High Value Desalination Pilot Plant

Imported into Saudi Arabia without a local CR

Importer of Record (IOR), SABER certification, customs brokerage and duty payment through SADAD

A US water technology company had sold a high value desalination pilot plant to a Saudi government desalination facility in Al-Khobar, yet held no Commercial Registration (CR) in the Kingdom. The end user, for its part, preferred not to import the equipment in its own name. S A G Logistic Services LLC (SAG Logistic) stepped in as Importer of Record (IOR) under its own Saudi CR, secured SABER certification in three to four weeks, before the plant left the USA, and completed customs approvals at Dammam (DMM) in one week, including a late change from temporary to permanent import. Duty and VAT were paid through SADAD within 24 hours of the client’s funds arriving, and the plant was released within 24 hours of payment, reaching site around 6 July 2022.

Close to USD 500,000

Cargo value

3-4 weeks

SABER, PCoC & SCOC secured

1 weeks

Customs approvals at Dammam (DMM)

24 hours

From duty payment to release

At a Glance

Client A US water treatment technology company
End user A Saudi government desalination facility in Al-Khobar
Cargo High value containerised desalination pilot plant (HS 8421.21; Saudi tariff line 842121900001)
Cargo value Close to USD 500,000
Shipment One 40ft high cube, FCL, about 14.5 tonnes
Route Norfolk (ORF), USA → Jebel Ali (JAFZA), UAE → Dammam (DMM), Saudi Arabia
Client’s role Seller and exporter; last-mile delivery through its own contractor
S A G Logistic’s role Importer of Record (IOR) under its Saudi CR; SABER, PCoC and SCoC; Customs Brokerage, Compliance & DDP; duty and VAT payment
Timeline Ocean transit as per the sea waybill; SABER, PCoC and SCoC in 3–4 weeks; customs approvals in 1 week; release within 24 hours of duty payment
Key dates PCoC December 2021; sailed March 2022; delivered around 6 July 2022

The Brief

The client needed a Saudi importer able to carry full legal responsibility for the plant: registering it on SABER, holding its conformity certificates, lodging the customs declaration and settling duty and VAT. Establishing a local entity for a single project was impractical, and the government end user would not act as importer.

  • The Decisive Factor
  • Customs status. The client had planned a temporary import, which requires a confirmed re-export date. When the client could not commit to one, customs declined the temporary entry at the final stage. S A G Logistic advised an immediate conversion to permanent import, the client agreed, and the shipment remained fully compliant with no risk of re-export or rejection.

How S A G Logistic Delivered

Importer of Record (IOR)

The plant was consigned under S A G Logistic’s own Saudi CR. The client sold into the Kingdom without a local company, and the end user received its equipment without assuming the importer’s obligations.

Documents Verified Before Departure

Every commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and sea waybill was checked line by line before the container moved. S A G Logistic accepts a shipment only when its paperwork is exact, and resolves even the smallest discrepancy at origin.

SABER Compliance

The plant was registered on SABER under the GCC Technical Regulation for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment and Appliances. The Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) was issued in December 2021, while the cargo was still in the USA, and the Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) followed. The full SABER process, from registration to both certificates, took three to four weeks of sustained follow-up, and every certificate was in place before the vessel reached Dammam (DMM).

Customs Brokerage, Compliance & DDP

S A G Logistic lodged the declaration with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) through FASAH, managed the change to permanent import and secured customs approvals within one week. Customs duty and 15% import VAT were paid through SADAD, Saudi Arabia’s national payment system, within 24 hours of receiving the client’s funds, and the plant was released within 24 hours of payment.

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The Journey, Step By Step

01
Weeks 1 to 4
SABER registration, the PCoC and the SCoC were completed in three to four weeks; the PCoC was issued in December 2021, while the plant was still at the US factory.
02
January 2022
All shipping documents were verified and finalised.
03
March 2022
The container sailed from Norfolk (ORF) and was transhipped at Jebel Ali (JAFZA) for Dammam (DMM), with ocean transit as per the sea waybill.
04
On Arrival
The customs declaration was lodged through FASAH, with the SCoC already in place.
05
Customs, one week
Approvals were completed in one week, including the conversion from temporary to permanent import on S A G Logistic’s advice.
06
Funds received
Duty and VAT were paid through SADAD within 24 hours, and the shipment was released within 24 hours of payment.
07
Around 6 July 2022
The client’s contractor delivered the plant to the Al-Khobar site.

The Result

The pilot plant entered Saudi Arabia fully certified, correctly classified and duty paid, without the client opening a local entity or the end user acting as importer. SABER took three to four weeks, customs approvals one week, and a late change in customs status was settled by one well-judged decision. Once funds arrived, payment and release each followed within 24 hours.

This is what never a stuck shipment means in practice. High value equipment needs more than freight; it needs a trusted partner who owns the import from SABER registration to customs release.

  • Moving high value equipment into Saudi Arabia without a local CR?
  • Talk to our team about Importer of Record (IOR), SABER certification and DDP delivery.

Client's Feedback

About S A G Logistic

S A G Logistic is a Dubai-based specialist in compliance-led logistics for high value shipments into the GCC, with network offices in more than 120 countries.
  • Exporter of Record (EOR) from the USA, Europe and Asia to the GCC.
  • Freight Services by air, sea and road across the GCC.
  • Importer of Record (IOR) in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
  • Customs Brokerage, Compliance & DDP from documents to duty payment.
  • White glove delivery for high value equipment and assets.
  • Warehousing & Distribution in Jebel Ali (JAFZA) and the mainland.

Certifications & Memberships

Member of NAFL

The National Association of Freight and Logistics, UAE.

Member of FIATA

The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations.

Member of Dubai Chamber

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

ISO 9001:2015

Certified for its quality management system.

ISO 45001:2018

Certified for its occupational health and safety management system.

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    Attention: We do not accept personal, courier and samples shipments below 45kg.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does an Importer of Record (IOR) do in Saudi Arabia?

    The IOR carries legal responsibility for the import: the customs declaration, duty, VAT and product compliance on SABER. When a foreign supplier has no Saudi presence, or the buyer prefers not to import directly, S A G Logistic takes on that role.

    Not in its own name. The importer must hold a valid CR with the relevant activity, plus customs and SABER registration. A supplier without a CR can import through S A G Logistic’s CR, with S A G Logistic as IOR.

    Temporary import suits goods that will leave the Kingdom on a confirmed date, with security lodged for the duties. Equipment that will remain in Saudi Arabia, or whose exit date is uncertain, should be imported permanently, with duty and 15% VAT paid at clearance.

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      Attention: We do not accept personal, courier and samples shipments below 45kg.

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