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Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · SA

India Saudi Arabia

India exported USD 12.10 bn to Saudi Arabia in 2024, led by HS 88, and imported USD 30.64 bn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • AgreementIndia-GCC FTA: under negotiation
  • CurrencySAR ر.س
  • Time−2h30 vs IST
  • CapitalRiyadh
  • AccessCoastal
Get a quote for Saudi Arabia How exporting works
  • Road
  • Sea
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Sea leg to Saudi Arabia · Sea
  3. Air leg to Saudi Arabia · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 12.10 bn
Imports into India
USD 30.64 bn
Trade partner rank
#5

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Riyadh whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanWestern Asia
Income group
High incomeWorld Bank
Currency
SARSaudi riyal
Languages
Arabic
Capital
Riyadh
Time
−2h30 vs ISTUTC+03:00
Access
Coastal
Trade partner rank
#53.77% of India's trade

Trade agreements: No India trade agreement in force (MFN terms; check GSTP separately). · India-GCC FTA: under negotiation. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Saudi Arabia

USD 12.10 bnIndia's exports to Saudi Arabia, 2024 (FOB)
2.78%of India's exports to the world
USD 42.73 bntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Saudi Arabia, 2024
  1. HS 88 Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof USD 1.53 bn13%
  2. HS 87 Vehicles USD 1.53 bn13%
  3. HS 10 Cereals USD 1.41 bn12%
  4. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 948.8 mn8%
  5. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 836.6 mn7%

Gateways in Saudi Arabia

Seaports: Not yet sourced for this page. Our desk confirms the right port when it quotes.

Airports: Not ranked in our source (no traffic data). Our desk confirms the cargo airport.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Saudi Arabia to India

USD 30.64 bnIndia's imports from Saudi Arabia, 2024 (CIF)
72%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Saudi Arabia, 2024
  1. HS 27 Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation USD 22.69 bn74%
  2. HS 88 Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof USD 1.49 bn5%
  3. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 1.42 bn5%
  4. HS 31 Fertilizers USD 1.39 bn5%
  5. HS 39 Plastics and articles thereof USD 1.39 bn5%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. No agreement rate is available, so the standard tariff applies. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The international sea or air leg is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Saudi Arabia. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Saudi Arabia in 2024 was HS 88. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
State one Incoterms 2020 rule on the invoice. FOB or CIF suit a port-to-port sea leg; FCA or CPT suit containers handed over inland. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Non-preferential CoO Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Saudi Arabia

Does India have a free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia?
Not in force yet. India-GCC FTA is under negotiation. Until it is in force, trade with Saudi Arabia runs at normal (MFN) duty rates. Source: India Briefing FTA tracker, 2026.
What does India export to Saudi Arabia?
India exported USD 12.10 bn of goods to Saudi Arabia in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 88 aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof (USD 1.53 bn), HS 87 vehicles (USD 1.53 bn), HS 10 cereals (USD 1.41 bn). That is 2.78% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Saudi Arabia?
India imported USD 30.64 bn from Saudi Arabia in 2024, mainly HS 27 mineral fuels, mineral oils and product… (USD 22.69 bn), HS 88 aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof (USD 1.49 bn), HS 29 organic chemicals (USD 1.42 bn). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Saudi Arabia trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Saudi Arabia was USD 42.73 bn in 2024, 3.77% of India's total, which ranks Saudi Arabia number 5 among India's trading partners. India imports more than it exports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Saudi Arabia take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Saudi Arabia is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Saudi Arabia?
A non-preferential certificate of origin is the usual document; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Saudi Arabia?
Riyadh runs at UTC+03:00 in 2026, which is −2h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Saudi Arabia shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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