Al Mellah International Shipping (0580402747) is a shipping company from Riyadh to Qatar moving cars, parcels, personal effects, furniture and goods by land through the Salwa → Abu Samra crossing, from any Riyadh district to Doha, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, Lusail and Al Khor. The route is only about 600 km, so most shipments arrive in 2 to 4 days. Prices start from SAR 210 per parcel, SAR 1,850 per car and SAR 1,700 for one room of furniture, including packing and clearance at both borders.
Of all the Gulf states, Qatar is the closest to Riyadh by road after Bahrain. The truck leaves the capital eastwards on the Al-Ahsa road, passes Hofuf, then heads to Salwa on the Gulf coast. After the border, Doha is only about an hour and a half away. That short distance means a company is judged by how well it handles the small details — packing, paperwork and building permits in Doha — more than by its ability to cover long distances.
🏆 How do you know you have found the best shipping company from Riyadh to Qatar?
Do not judge a company by its advert; judge it by its answers. Ask these six questions before booking and notice whether the answer is specific or vague:
| Question | Reassuring answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| Which crossing will the shipment use? | Salwa → Abu Samra, with the expected crossing time | “We deliver all over Qatar fast” |
| Is clearance at Abu Samra included? | Yes, listed as an item in the quote | “Paid on arrival depending on customs” |
| Who receives the shipment in Qatar? | A named clearance agent, then the delivery team | “The driver will handle it” |
| How is the cost calculated? | By cubic metre after a survey | A lump sum by phone without a survey |
| What if the shipment is delayed? | Immediate notice of the reason and new date | No clear answer |
| Is there insurance? | Optional, with written terms | “Don’t worry, nothing will happen” |
🛣️ The route from Riyadh to Doha, stage by stage
| City in Qatar | Approx. distance from Riyadh | Door-to-door time |
|---|---|---|
| Al Rayyan & Muaither | ≈ 590 km | 2–3 days |
| Doha (Dafna, Al Sadd, Bin Mahmoud) | ≈ 600 km | 2–3 days |
| Al Wakrah & Mesaieed | ≈ 610 km | 2–3 days |
| Lusail & The Pearl | ≈ 615 km | 2–4 days |
| Umm Salal & Al Daayen | ≈ 620 km | 3–4 days |
| Al Khor & the north | ≈ 650 km | 3–4 days |
🚗 Car shipping from Riyadh to Qatar
If you are moving to Doha for work or residence and want your car there with Qatari plates, ship it for export on a carrier, then register it with Qatar’s traffic department after customs clearance. For a short visit you can simply drive it on Saudi plates with insurance that covers Qatar.
Luxury and low cars travel on an enclosed hydraulic flatbed. Transit is 2–4 days to Doha.
🎁 Shipping parcels and personal effects from Riyadh to Qatar
Many of our Qatar shipments are not whole homes but suitcases and cartons for a relocating employee, belongings for a family with relatives in Doha, or gifts and supplies for an occasion. These small shipments travel consolidated, and you pay only for their volume.
| Shipment | Best option | Starts from | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| One parcel or carton | Consolidated | SAR 210 | 3–4 days |
| 5–10 cartons and suitcases | Consolidated | Request a quote by volume | 3–4 days |
| A few items (part-load) | Part of a truck | SAR 880 | 2–4 days |
| Appliance | Consolidated with special packing | SAR 260 | 3–4 days |
| Urgent documents | Air to Hamad Airport | By weight | 1–2 days |
🛋️ Furniture moving from Riyadh to Qatar
Moving a home from Riyadh to Doha follows the same stages as any international move, with the advantage of a short road: furniture spends only a day or two in the truck, so there is less vibration and less risk of damage. What needs special attention is delivery in Doha, where towers and compounds require permits and fixed time slots.
| Home size | Approx. volume | Method | Starts from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room or studio | 6–10 m³ | Consolidated or part-load | SAR 1,700 |
| 2–3 bedroom apartment | 18–30 m³ | Half trailer | SAR 2,150 |
| Medium villa | 40–60 m³ | Full trailer | SAR 4,300 |
| Large villa | 70 m³ + | One or two trailers | Request a quote after the survey |
📦 Commercial cargo from Riyadh to Qatar
The Qatari market relies on Saudi supply for many foodstuffs, building materials and retail goods. We ship for traders and factories by full truck or consolidated load, and prepare the GCC certificate of origin so the customs exemption applies to Saudi national products within the GCC.
Prices are “starting from” and vary with volume, your Riyadh district, the Qatar address and season. Send the details on WhatsApp 0580402747 for your price.
Send your district, shipment type and Qatar city, and we reply with an initial price within minutes.
⚖️ Land, air or sea to Qatar?
| Method | Route | Transit | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🛣️ Land | Riyadh → Salwa → Abu Samra → address | 2–4 days | Furniture, cars, parcels and goods — the vast majority |
| ✈️ Air | King Khalid Airport → Hamad International | 1–2 days | Urgent documents, spare parts and small valuables |
| 🚢 Sea | Dammam port → Hamad Port | 8–14 days | Full containers of heavy goods and building materials |
🛂 What happens to your shipment at Salwa and Abu Samra?
At Salwa, Saudi customs match the declaration filed in advance through Fasah with the truck and seal numbers, and the truck may pass through an X-ray scanner. It then drives to Abu Samra, where the clearance agent files the Qatari import declaration, and customs may open the truck to check a sample of cartons against the packing list. The more detailed the list — “carton 12: children’s clothes and books” rather than “items” — the lower the chance of manual inspection and the shorter the wait.
📄 Documents and customs clearance between Riyadh and Qatar
On exit the declaration goes to Saudi customs through Fasah; on entry it goes to Qatar’s General Authority of Customs through the clearance agent. So we need a one-time e-authorisation from you and handle the rest.
| Document | Furniture & effects | Car | Goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi ID or iqama | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fasah e-authorisation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Detailed packing list | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Receiver’s Qatar residency or passport | ✔ | ✔ | — |
| Registration and export plates | — | ✔ | — |
| Commercial invoice & certificate of origin | — | — | ✔ |
| Qatar importer’s commercial registration | — | — | ✔ |
🚫 What cannot be shipped to Qatar
🏙️ Delivery in Doha and across Qatar
🏬 Extra services
🔁 Shipping from Qatar to Riyadh
We also ship in reverse for people returning from Doha to Riyadh, and for those buying furniture or a car in Qatar. We dismantle and pack in Qatar, clear at Abu Samra and Salwa, and deliver and reassemble in Riyadh. Returning residents’ used belongings are exempt when the conditions are met, and Saudi import data is filed through Fasah before the truck arrives.
👨👩👧 Moving a whole family from Riyadh to Doha: a two-week plan
| Timing | What you do | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days before | Set the moving date and request a survey | Survey, inventory and itemised quote |
| 10 days before | Start sorting what will not be shipped | Book the truck and set the loading date |
| 7 days before | Get the car’s export plates | Prepare the packing list and request the e-authorisation |
| 2 days before | Empty the fridge; keep documents and valuables with you | Confirm the Doha building permit |
| Loading day | Hand over the keys after checking | Dismantle, pack, load and seal the truck |
| 2–4 days later | Receive in Doha | Deliver, reassemble and check the list |
💡 How to cut the cost of shipping to Qatar
🧭 Before asking for a price, decide
🧩 Your home piece by piece: how each type reaches Doha intact
Moving to Qatar usually means a whole home with every detail. These are the pieces Riyadh customers ask about most, and how we handle each:
🛏️ Bedrooms
We dismantle the bed, wardrobe and dresser, number every panel and hinge, put mirrors in separate wooden crates, and seal mattresses in bags. In Doha the same technician reassembles in the same order and adjusts the doors so they close as before.
🍳 Kitchens, including IKEA kitchens
A kitchen needs a carpenter who knows its system. IKEA kitchens in particular are dismantled in reverse order of assembly, with plastic and metal connectors kept in numbered bags — losing a single piece halts reassembly in Qatar. Marble worktops are protected in wooden frames, and built-in appliances are disconnected and wrapped separately.
❄️ Air conditioners
The refrigeration technician pumps the gas into the outdoor unit before disconnecting it, caps the pipes and loads the unit upright. In Qatar he reinstalls it and checks the cooling — Doha’s climate does not tolerate a broken AC in the first week.
🧶 Rugs, curtains and soft furnishings
Doha’s coastal humidity is the enemy of soft furnishings. We roll rugs with moisture absorbers, fold curtains into paper-lined cartons, and wrap sofas in a fabric layer then sealed heat film.
🏢 Office furniture
For companies opening a branch or moving an office to Doha or Lusail: we dismantle desks and cabinets and number them by office and floor, wrap computers and servers in anti-static covers, and deliver and reassemble on a schedule that minimises downtime.
🚛 Trucks and equipment on the Riyadh–Doha lane
| Vehicle | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Closed dyna | Delivery into Doha areas that ban large trucks | Enters Msheireb, older districts and compound gates |
| Closed lorry | Medium apartments | Right size with full protection |
| Closed trailer | Villas, goods and consolidated loads | Best value per cubic metre |
| Car carrier / hydraulic flatbed | Regular and luxury cars | Depending on value and ride height |
| Reefer truck | Dates and sensitive foods | Coordinated with a licensed carrier |
With the truck we send the equipment your shipment needs: dollies and lifting straps for heavy pieces, load straps inside the trailer, ramps for appliances, power tools and clean moving blankets.
🔐 Seals and tracking all the way to Doha
After loading, the truck is closed with a numbered security seal recorded in your file and on the export declaration; it is broken only at customs inspection or delivery. You receive a message at loading, on leaving Salwa, on release at Abu Samra, and before arrival at your address.
❄️ Shipping dates and foods chilled to Qatar
Qatar is one of the largest importers of Saudi dates and food products. For shipments needing a set temperature we arrange a licensed reefer truck with a temperature logger, prepare the required product certificates, and deliver to the importer’s warehouse in Doha or the Industrial Area. This type is quoted separately by load and temperature.
💵 Prices from Riyadh to Qatar by method
| Shipment | 🛣️ Land — from | ✈️ Air | 🚢 Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parcel or carton | SAR 210 | By chargeable weight | — |
| Suitcase up to 30 kg | SAR 210 | By weight | — |
| Part-load | SAR 880 | — | — |
| One room | SAR 1,700 | Not suitable | — |
| Apartment | SAR 2,150 | Not suitable | Request a quote for a shared container |
| Sedan car | SAR 1,850 | — | Request a quote |
| Commercial goods | SAR 13/kg | By weight | Request a quote for a 20/40 ft container |
🚢 Sea freight to Hamad Port: when does it suit you?
For commercial goods we can complete export formalities at the Riyadh dry port before the container moves, so it reaches Dammam ready to ship without delay.
🧳 Suitcases and cartons for travellers to Qatar
| Shipment | Pricing unit | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| Medium carton | Per carton | SAR 210 |
| Suitcase up to 30 kg | Per suitcase | SAR 210 |
| 5 cartons or more | By volume | Lower consolidated rate |
Instead of paying excess baggage at the airport, we collect your suitcases from your Riyadh home, wrap each in heat-sealed film so it cannot be opened, and deliver to your address in Doha.
📲 Survey by video on WhatsApp
If a home visit does not suit you, send a short video of each room on WhatsApp 0580402747. We estimate the volume from the video and send an initial price, then confirm it at loading if the volume has not changed.
🛡️ What we commit to in the Qatar shipping contract
🧾 Qatar customs duty and the exemption letter
Qatar applies a general customs duty of 5% on most imports, but used personal effects and furniture of new residents and returning citizens are usually exempt on proof of residency and personal use. We prepare the exemption request and contents list with you. Saudi national products are exempt with a GCC certificate of origin, and in the reverse direction into the Kingdom goods may need a conformity certificate through the SABER platform.
🗓️ Your shipment from Riyadh to Doha, day by day
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dismantling, packing, loading and sealing the truck; export declaration filed. |
| 1–2 | Riyadh → Hofuf → Salwa (≈ 500 km). |
| 2 | Exit formalities at Salwa, then entry and clearance at Abu Samra. |
| 2–3 | Arrival in Doha and distribution. |
| 3–4 | Delivery, reassembly and checking the list. |
🚙 If you are buying a car in Qatar for Riyadh
Cars imported into the Kingdom have conditions to check before buying: the used-car age limit (usually 5 years for light vehicles) under current regulations, compliance with Saudi standards, and no flood or fire damage. We review your car’s status before you pay the seller.
❓ Frequently asked questions about shipping from Riyadh to Qatar
❓ How much does shipping from Riyadh to Qatar cost?
From SAR 210 per parcel, SAR 880 for a part-load, SAR 1,700 for one room, SAR 2,150 for an apartment and SAR 1,850 for a sedan.
❓ How long does shipping from Riyadh to Doha take?
Two to four days door to door via Salwa and Abu Samra.
❓ What is the border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar?
Salwa on the Saudi side and Abu Samra on the Qatari side — the only land crossing between the two countries.
❓ Can I ship just one parcel to Qatar?
Yes, by consolidated shipping, from SAR 210 per parcel.
❓ Do I need a Qatar residency to ship my furniture?
The receiver’s residency allows the customs exemption for used belongings; without it, duties may apply.
❓ Do you ship from Qatar to Riyadh?
Yes, both ways, with Saudi import procedures through Fasah.
❓ What is the best day to move the shipment?
Usually mid-week; Salwa is quieter than at weekends and in holiday seasons.
❓ Do you deliver to The Pearl and Lusail?
Yes, after arranging the entry permit with the compound management.
Frequent trips to Doha and a clear price before you book.
🏷️ Tags: shipping company from Riyadh to Qatar • best shipping company Riyadh to Qatar • car shipping Riyadh to Qatar • parcel shipping to Qatar • furniture moving Riyadh to Doha • Salwa border crossing • shipping prices Riyadh to Qatar