Ship the wrong item and the best case is a returned parcel; the worst is confiscation, fines, or legal liability. Every carrier operating in Saudi Arabia enforces two layers of rules: the Kingdom’s customs regulations (set by ZATCA, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority) and the carrier’s own prohibited-items policy.
This guide explains the difference between prohibited and restricted items, what you cannot ship by air, and the current policies of FedEx, DHL, Aramex, UPS, Naqel Express, and SMSA plus what happens if a prohibited item is discovered.
Prohibited vs. Restricted Items: What’s the Difference?
Prohibited items cannot be shipped into or within a country under any circumstances banned for safety, environmental, religious, or legal reasons. Example: alcohol cannot be shipped to Saudi Arabia.
Restricted items can be shipped only under conditions: permits, quantity limits, special packaging, or inspection. Examples: medicines (SFDA approval), gold and silver (Ministry of Finance / ZATCA permit), lithium batteries (packaging rules).
Items Prohibited from Air Shipping
There are many items, products, and materials that are prohibited from being shipped by air due to the extreme danger they pose, and these items include:
Flammable materials such as gasoline, kerosene, and flammable paints.
Firearms, ammunition, explosives, incendiary materials, and toxic materials.
Metal tools such as: swords, knives, and others.
Chemical materials, and fireworks.
Active and radioactive materials, dangerous biological materials, and corrosive materials.
Dangerous goods such as: mercury, magnetized materials, bags with alarm devices, lithium batteries, etc.
Legally prohibited materials such as narcotics and the like.
Compressed gases such as oxygen cylinders and gases packaged under pressure.
Liquids in large quantities, as there are restrictions on the quantity of liquids of all kinds that can be shipped via aircraft.
Biological materials such as human or animal medical samples that may contain dangerous viruses or bacteria.
Hazardous waste such as medical, chemical, or industrial waste that can cause health or environmental damage.
Commonly Prohibited Items Across Saudi Carriers
There are many items, products, and materials that are prohibited from being shipped and transported via various means of transport, whether by air, sea, or land via trucks through what is known as postal shipping. The most prominent of these items are:
Compressed flammable and non-flammable gases, as well as toxic gases such as aerosol and camping gas.
Firearms, ammunition, explosives, incendiary materials, and toxic materials.
Loose lithium batteries or batteries not packaged inside equipment.
Metal tools such as: swords, knives, and others.
Chemical materials.
Fireworks.
Active and radioactive materials.
Dangerous goods such as: mercury.
Lighters.
Live animals.
Counterfeit goods.
Charcoal.
⚠️ Due to the limited scope to mention shipping prohibitions for all companies operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the following lines we will focus on some well-known companies that have a clear and explicit list of shipping prohibitions that customers can refer to. These lists may be similar to the prohibitions of many other companies.
Shipping Prohibitions for Fedex
Fedex is one of the largest shipping and logistics companies globally. Regarding the list of prohibitions or prohibited items, the company is well aware of the different nature and restrictions of each country, and therefore offers the possibility to search by country name to find the list of prohibited or restricted items for that specific country.
For Saudi Arabia, the list of prohibitions includes:
Masks.
Poisons.
Smart cards.
Pokemon games.
Magic games.
Counterfeit goods.
Tattoo machines.
Laser pointers.
Spices, and herbal tea.
Dates.
Herbal products.
Tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and other electronic smoking devices.
Video games (containing pictorial materials).
Electric stunners (for personal use).
Mannequins used in stores.
Playing cards, and gambling items such as lottery tickets.
Clothes sent to a military unit.
Items offensive to Islamic culture.
Items offensive to the Saudi royal family, Saudi politics, customs, or traditions.
All types of religious books (including but not limited to the Quran, the Bible, Buddhism, etc.).
Pornographic media files and any media displaying female anatomy, as well as pornographic tools.
Any item with a hidden camera or anything that can be used as a spy item such as (pen, watch, etc.).
All shipments containing jewelry, including but not limited to (gold, silver, platinum, pearls, precious stones, diamonds, etc.) with a declared or commercial value exceeding $500 USD.
Shipping Prohibitions for DHL
DHL is a leading company in the shipping and logistics sector. It offers many services and features such as: shipping and delivery of parcels, domestic and international cargo shipping via various transport methods (land, sea, and air), along with unique solutions it provides for storing, packing, and wrapping goods to deliver them to the final consumer with the best possible quality.
DHL works on innovating solutions for shipping many restricted items such as chemical materials, but on the other hand, it has a complete list of materials prohibited from being shipped by DHL and products and items prohibited from being shipped in line with international laws and regulations. This is related to shipping products purchased through "DHL Easy Shop," which is a technical solution that allows individuals to purchase and ship internationally from any store even if it does not provide international shipping service.
This list includes:
Lithium batteries and electronic products that require them.
Money and cash in its various forms.
Cigarettes and related products such as tobacco.
Narcotics, addictive drugs, and materials used to make narcotics.
Sharp objects such as bows, arrows, knives, and bayonets.
Ammunition and weapons such as pistols, rifles, hand grenades, and even pepper spray.
Gambling items such as lottery tickets and gambling devices.
Alcoholic beverages
Perishable products such as frozen food, eggs, and seafood.
Precious metals and gemstones.
Explosive products, toxic materials, and infectious materials.
Pornographic and obscene materials and tools.
⚠️ You can view the full list and detailed shipping policy here, and if you have doubts about whether your products are acceptable for shipping or not, we advise you to contact the shipping company directly and ask about it.
Shipping Prohibitions for Aramex
Aramex is a leading company in the shipping and logistics sector in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, due to the many unique features and services it offers.
Regarding shipping prohibitions, the company provides a short and brief list of items prohibited from being shipped by them and advises its customers to refer to the customs information of each country separately to accurately verify the nature of the prohibited items.
However, in general, among the materials prohibited from being shipped by Aramex, we mention:
Money
Precious metals
Liquids
Narcotics
Chemicals
Explosive materials
Weapons
Shipping Prohibitions for UPS
UPS is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, providing shipping and delivery services to companies and individuals globally. The company's services include parcel shipping, mail, documents, air and sea freight, storage, distribution, and other logistics services.
The company has a list reviewing its shipping prohibitions in the various countries in which it operates, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we mention among them:
Certain types of ammunition.
Bank bills, banknotes, or currency (other than coins).
Corpses and cremated remains.
Dangerous toys.
Hazardous waste and toxic materials.
Marijuana, including medical marijuana.
Postage stamps.
Products made from ivory.
Shipping Prohibitions for Naqel Express
Naqel Express is one of the leading institutions in the shipping and logistics sector in Saudi Arabia, offering many features and services such as: shipment tracking, international and domestic shipping, parcel shipping and delivery, door-to-door delivery, and others.
The company provides a PDF file of its terms and conditions of service and details all unacceptable items for transport, including:
Letters and writings that are personal correspondence.
All types of paper currency.
Dangerous materials and flammable and explosive materials.
Silver and gold (except with a permit from the Ministry of Finance and Customs Authority).
Pictures, books, drawings, newspapers, and all things that violate traditions and morals.
Islamic books or those that involve an offense to honor or a threat to the security of the Kingdom
All types of tapes and microfilm slides.
Items with unpleasant odors.
Live and dead animals and insects except for bees (excluding adherence to special transport conditions).
In addition to the items mentioned, the company emphasizes referring to the list of dangerous, prohibited, or restricted materials according to the classification of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as the list of all materials prohibited from entering or exiting under the customs system, executive regulations, laws, and regulations in force in the Kingdom.
Shipping Prohibitions for SMSA Express
SMSA Express is a Saudi company specializing in transportation, delivery, shipping, and storage services, and is considered one of the fastest-growing emerging companies in Saudi Arabia, distinguished by providing many logistics services with the latest innovative technologies in the field of logistics and transportation.
The mention of shipping prohibitions at SMSA Express was brief within the Terms and Conditions page under the item of non-transportable materials. These items are:
Explosives.
Money.
Human corpses or body parts.
Firearms.
Toxic materials and dangerous goods.
It is possible to contact the SMSA customer support team directly for more details if the information provided by them is insufficient.
Many questions may also come to mind about whether some products are prohibited from shipping or not, or whether they have specific shipping conditions, and for this, we have prepared the following section to include some frequently asked questions related to the blog topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship liquids like honey?
Yes, safe liquids (honey, juices, dairy) are shippable if the liquid itself poses no hazard, the packaging is leak-proof and temperature-appropriate, and the carrier accepts that product type. Quantity limits apply especially for air transport.
Can perfumes be shipped?
Perfume is alcohol-based and classified as a dangerous (flammable) liquid, so it ships under restrictions: compliant packaging, quantity limits, and often ground-only transport.
Merchants shipping perfume regularly should work with carriers that explicitly support it. OTO can match you with them.
Can mobile phones be shipped?
Yes. Phones contain lithium batteries, so they must be shipped installed in the device, in protective packaging that meets the carrier’s battery guidelines.
Can food be shipped?
Yes, with correct packaging, and note that chilled or frozen foods require refrigerated transport. Food imports are additionally regulated by the SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority).
Can animals be shipped?
Live animal transport is possible only through carriers licensed for it, under strict welfare and documentation rules; most parcel carriers (see lists above) prohibit live animals entirely.
What Happens to Prohibited Items?
If customs or the carrier discovers a prohibited item, the standard sequence is: confiscation by customs or security authorities, destruction of items posing safety risks, investigation of the shipment’s source, notification of shipper and recipient, financial fines or legal penalties on the responsible party, re-export to origin where regulations permit, and formal documentation of the case.
In short: the cost of "trying anyway" is always higher than checking first.
Conclusion
Prohibited-items rules protect public safety and compliant merchants. Before shipping anything unusual: check ZATCA’s import regulations, check your carrier’s current prohibited list, and package restricted items exactly as required.
Shipping through OTO gives you access to 200+ carriers, so when one carrier can’t take your product (perfumes, batteries, refrigerated food), you can instantly find one that can. Create your free account and ship with confidence.
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