Al Mellah International Shipping (0580402747) is a shipping company from Dammam to Tunisia moving household furniture, expatriates’ belongings, cars, boxes and cargo from Dammam, Khobar, Dhahran and Jubail to Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, Monastir and Bizerte — either by road to Jeddah Islamic Port and then by sea to Rades Port, or by sea directly from Dammam port — in 3 to 6 weeks. Prices start from SAR 290 per box, SAR 4,300 for a room of furniture by shared shipping and SAR 11,100 for a 20 ft container.
The Eastern Province has a Tunisian community of engineers, doctors, technicians and teachers, many of whom have spent long years in Dhahran, Khobar and Jubail. When it’s time to go back to Tunisia, the shipment is usually a whole house, and the first question is: should the container be trucked across the Kingdom to Jeddah, or sail directly from Dammam port around the Arabian Peninsula? The answer depends on timing and volume, and we explain it here in numbers.
⚓ Via Jeddah or directly from Dammam port?
| Criterion | Road to Jeddah then sea | Sea directly from Dammam |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Dammam → Jeddah → Red Sea → Suez → Rades | Dammam → Gulf → Arabian Sea → Red Sea → Suez → Rades |
| Transit | 3–5 weeks | About 5–6 weeks |
| Cost | A long road leg before sailing | No road leg, but a longer voyage |
| Best for | Those who need to arrive sooner | Those not in a hurry who find a suitable sailing |
In most cases we truck the container to Jeddah, because arrival is faster and Red Sea–Mediterranean services are more regular, but we compare both options for your date before booking.
📦 The right size for your home
| Shipment size | Best method | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| Boxes, suitcases and a few appliances (up to 5 m³) | Shared shipping by box | SAR 290 per box |
| One to two rooms (6–15 m³) | Shared LCL shipping | SAR 4,300 per room |
| A 2–3 bedroom flat (18–30 m³) | Dedicated 20 ft FCL container | SAR 11,100 |
| A villa or a car with furniture (40–65 m³) | 40 ft FCL container | SAR 15,900 |
🚗 Shipping your car from Dammam to Tunisia
The best-value way to ship the family car from the Eastern Province to Tunisia is inside a 40 ft container with the furniture, secured with straps and chocks and under a protective cover. It can also go to Jeddah on an enclosed carrier and ship on a RoRo vessel. Tunisians returning for good get a privilege on one car under conditions, mainly the car’s age and length of residence abroad.
| Method | When it suits you | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Inside a 40 ft container with furniture | A family returning with their car and furniture | Request a quote |
| RoRo from Jeddah | A car on its own | Request a quote |
| A 20 ft container for the car alone | A luxury car | Request a quote |
🧳 Final return and the exemption
Tunisian regulations give residents abroad privileges on final return, chiefly an exemption for used furniture and belongings under conditions on length of residence and consular registration. Because many Tunisians in the Eastern Province have lived here for years, the exemption is within reach if the file is complete:
🛋️ Sea packing for Eastern Province villas
East-coast furniture already carries sea humidity and then faces a long voyage, so we dry it before packing and double the moisture protection:
| Item | Sea packing |
|---|---|
| Wooden furniture | Dried, then blankets and sealed film |
| Kitchens and IKEA kitchens | Orderly dismantling with fittings kept |
| Air conditioners | Gas recovered by a technician |
| Carpets and furnishings | Dried, then rolled with absorbent bags |
| Glass and antiques | Wooden crates fixed in place |
| Electronics | Double-wall boxes and silica gel |
| Home office | Anti-static wrapping |
Inside the container we place large moisture-absorbing bags, load heavy items at the bottom secured with straps and air bags, then photograph the container and send you the seal number.
🧰 Professional work tools
Many returning engineers and technicians carry their work tools. Used tools for personal use may count as belongings, while new tools or large quantities are treated as goods. We list them separately with their invoices so they don’t delay the furniture exemption.
📦 Parcels, cargo and stores
For employees sending belongings to their families, a box starts from SAR 290 by shared shipping. For traders we ship containers with an invoice and Arab certificate of origin to benefit from the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, and online stores get periodic consolidated shipping.
💰 Price summary from Dammam to Tunisia
Room and 20 ft container from the main article’s table, box and 40 ft at Riyadh prices; transport to the port is included, Tunisian duties on non-exempt goods are not.
How to get the cheapest price from Dammam to Tunisia
Send your Eastern Province district, your governorate in Tunisia and the furniture volume, and we’ll compare Jeddah and Dammam in numbers.
📄 Documents and clearance at Rades
We file the export declaration via Fasah, issue the sea bill of lading, and send the documents to the clearing agent at Rades who files the exemption request, and you can track the container number until it arrives.
| Document | Final-return belongings | Car | Cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID or iqama | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Detailed packing list | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Fasah authorisation and bill of lading | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tunisian passport, consular registration and proof of residence | ✔ for exemption | ✔ | — |
| Export plates and certificate | — | ✔ | — |
| Invoice and Arab certificate of origin | — | — | ✔ |
| Prohibited | Status |
|---|---|
| Flammables, gas and loose batteries | Prohibited |
| Weapons | Prohibited |
| Controlled medicines without a permit | Prohibited |
| Hazardous chemicals | Need special shipping |
🏙️ Delivery in Tunisia
| Governorate | Note |
|---|---|
| Greater Tunis | Closest to Rades |
| Nabeul and Bizerte | Short inland transport |
| Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia | Via Rades or Sousse port |
| Sfax and Gabes | Via Rades or Sfax port |
| Kairouan, Gafsa and Tozeur | Longer inland transport |
🗓️ A Tunisian family’s return from Dhahran
| Before travel | What happens |
|---|---|
| Six weeks | Survey, choosing the container and comparing Jeddah with Dammam |
| A month | Final-return papers, employer’s letter and the car decision |
| Two weeks | Packing list, Fasah authorisation and vessel booking |
| Loading day | Sea packing, loading and sealing the container |
| After 3–6 weeks | Clearance at Rades and delivery |
🏢 Moving an office from Dammam to Tunisia
For companies and offices moving equipment or furniture to Tunisia, we number every desk by department, wrap devices against static and humidity, and attach invoices for equipment treated as goods.
📆 Shipping seasons from Dammam to Tunisia
| Period | Situation | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| Summer and contract endings | Peak expatriate returns | Book six weeks ahead |
| End of the school year | Families moving | Book early |
| Autumn and winter | Moderate traffic | A good time |
⚠️ Common mistakes
⚖️ How to choose a shipping company from Dammam to Tunisia
🗓️ Steps for moving your home from the Eastern Province to Tunisia
🧳 Suitcases and boxes
For employees sending a few items, and Tunisian students returning from Eastern Province universities, a box or suitcase starts from SAR 290 by shared shipping, collected from your home in Dammam, Khobar or Jubail.
🛡️ Insurance and compensation
We recommend marine insurance for valuable furniture, cars and appliances on this long voyage. We record each item’s condition and the container’s seal number with photos, and you check them on delivery before signing.
🔁 From Tunisia to Dammam
We also move shipments from Tunisia to Dammam and Khobar for people coming to work and for companies, taking into account SABER platform requirements for regulated products, 15% VAT and the Kingdom’s used-car import rules.
❓ FAQ: shipping from Dammam to Tunisia
❓ How much does shipping from Dammam to Tunisia cost?
A box from SAR 290, a room by shared shipping from SAR 4,300, a 20 ft container from SAR 11,100 and a 40 ft from SAR 15,900.
❓ How long does shipping from Dammam to Tunisia take?
3 to 5 weeks via Jeddah, and about 5 to 6 weeks directly from Dammam port.
❓ Why do you truck the container to Jeddah?
Because the voyage from Jeddah is shorter and Mediterranean services are more regular, so it arrives sooner.
❓ Can the car go with the furniture?
Yes, in a 40 ft container, secured and covered — the best value for families.
❓ Are my belongings exempt after years in Dhahran?
Usually yes if the final-return file is complete and items are used.
❓ What’s the VAT rate in Tunisia?
19% on taxable goods, and new appliances are usually treated as goods.
Containers from the Eastern Province to Rades, comparing Jeddah and Dammam, with the final-return file.
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