Ship container to Saudi Arabia

Although transit time widely varies according to a number of factors, the first question you want to ask yourself when thinking of shipping a container to Saudi Arabia is what route you’re going to choose. The route Seattle – Jeddah takes around 69 days on average for instance, while the estimated transit time for the route Algeciras, Spain – Jeddah is the shortest with an average of 9 days.

Shipping costs are determined by different aspects related to the services you require for your ocean freight. Invariable costs include those set by your cargo’s volume and size, the Incoterm you choose for your transaction, the kind of container you need and the port of origin and destination for your selected route. You will then also have to factor in any special requirement you may have for your freight -e.g., hazardous goods tend to lead to higher costs.

However similar the FOB and CIF Incoterms may seem, discrepancies among the two are actually substantial and essential. So, let’s get you up to speed on the basics: if you’re under CIF, the selling party is responsible for the goods all the way up to when they arrive at the destination port chosen by the buyer; if you’ve selected FOB, the seller will only be held liable for the goods until they’re loaded on the vessel, at which point liability is passed onto the buyer.

Choosing the right container for your goods is definitely one of the most important decisions you will take during your ocean freight process. You will find there are several containers to pick from that offer special conditions such as ventilation or refrigeration – conditions you will be sure to need if you’re dealing with perishable cargo. However, if it’s dry bulk we’re talking about, standard dry shipping containers are probably your best choice.

Dry shipping containers come in several sizes and dimensions. You will find the smallest is 20ft and offers 1,172 CFT / 33.2 CBM of volume capacity, while the largest is 45ft and has a volume capacity of 3,122 CFT / 88.4 CBM. That being said, if your shipment is particularly low-volume, you may want to go for a Shared Container (LCL) and pay only for the space your goods take up.

Getting hold of all necessary paperwork for international shipping is a tedious process – we get it. Figuring out exactly what you need to provide may be even more so, so here’s a quick pointer we hope helps: there are certain documents - a Bill of Lading, a packing list or a commercial invoice, for instance – that tend to be mandatory in any ocean freight transaction but you should know each country and even every type of cargo will require complimentary and specific forms.