Saudi Arabia is the Arab world's largest economy, the GCC's biggest market, and a pivotal trade hub between Europe, Asia, and Africa. ZATCA Phase 1+2 e-invoicing is mandatory.
The GCC Customs Union unifies tariff treatment across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Goods circulating within the GCC pay a unified 5% tariff rate. No separate customs clearance between member states.
Trade with non-GCC partners (EU, USA, China, India) uses the GCC unified tariff schedule. MFN rates average 5% for industrial goods; agricultural goods vary. ZATCA e-invoicing is mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses regardless of origin.
ZATCA-compliant e-invoice format
For non-GCC markets and preferential tariff claims
Routiply can generate Saudi COs — go to the classification tool.
Single Administrative Document — customs declaration
SASO / SABER compliance for regulated products
Phase 3 clearance submission via Fatoorah portal
Saudi Arabia uses a 10-digit national extension of the global 6-digit HS system. The national digits define your exact duty rate under the GCC unified tariff. Routiply classifies against the Saudi tariff schedule directly.
| GCC unified tariff (industrial) | 5% |
| Duty-free lines | 87% |
| Maximum tariff | 25% |
| Customs formality fee | 0.5% |
| VAT (standard) | 15% |
| VAT (reduced) | 5% |
Saudi Arabia requires all VAT-registered businesses to issue ZATCA-compliant electronic invoices. Routiply generates Phase 1 (UBL 2.1 + TLV QR) and Phase 2 (PKI-signed, CSID, hash-chained) invoices directly.
Wave 1–3 compliant
Wave 4+ compliant
Clearance portal integration
Routiply integrates with Fatoorah API — go to classification tool.
Saudi Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority — e-invoicing regulator
Import/export clearance, tariff enforcement
Phase 3 invoice clearance platform
Product standards and conformity certification
Certificate of Origin issuance
Unified customs union between Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Single tariff on external goods (5% for most industrial goods), free movement of GCC-origin goods between member states. CO: GCC Certificate of Origin.
ActiveGreater Arab Free Trade Area — 18 Arab League members. Saudi Arabia is a member. Tariffs reduced to 0% on most goods of Arab origin. CO: Arabic Certificate of Origin.
ActiveNo comprehensive FTA. Trade on MFN rates. USD 30B+ annual trade volume. Military and industrial goods dominate. High-value exporters should verify preferential eligibility under specific bilateral arrangements.
No FTANo FTA. Strategic partnership under the UK–Saudi Initiative. Trade on MFN rates. UK exporters should check DIT guidance for sector-specific opportunities.
No FTANo FTA. EU is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner (EUR 40B+ annually). Industrial goods face 5% GCC unified tariff. Services trade governed by WTO GATS commitments.
No FTANo FTA. China is Saudi Arabia largest oil buyer and a major goods trading partner. Belt and Road Initiative alignment. Tariffs: 5% GCC unified on most industrial goods.
No FTASaudi Arabia → GCC / EU / USA is our second end-to-end pilot corridor. Drop a goods description, classify against WCO HS codes, then draft the ICC WCO Certificate of Origin for a GCC or international consignee.
The right 10-digit Saudi HS code unlocks every other step: duty rates, ZATCA compliance, required documents, CO eligibility, and more. Routiply classifies your product against the official Saudi/GCC tariff schedule in seconds.
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