids in cartons; they are prohibited in Qatar.
- Forgetting to register the customs broker on the Qatari portal before the truck arrives, leaving the load waiting at the border.
Do you ship from Qatar to Makkah?
Yes. We run the reverse lane from Doha and other Qatari cities to Makkah, Jeddah and Taif through the same two crossings in the opposite direction. The paperwork differs because the shipment is entering Saudi Arabia, so we agree the contents list and import formalities with you before loading.
Why choose Gulf International Shipping in Makkah?
We know Makkah’s streets
Steep lanes and older buildings are planned for with a shuttle van and a nearby loading point.
The whole route
Makkah to Riyadh, Al-Ahsa, Salwa and Abu Samra, on a schedule you receive before loading.
Published prices
“From” prices 5–10% below published market rates.
Fasah and Al Nadeeb
Export data lodged in advance and the Qatari declaration lined up before the truck gets there.
Enclosed car carriers
A closed option for sports cars, EVs and luxury models.
Road and air
Trucks for furniture and goods, air via Jeddah for urgent items in 24–48 hours.
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