Sea freight and car shipping from Madinah to Lebanon is one of the shortest sea routes from Saudi Arabia to the Mediterranean: Madinah is close to the Red Sea ports of Yanbu and Jeddah, from which the container passes through the Suez Canal, and Beirut is a short distance from the canal’s northern exit. It is a stable voyage, in a container sealed outside your door in Madinah and not opened until Beirut, with no load transfer at any land border.
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That is why many Lebanese in Madinah prefer sea freight to the road route through Jordan and Syria, especially for valuable furniture, appliances and belongings. This article explains the sea freight options, preparing the shipment, the car, clearance at the port of Beirut, and delivery up to high floors and mountain villages.
Al Basma Express ships your furniture, effects and car by sea from Quba, Al Awali, Al Aziziyah, Shuran and every district of Madinah to Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the North, the South and the Bekaa: full containers or part loads, moisture-proofing for the sea, wooden crates, ro-ro ships or containers for cars, clearance at the port of Beirut, and delivery with a hoist when needed.
Sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon in brief
Al Basma Express offers sea freight for furniture, effects and cars from Madinah to every area of Lebanon, from Yanbu or Jeddah port via the Suez Canal to the port of Beirut.
Services
- ✔Full container: sealed at your door in Madinah.
- ✔Part load: for effects and a few pieces.
- ✔Car shipping: ro-ro ship or container.
- ✔Delivery in Lebanon: reassembly and a hoist for upper floors.
Cost and duration
- ✔Small parcels: from SAR 55.
- ✔Household items and appliances: from SAR 420.
- ✔A bedroom: from SAR 2,790.
- ✔A container or car: from SAR 3,720.
- ✔Transit time: usually 2 to 4 weeks door to door.
Required documents
- ✔Copy of passport and iqama.
- ✔A detailed inventory list with estimated values.
- ✔Electronic broker authorisation via the Fasah platform.
- ✔Exemption documents for returning Lebanese, when claimed.
Madinah to Lebanon in numbers
Who ships by sea from Madinah to Lebanon?
| Case | Typical shipment | Usually the best option |
|---|---|---|
| A Lebanese family returning for good | A full home and a car | A 40ft container |
| A doctor or teacher finishing a contract | Apartment furniture, a library and appliances | A 20ft container |
| A student or single employee | Effects and boxes | Part load |
| Someone sending valuables first | Chandeliers, curios and appliances | A part load with wooden crates |
Why sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon?
| Item | By sea from Yanbu or Jeddah | By road via Jordan and Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Red Sea → Suez → Beirut | Tabuk → Jordan → Syria → Masnaa |
| Handling | A container sealed from your door to Beirut | The load may be switched at the Syrian–Lebanese border |
| Stability | More stable | Affected by border decisions |
| Suits | Valuable furniture, appliances and belongings | When crossings run smoothly and the shipment is urgent |
The state of the road route and crossings is covered in furniture shipping from Dammam to Lebanon. From Madinah specifically, being close to Yanbu and Jeddah makes sea freight the clearer choice in most cases.
Sea freight options to Lebanon
| Option | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Full 20ft container | About 28 – 33 m³ for you alone | A one- to two-bedroom apartment |
| Full 40ft container | About 58 – 67 m³ | A full home or furniture with a car |
| Part load | Space in a shared container | Effects, boxes and a few pieces |
| Ro-ro ship | The car is driven onto the ship | A car on its own |
What to ship to Lebanon, and what to sell in Madinah
| Item | The usual decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Valuable furniture and chandeliers | Shipped in crates | Hard to replace |
| Modern energy-efficient appliances | Shipped | Important given limited power hours and generator subscriptions |
| Old high-consumption appliances | Usually sold | They use up generator power, and shipping costs close to their value |
| Cheap bulky furniture | Sold | May not fit building stairs or small lifts |
| Library and books | Shipped | Not easily replaced |
Part load
If your shipment is effects, boxes and a few pieces, they are grouped, numbered in your name, in a shared container to Beirut, and you pay for their volume. It takes a little longer while the container fills, but costs far less.
Preparing the shipment for the sea
The risk on a sea voyage is not only breakage but moisture inside a sealed container crossing the Red Sea and then the Mediterranean. This is how we prepare the shipment:
| Item | Preparation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fridges and washing machines | Emptied, cleaned and fully dried two days before | Leftover water causes mould and odour |
| Wooden furniture | Dismantled and tightly wrapped in layers | Wood absorbs moisture |
| Chandeliers, mirrors and marble | Padded wooden crates | The container is lifted and lowered by cranes |
| Rugs and soft furnishings | Cleaned, dried and rolled in a fabric cover | Prevents mould and moths |
| Electronics | Dedicated boxes and moisture sachets | Protects circuits |
| Books and photos | Sealed bags inside small boxes | Prevents curling and sticking |
Loading and sealing at your door
- 1Heaviest at the back of the container.
- 2Rows to the ceiling with no gaps, filled with blankets.
- 3Lashing straps on every row, as the ship rolls at sea.
- 4A metal seal with its number recorded in front of you.
Collection from Madinah
| Area | What we plan for |
|---|---|
| The central area around the Haram | The container cannot enter; a smaller vehicle transfers to the container outside |
| Quba, Al Awali and Al Aziziyah | Villas and houses; the container usually outside the home |
| Shuran, Al Khalidiyah and newer districts | Buildings with lifts; the container at the nearest suitable parking |
Shipping the car to Lebanon
| Method | Price from | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Car in a container or on a ro-ro ship | SAR 3,720 | Excluding Lebanese customs duties |
| Car with furniture in a 40ft container | Within the container cost | Timber wall, separate lashing and declaration |
- ✔Saudi side: export plates, Absher authorisation, clearance of fines and liens, and the istimara.
- ✔In Lebanon: customs clearance and duties based on the car’s value and specifications, then registration.
The sea voyage from Madinah to Beirut
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Road transport | From Madinah to Yanbu (about 230 km) or Jeddah (about 420 km) |
| The Red Sea | North to Suez |
| The Suez Canal | Passage into the Mediterranean |
| The eastern Mediterranean | A short distance from Port Said to Beirut |
| The port of Beirut | Unloading and clearance |
We choose between Yanbu and Jeddah according to the nearest sailing to Beirut with the fewest transfers, and tell you the container number and expected arrival date.
Documents required for sea freight to Lebanon
| Shipment | Saudi side | In Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture and effects | Passport and iqama, valued list, Fasah authorisation and final exit visa | Exemption documents for returnees and ID card |
| Car | Export plates, Absher authorisation, clearance and istimara | Clearance and duty assessment, then registration |
| New items | Their invoices | May be dutiable |
The list with values
We write the list piece by piece and box by box with realistic estimated values, keeping new items separate with their invoices. A precise list speeds up clearance at the port of Beirut, supports the exemption request, and is the basis for marine insurance.
Sea freight prices from Madinah to Lebanon
| Service | Price from |
|---|---|
| Small parcels | SAR 55 |
| Household items and appliances | SAR 420 |
| A bedroom | SAR 2,790 |
| A container | SAR 3,720 |
| Car shipping | SAR 3,720 |
What determines your shipment cost?
How long does sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon take?
| Stage | Approximate duration |
|---|---|
| Preparation and loading | One to two days |
| Transport to port and export | A few days |
| The sea voyage | Usually one to two weeks depending on sailing and transshipment |
| Clearance and delivery in Lebanon | Days, depending on complete documents |
| Usual total | 2 to 4 weeks |
Delivery in Lebanon
| Area | What we plan for |
|---|---|
| Beirut | Buildings with small lifts and narrow stairs; a balcony hoist for large pieces |
| Mount Lebanon | Steep roads, and a smaller vehicle when needed |
| The North and South | Road transport from the port and advance planning |
| The Bekaa | A longer distance over Dahr al-Baidar |
When the container is opened
- 1Matching the seal number with the documents before it is broken.
- 2Unloading the car if it is in the container.
- 3Counting pieces and boxes against the list.
- 4Opening wooden crates in front of you.
- 5Reassembly and removing waste.
The shipping timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Four weeks before | Contact, survey and deciding what moves |
| Three weeks before | Book the container and sailing, and calculate the car’s duties in Lebanon |
| Two weeks before | The car’s export plates, and sell what will not move |
| Two days before | Dry the appliances, the list and Fasah authorisation |
| Loading day | Packing, loading and sealing |
Common mistakes in sea freight to Lebanon
- ✔Appliances not dried: mould in the container.
- ✔Shipping a car without calculating duties: they may exceed its value.
- ✔A list with no values: weakens insurance and clearance.
- ✔Not mentioning the floor: the hoist is not booked in advance.
- ✔A chandelier shipped assembled: its arms and crystal break.
- ✔Late exemption documents: storage fees at the port.
What protects your shipment at sea
What you know about your shipment, and when
| Stage | What we send you |
|---|---|
| After loading | A photo of the seal, the container number and a signed list |
| After export | The vessel name, sailing date and bill of lading |
| During the voyage | A tracking link and the expected arrival date |
| At the port of Beirut | Clearance confirmation and the delivery date |
Before leaving Madinah
After loading we remove cardboard and waste and leave the home empty, and you photograph it to record its condition when handing it to the owner. Time your departure on the final exit visa after loading, so export documents are filed while your residence is valid. And name a receiver in Lebanon who knows the home and the power hours, in case the container arrives before you.
Storage before shipping
If you must vacate your home before the sailing date, we keep your belongings in an air-conditioned warehouse. Details on our temporary storage page.
What cannot be shipped to Lebanon?
See our prohibited items page.
Sea freight steps from Madinah to Lebanon
- 1Contact: photos of the furniture, area and floor in Lebanon.
- 2Survey and choosing the container.
- 3Price, port and sailing.
- 4Documents: Fasah, the list, exemption and car.
- 5Drying, packing, loading and sealing.
- 6The sea voyage via Suez with tracking.
- 7Clearance in Beirut, delivery and reassembly.
Examples of sea freight to Lebanon
Why Al Basma Express for sea freight to Lebanon?
For shipping to Lebanon from other regions: from Dammam, from Al-Ahsa, from Qassim and from Jeddah. If your destination is Morocco, see home moving from Madinah to Morocco.
FAQ: sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon
How much does sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon cost?
How much does it cost to ship a car from Madinah to Lebanon?
How long does sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon take?
Which port does the container sail from, from Madinah?
Why is sea better than road to Lebanon?
How do you protect furniture from moisture?
Is ro-ro or a container better for the car?
Do you deliver to upper floors in Beirut?
Do you deliver to mountain villages?
Is a returning Lebanese citizen’s furniture exempt?
Is marine insurance available?
Do you collect from near the Prophet’s Mosque?
What documents are required?
Should I ship my old appliances to Lebanon?
Is a part load available to Lebanon?
How do I find out my shipment cost?
From Madinah to Beirut by sea, in a container opened only at your door
Sea freight from Madinah to Lebanon benefits from the nearby ports of Yanbu and Jeddah and the short route via Suez. When appliances are dried, valuables are crated, the container is sealed in front of you and the hoist is booked in Beirut in advance, your home reaches Lebanon as it left Madinah.
Contact Al Basma Express on +966553923364.
