For importers and exporters, the cost of using Saudi Arabia as a logistics gateway extends beyond the ocean freight itself. ZATCA's current customs-service fee for imports is 0.15% of the value of incoming goods including freight and insurance, subject to a minimum of SAR 15 and a maximum of SAR 500; customs-service fees on exports have been waived. The actual customs declaration charges can be checked through the Fasah platform.
Carrier charges also vary significantly by routing and operational conditions. Maersk's published Saudi tariff includes an origin terminal-handling charge of SAR 299 for a 20-foot container and SAR 449 for a 40-foot container, while its import inspection charge is SAR 128 per container. CMA CGM's published Saudi local charges include a SAR 355 delivery-order charge, port/terminal dues of SAR 281.25 for a 20-foot container and SAR 420 for a 40-foot container, and Riyadh customs X-ray charges of SAR 400 for 20-foot and SAR 500 for 40-foot containers. These are local charges and do not represent the complete ocean-freight cost.
Transit options are similarly dependent on the final destination. Maersk currently offers domestic carrier-haulage from Jeddah to Riyadh and Dammam through its established Jeddah Landbridge, while MSC's expanding network connects Saudi ports with the UAE, Iraq, India, China, Europe and other regional markets. MSC's Gulf Shuttle at Dammam has capacity of up to 3,000 TEUs, while its JADE service through Jeddah and King Abdullah Port has capacity exceeding 24,000 TEUs.
Current regional disruption is also affecting the cost equation. Maersk has published emergency freight of US$1,800 per 20-foot dry container, US$3,000 per 40-foot dry container and US$3,800 for reefer, special or dangerous-goods containers for specified Middle East cargo movements. Hapag-Lloyd has separately published an alternative Jeddah–Dammam–Jebel Ali routing charge of US$4,500 for a 20-foot dry container and US$5,500 for a 40-foot dry container. These should be treated as temporary or operationally specific charges rather than normal Saudi freight rates.
The practical takeaway is that Saudi Arabia's logistics advantage is increasingly based on choice of gateway and mode rather than simply port location: Jeddah provides Red Sea access and a major landbridge to Riyadh and Dammam; Dammam provides direct Gulf connectivity; King Abdullah Port adds a major western Saudi gateway; and integrated logistics operators such as MSC/MEDLOG and DP World are expanding warehousing, container handling, customs and inland distribution capabilities. For shippers, the final landed logistics cost therefore needs to be calculated as ocean freight + carrier surcharges + port/local charges + customs fees + inland transport + storage/demurrage where applicable, rather than relying on the headline ocean freight alone.
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