International Furniture Shipping from Saudi Arabia: Dismantling, Packing and Assembly
Moving a whole home to another country is not the same as moving across town. Your furniture will cross borders or seas and pass through inspection, yet must arrive the way it left. So we treat every piece as a consignment in its own right: careful dismantling, layered packing, numbering and logging in a contents list, shipping by road or sea, and assembly in your new home in the Gulf.
- 🛠️ Dismantle and reassemble
- 🎁 Multi-layer packing
- 🔢 Every piece numbered
- 🏗️ Hoist for upper floors
- 🗄️ Short-term storage
What makes an international furniture move different?
A local move covers a short distance and unloads the same day. An international one keeps your furniture on the road for days or at sea for weeks, exposed to the vibration of long highways or the humidity of a voyage, and the load may be opened for inspection at the border. That calls for tougher packing, precise records of everything leaving your home, and a plan for how pieces sit inside the truck or container.
The paperwork is different too. Used furniture is treated as personal effects and needs a clear contents list, a copy of your ID or iqama, your passport and the consignee details at the destination. We prepare these with you and handle clearance on Fasah, so moving day does not turn into a round of office visits.
Six stages to move your home abroad
We build the schedule around your travel date and leave enough time for each stage, so nobody rushes the dismantling or packing.
- 1
Survey and inventory
We visit or review photos and videos of each room, size the move, pick the shipping mode and services, then send an itemised quote.
- 2
Careful dismantling
Carpenters take apart beds, wardrobes and desks. Screws and hinges for each piece go into their own bag marked with its number.
- 3
Layered packing
Each item gets the layers its material needs; small things go into double-wall cartons labelled with the room and carton number.
- 4
The contents list
Numbered pieces are logged in the contents list, which we go through with you and hand over as a copy before the truck or container is sealed.
- 5
Shipping and clearance
The load travels by road to the Gulf, Jordan and Lebanon, or by sea to Turkey and North Africa, cleared through Fasah with WhatsApp updates at each stage.
- 6
Delivery and assembly
Pieces are unloaded at the new home and checked against the list. Furniture is reassembled in the Gulf states, with door delivery at other destinations.
Every piece comes apart differently
Good dismantling is half the job. A piece taken apart properly takes up less space, survives the journey and goes back together as it was.
Bedrooms
Beds are broken down into panels and legs, wardrobe doors and drawers are removed and wrapped separately, and mirrors go into dedicated crates.
Sofas and majlis seating
Detachable legs and arms are removed, and upholstery is wrapped in stretch film and then blankets against dirt and rubbing.
Dining tables
Glass or marble tops are separated from their bases and crated in wood with corner protection on the edges.
TVs and electronics
Screens come off their mounts and are bubble-wrapped inside reinforced cartons; cables and remotes go into numbered bags with their devices.
Kids bedrooms
Small beds and cupboards are dismantled and toys packed in their own cartons labelled by room, so they can be set up early on arrival.
Lighting and decor
Chandeliers are taken down and their arms detached; paintings and ornaments get bubble wrap, card and corner guards, and heavy fragile pieces go into wooden crates.
What protects your furniture?
No single material suits everything. We choose layers by material, fragility and shipping mode.
| Layer | Material | What it does | Used on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact layer | Stretch film | Keeps out dust, moisture and surface scratches | Sofas, mattresses and wooden surfaces |
| Cushioning layer | Bubble wrap | Absorbs knocks and vibration | Electronics, glassware and ornaments |
| Protective layer | Moving blankets | Prevents rubbing during stacking and unloading | Wardrobes, tables and large pieces |
| Edge protection | Cardboard corner guards | Stops corners and edges from chipping | Doors, frames and paintings |
| Small-item box | Double-wall cartons | Keeps small things organised and safe | Crockery, books, clothes and toys |
| Rigid shell | Wooden crates | Takes pressure and prevents breakage | Glass, marble and large mirrors |
Kitchens and air conditioners: the two trickiest items
A fitted kitchen is not one item but a set of wall and base units, worktops and built-in appliances. The crew takes it apart unit by unit, numbers each according to its position on the wall, and photographs the layout beforehand so it can be rebuilt in the same sequence. Marble or granite worktops are crated in wood because they are heavy and break easily.
With air conditioners the work starts before anything is unscrewed. A technician pumps the refrigerant down into the outdoor unit, disconnects and caps the pipes, and only then are both units taken down and wrapped. This protects the compressor and lets the unit run again in the new home without faults.
- Kitchen units numbered and photographed before dismantling.
- Refrigerant pumped down by a technician before an AC is removed.
- Fridges and washing machines emptied and dried a day before loading.
When do we need a furniture hoist?
In tall buildings or blocks with narrow stairwells, carrying a large sofa or a tall wardrobe down the stairs puts both the furniture and the walls at risk. That is when we bring in a furniture hoist, which lifts pieces from a window or balcony straight down to the truck once they are wrapped and strapped.
The need for a hoist is decided during the survey and appears as its own line in the itemised quote. Sometimes we will ask you to coordinate with the building management to reserve parking for the truck and hoist outside on loading day.
- Suited to the third floor and above, or where lifts and stairs are tight.
- Shortens loading time and spares walls and banisters from scrapes.
What goes into the contents list?
The contents list is the reference your shipment is checked against on arrival, and the document presented to customs at both ends.
- A serial number for each piece or carton, matching the label on it.
- A short description, such as "kitchen crockery carton" or "dismantled bedroom wardrobe".
- The room each piece came from, to make placing it in the new home easier.
- The condition of valuable or delicate items when we collect them.
- The total number of pieces and the approximate volume.
- Sender details and consignee details at the destination.
- Any items to be insured and their declared value; insurance for valuable items can be added on request.
Service at the destination and usual shipping mode
What happens after unloading varies by country. Here is a summary of what we provide at each destination.
| Destination | Usual mode for furniture | Service on arrival |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | Road via Ghuwaifat | Delivery, placement and assembly |
| Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain | Road via direct crossings | Delivery and assembly |
| Jordan | Road via Al Omari or Al Mudawwara | Door delivery |
| Lebanon | Road in transit, or sea to Beirut | Door delivery |
| Turkey | Sea to Mersin or Istanbul | Delivery |
| Tunisia | Sea to Rades | Delivery |
| Algeria, Morocco, Libya | Sea to the main ports | Collection arrangements explained at booking |
ℹ️ Personal-effects import rules differ across North Africa; it is wise to check with the destination customs before shipping.
New home not ready yet?
If you have to vacate your Saudi home before the new one is ready, your furniture can be stored wrapped for a short period and shipped once you set a delivery date. Mention it when you ask for a quote so it is included as a line item.
Where are you moving to?
Read the furniture shipping details for each of our twelve destinations.
UAEAl Batha → Ghuwaifat🚛🚢✈️
QatarSalwa → Abu Samra🚛✈️
OmanEmpty Quarter → Ramlat Khaylah🚛✈️
KuwaitKhafji / Al Ruqi🚛✈️
BahrainKing Fahd Causeway🚛✈️
JordanAl Haditha / Halat Ammar🚛✈️
LebanonLand transit / Beirut port🚛🚢✈️
TurkeyJeddah / Dammam ports🚢✈️
TunisiaJeddah → Rades🚢✈️
AlgeriaJeddah → Algiers port🚢✈️
MoroccoJeddah → Casablanca🚢✈️
LibyaJeddah → Libyan ports🚢✈️International furniture shipping questions
Can I pack some cartons myself?
Yes, but we check them before loading and may repack anything we think is unsafe for the journey. We also need to know exactly what is inside for the contents list, because customs may ask for any carton to be opened.
Does used furniture need special papers?
Usually a copy of your ID or iqama, your passport, the contents list, the consignee details and a clearance authorisation. Formalities at the destination follow the regulations in force at the time of shipping.
Who puts the kitchen back together at the new home?
In the Gulf states our crew reassembles furniture on request, using the unit numbers and the photos taken before dismantling. Changes needed to fit a differently sized kitchen require a carpenter on site.
Can I move my air conditioners and use them abroad?
Yes, as long as a technician pumps down the refrigerant and removes them before shipping. On arrival, an AC technician will need to reconnect the pipes and top up the gas if required.
What should I keep out of the shipment?
Flammables, gas cylinders, fuel, loose lithium batteries, weapons, cash and precious metals in bulk. Plants and seeds need an agricultural permit, and medicines need a prescription.
How is the cost of moving a home abroad worked out?
It depends on volume, destination, shipping mode and services such as dismantling, assembly, a hoist or storage. We send an itemised quote after the survey or once we receive your photos.
How long does furniture take to reach the Gulf?
By road from Riyadh, Abu Dhabi is approximately two to three days away, Kuwait and Doha take a similar time, and Muscat approximately three to five days.
Start planning your move with one survey
Send us photos of your rooms or book a survey, tell us where you are moving, and we will put together a dismantling, packing and shipping plan with an itemised quote.