Saudi Arabia has become a popular export destination for UK goods to be shipped to. Mercator has recently seen a surge in enquiries and business for shipping from the UK to Saudi Arabia. As such, we have experience in export shipments to Saudi Arabia from the UK.
The most popular mode of transport for shipping to Saudi Arabia we have seen is sea freight. Most vessels calling at Damman and Jeddah operate from the UK sea freight ports of Southampton and Tilbury. Typical sea freight transit shipping time is 28 days Damman, some fast services can get to Jeddah in about 11 days.
If you have a shipment ready to send to Saudi Arabia, there are a few things that are worth considering before you decide whether to send the cargo sea freight or air freight:
- How urgent is the shipment for Saudi Arabia? If you are short on time, you might choose air freight, or a faster sea freight service to Jeddah. If time isn’t an object and your shipment is better arriving at Damman sea freight port (in terms of onward logistics), then that might be your choice.
- How much margin do you have in your cargo? Obviously cost is a big consideration when you choose a shipping method, and generally speaking sea freight is better value than air freight (this is assuming your cargo for Saudi Arabia is a full 20 or 40 foot container).
Another consideration is whether you need UK haulage to get your goods to the sea freight port or airport. Generally if you are shipping a full container then customers ask us to arrange collection of the goods, but if you are sending a small load via air freight, you might want to deliver the shipment to our warehouse nearby the origin airport, where it can be packed ready for transit (do ask us about this service when you enquire).
When your shipment arrives in Saudi Arabia, there’s its onward journey to consider. If you are selling the cargo to a customer, you may wish to arrange delivery to their door – with our contacts in Saudi Arabia we are able to arrange this for you, but some customers expect to collect the shipment from the port themselves. It is worth checking with your customer what they expect or want you to take care of before any shipping arrangements are made.
Please get in contact to discuss shipping to Saudi Arabia and to obtain a quote, we are a freight forwarder with many years experience, and particular experience in exporting to Saudi Arabia from the UK – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
