Doing Business in Saudi Arabia - International Franchise Association

U.S. Embassy: 08:00 - 17:00 Sat. thru Wed.
Saudi Government: 08:00 - 14:30 Sat. thru Wed.
Banks: 09:00 - 17:00 Sat. thru Wed.
Businesses: 08:00 - 12:00 and
16:00 - 20:00 Sat. thru Wed.
08:00 - 13:00 Thursdays.
There are two Islamic religious holidays during which most businesses close for at least three
working days and all government offices close for a longer period. During these holidays it is
very difficult to make contacts or transact business:
• The Eid al-Fitr holiday occurs at the end of the holy month of Ramadan (month of
fasting). The next Eid al-Fitr holiday will occur on or about September 11-15, 2010. The
Saudi national day is celebrated September 23.
• Eid al-Adha celebrates the time of year when pilgrims arrive from around the world to
perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj. The next Eid al-Adha holiday will occur on or
about November 16-22, 2010.
Please note that the dates of these two religious holidays are governed by the lunar calendar;
exact dates are subject to change and will be confirmed by the Saudi authorities at a later date.
Please visit the website of the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as these holidays draw near to
verify their exact dates.
Business travel to Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan (in 2010, from August 11
through September 10) is best avoided. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink
during daylight hours. Office hours are shortened and shifted to the evening, and people may
be affected by the fasting and customary late night social gatherings. During Ramadan,
business travelers should not drink, eat, or smoke in public during daylight or in the presence of
fasting Muslims. Major hotels offer special daytime food services for their non-Muslim guests.
Ramadan will start on or about August 10, 2010 and end on or about September 8, 2010.
The complete list of U.S. and local holidays observed by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates
General in Saudi Arabia can be found at www.buyusa.gov/saudiarabia/en/44.html.
Temporary Entry of Materials and Personal Belongings Return to top
For temporary entry of goods for promotional purposes, importers need an invoice with the
value of the goods endorsed by the local Chamber of Commerce or the U.S.-Saudi Business
Council and a certificate of origin also to be authenticated by one of the aforementioned entities.
The invoice should state that the goods are being imported for exhibition purposes only and will
be re-exported.
Saudi Customs requires a deposit for these goods (equivalent to the applicable tariff rate on the
total value of the goods). This deposit is refundable when the exhibition is over and upon
showing a document that the owner of the equipment officially participated in a trade show.
Additionally, the customs authorities will collect handling charges. Reimbursement takes
between two to four weeks. If the goods are meant for demonstration purposes to a
Government entity, a letter from that entity is required indicating the nature and purpose of the
goods.