Importing Brazilian food to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the single largest export market for Brazilian frozen poultry. Every meat or poultry shipment must originate from an establishment audited and listed by the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA). Halal slaughter certification by a Saudi-recognised Islamic centre is mandatory, and SASO/SLS conformity rules apply to packaged consumer products.

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Competent authorities

SFDA
Approves foreign meat/poultry plants; food safety oversight at ports
SASO / SABER
Product conformity and labelling for packaged foods, sugar and oils
Saudi Customs (ZATCA)
Tariffs, VAT and customs release

Ports of entry

Jeddah Islamic Port (SAJED)
Main reefer gateway for the Western Region; serves Mecca and Medina demand.
King Abdullah Port (SAKAC)
Modern terminal north of Jeddah; growing share of poultry imports.
Dammam (King Abdulaziz Port) (SADMN)
Eastern Province gateway; serves Riyadh after inland trucking.

Required documentation

•SFDA import permit (Saleem / Fasah) lodged before shipment
•Halal Slaughter Certificate from a Saudi-accredited Islamic centre in Brazil
•SIF Health Certificate signed by MAPA
•Commercial invoice and packing list (Arabic-bilingual recommended)
•Bill of Lading
•Certificate of Origin attested by a chamber of commerce
•Certificate of Analysis and temperature recorder data
•SABER Certificate of Conformity for retail-packaged products

Indicative lead times from Santos

Santos → Jeddah (direct reefer service)18–22 days
Santos → Dammam (via Salalah transhipment)25–30 days
SFDA pre-arrival clearanceSubmit ≥ 5 days before ETA

Tariffs & taxes

Saudi Customs apply the GCC Common External Tariff (typically 5% on processed foods and frozen meat). Some staple foods are zero-rated. VAT of 15% is collected at clearance. Refined sugar for industrial use is generally duty-exempt under specific HS codes.

Product-specific notes

Frozen chicken
Production date and best-before date in Arabic on every primary pack; net weight in metric units; SFDA-listed plant code printed on cartons.
Frozen beef
Halal slaughter only; bone-in cuts require additional veterinary attestation for FMD-free status.
Sugar
ICUMSA 45 in 50 kg PP bags or 1 MT bulk bags; conforms to SASO standard for white refined sugar.
Edible oils
Refined soybean and sunflower oil; SASO labelling rules apply to retail PET; bulk shipped in flexitanks or ISO tanks.

References

Other country guides