How to Send Household Items Back Home from Saudi Arabia- Cargo Services in Saudi- Expats going on Final Exit

Ever since the tsunami of expat departure hit KSA, there has been a huge demand in cargo/freight services. Most expatriates who leave the country have to transport household items back to their home country. In this article, we help you choose the right cargo service.

Choosing what Items to send back from Saudi Arabia by Cargo (Before you pack)

Before you begin packing your cartons, try to sift through all the items. Double check whether all the items are extremely important. Any items which might not be required back home or which are a bit old should better be sold/disposed of locally. This will also save you some money that would otherwise be wasted transferring useless items.
Also remember that your family will be starting a new life so collecting unnecessary clutter is not a wise idea. To know how to send Family on final Exit read our concerned article here.

Pack the items safely before Cargo

Once you have narrowed down to the most essential items, organize them according to their type and weight. If you are packing carton boxes, place waterproof plastic/polythene at the bottom. Pack in some clothes/soft material to act as a cushion. Then pack the heavy items first. Then as you place fragile items be sure to wrap them in newspaper/cloth for protection.

Finally, when you are done the packing, leave some space at the top which again should be filled with clothes and finally a layer of waterproof material. Once you have parked the box, seal it and get it ready for the cargo people.

Choosing the right Cargo/freight service

Depending on where you live in KSA, there are so many options about cargo companies. Usually, you can send your items outside Saudi in three ways:
1. Land Cargo
2. Air Cargo
3. Sea Cargo

Land cargo is applicable to neighboring countries like Egypt, Yemen, and Syria etc and can be a very cheap option. Air cargo is a safe and fast option for other parts of the world but can be very costly. Sea cargo is usually the popular choice as it is more economical. However, if you are sending by sea, be sure to send at least a month in advance from the time you need the things.

Choosing land cargo from Saudi Arabia

If you are sending goods to neighboring countries like Egypt, consider the following options
1) Al Ali Transport Company: They transport to all parts of Egypt and are a reputed company.
2) For land transport to other neighboring countries like Qatar and Oman, there is Star Cargo LLC which offers Door to Door services and they even transfer cars.

Choosing Sea Freight Saudi Arabia

Being one of the cheapest options around you can get your goods delivered for as low as 3 to 7 SAR per kg using this option. The most common sea freight companies are:

1) Maersk: Usually this global leader deals with corporate entities so many times the cargo services you choose will forward your goods through them.
2) TNT: An option slightly cheaper than DHL and Aramex, TNT offers sea freight to major world cities.
3) Al Futaim logistics: It is a local company dealing in Global Freight Forwarding. It is flexible regarding the size of your items so you can ship less than container load also.
4) Movehub: This is a new service which offers a very innovative solution of moving an entire house from KSA to India. Shifting all items of 1 bedroom flat to India costs approximately 2 lac rupees but reach in just one week. For those with a big pocket and limited time this could be a life saver. Another way to use Movehub is that it gives you comparative quotes from 6 couriers companies at once.
5) Inter Cargo, ST cargo and ABC Cargo are other companies that offer competitive prices for shipping to India, Pakistan, etc.

6) For shipping items to Philipines, there are services like Rapid Parcel, TNT and DHL

Choosing Air Freight from Saudi Arabia

If you chose air cargo for its speed and safety, you might want to consider the following:
1) Saudi post – They deliver cargo at your doorstep. For India they can charge you 10 SAR per kg. It is a cheaper option in air cargo category.
2) Saudi Airlines, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines as well as Egypt Air are most common small sized courier carriers.

Important advice:

Whichever cargo service you choose, keep in mind
1. Always go for insurance. In case your goods are lost or damaged this will help you greatly.
2. Always plan in advance and be prepared for delays.
3. Never cargo illegal/dangerous items
4. Always pack securely and systematically.
5. Keep a personal list of items contained in each box. This saves so much time and energy in between packing.
6. Never over-pack boxes or seal them with too much tape or ropes. They might have to be inspected by security and can get damaged more easily.