container terminal at Jebel Ali with the Gulf shoreline running into the desert hinterland

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The Gulf is not one customs territory.

The six GCC members share one 5% tariff — and then charge six different VAT regimes. Egypt and Jordan tax on a different base. Iraq has no general VAT at all. Every market below states its own rate, its own clearance path and its own timing. We never quote a regional average.

Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates

15%Saudi VAT

5%UAE and Oman VAT

0%Kuwait and Qatar VAT

14%Egypt import VAT

16%Jordan GST

Container terminal on a continuous Gulf coastline with cranes and a container ship in daylight — Nine markets, each with its own clearance path.

01Where we deliver

Nine markets, each with its own file.

Every lane below has a page stating the tax rate, the clearance path, the ports, the realistic transit time and what actually holds a shipment. If a market is not on this list, ask — we will say plainly whether we run it.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia charges 15% import VAT on the duty-paid value — the heaviest tax stack in the Gulf. Two gates sit in front of it: SABER conformity for regulated goods, and ZATCA invoicing. We file both before the box leaves China.

6–12 days air DDP · 28–35 days sea LCL

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United Arab Emirates

The UAE is the Gulf's lightest tax load and its most flexible clearance route. Goods staying inside a designated free zone — Jebel Ali among them — carry neither duty nor VAT until they enter the mainland.

6–11 days air DDP · 26–32 days sea LCL

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Kuwait

Kuwait carries the 5% GCC tariff and currently no import VAT — the lowest tax stack of the six Gulf states. The real gate is the import licence, which is reserved for Kuwaiti citizens or registered intermediaries.

7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL

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Qatar

Qatar pays the 5% GCC tariff with no import VAT today. World Cup infrastructure and a population that buys everything locally make Doha the easiest Gulf market on paper — and the licence rules are the part to settle early.

7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL

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Oman

Oman runs the GCC's 5% tariff with 5% VAT — the same shape as the UAE, with far less competition for warehousing and a shorter drive into Muscat.

8–14 days air DDP · 28–34 days sea LCL

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Bahrain

Bahrain raised VAT to 10% — the second-highest rate in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, but the smallest market by population. Efficient for Manama and the eastern Saudi corridor.

7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL

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Egypt

Egypt is not a GCC lane and we price it differently. Duty runs 0–60% by HS code, and 14% VAT is charged on CIF plus duty — a cascading structure that quietly doubles the tax bill on an unclassified product.

10–16 days air DDP · 30–40 days sea LCL

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Jordan

Jordan has one seaport and one airport, so the route is fixed: Aqaba for sea, Queen Alia for air. The 16% GST lands on CIF plus duty, and JSMO conformity is the most common cause of a container being held.

9–15 days air DDP · 30–40 days sea LCL

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Iraq

Iraq is the hardest lane we run and we quote it case by case. There is no general VAT, but the Kurdistan Region operates its own customs administration at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, and customs documents must be legalized. Sea cargo almost never sails direct: it transships through Jebel Ali or Aqaba and moves on a feeder, and the Strait of Hormuz is the real constraint on every sailing.

10–18 days air DDP · 35–45 days sea LCL

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02Side by side

The tax, in one table.

Duty is confirmed against the HS code of your product before you commit; the duty column below is the standard rate for each market. VAT in the Gulf is charged on the duty-paid value — which is why the Saudi figure looks large next to the UAE one.

Market	Import VAT	Standard duty	Transit (air · sea)	Guide
Saudi Arabia	15% import VAT prepaid	5% GCC tariff on CIF	6–12 days air DDP · 28–35 days sea LCL	Full guide →
United Arab Emirates	5% import VAT prepaid	5% GCC tariff on CIF	6–11 days air DDP · 26–32 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Kuwait	No import VAT (GCC framework still in parliament)	5% GCC tariff on CIF	7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Qatar	No import VAT (5% framework planned, no start date)	5% GCC tariff on CIF	7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Oman	5% import VAT prepaid	5% GCC tariff on CIF	8–14 days air DDP · 28–34 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Bahrain	10% import VAT prepaid	5% GCC tariff on CIF	7–13 days air DDP · 30–38 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Egypt	14% import VAT on CIF + duty	0–60% by HS code (many lines 5–20%)	10–16 days air DDP · 30–40 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Jordan	16% GST on CIF + duty	0–30% by HS code	9–15 days air DDP · 30–40 days sea LCL	Full guide →
Iraq	No general import VAT	0–30% (many products at a uniform 5%)	10–18 days air DDP · 35–45 days sea LCL	Full guide →

Rates reviewed October 2026 against published customs and tax sources. Actual duty follows the HS code and is confirmed before dispatch.

Read the full guide before you compare rates across the table. A low-VAT country is not automatically cheaper: Saudi Arabia exempts books and some medical devices from duty, and its conformity requirement adds a step that has nothing to do with tax.

03Before you choose

Questions worth asking before you pick a lane.

Which market is cheaper to land goods in?

On tax alone, Kuwait and Qatar: the 5% GCC tariff and no import VAT. On landed cost it depends on the goods and the route — the UAE clears fast and has the widest carrier choice, while Saudi Arabia is the largest market and the one where conformity paperwork decides whether your carton moves. Put your actual basket through the calculator rather than comparing percentages.

Can I ship to one country and truck onward?

Sometimes, and it is usually a mistake for a first order. Goods cleared in the UAE and moved overland into Saudi Arabia need a second declaration at the border, and the Saudi conformity documents have to exist anyway. Clearing twice rarely costs less than clearing once.

Who is the importer of record?

On a DDP lane, our partner in the destination country holds the import registration and signs the declaration, so your consignee does not need one. That is why the delivered price can include duty and VAT without your consignee being asked to pay or to produce a tax number on the doorstep.

Do you ship to Iraq?

Yes, and we quote it case by case. Iraq has no general VAT, but the Kurdistan Region runs its own customs administration at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, and customs documents have to be legalized. Tell us the goods and the destination province and we will price it the same day.

What happens if the tariff changes after I quote?

We re-check the rate at dispatch and tell you before the shipment leaves China. If the change moves the delivered cost, you can approve the new figure or cancel. We do not pass a tax change on to you after the fact.

Not sure which lane your goods belong on?

Send the product link and the destination city. We will tell you the duty band, whether it needs conformity certification, and which lane fits — including the ones we would not recommend.

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