canned food importers: below are the numbers that actually matter in Saudi practice — rates, transit times, paperwork — with Modjo ready to run it end to end.
The rules of the lane: Foreign companies without a Saudi entity import through an importer of record (IOR) — a licensed local entity importing in its own name for a service fee.
For food products specifically: duty is 0–25% depending on the product; many staples enter at 0–5%; certification — SFDA registration of both the product and the foreign facility; halal certificates for meat and derivatives; Arabic labels with dates and origin. Shelf-life rules are enforced at entry: products arriving with less than half their shelf life remaining are routinely rejected, so production dates must be aligned with sailing schedules.
With canned food importers, certificates ready before sailing beat any discount on freight.
Leave your number — a specialist replies within 30 minutes during Saudi working hours.
A CR with import activity, FASAH importer number, product certificates, and a customs declaration — or an importer of record if you lack a Saudi entity.
Commercial import requires a registered establishment; personal shipments follow separate simplified rules.