Saudi Arabia is a country built on petrol wealth and for this reason, cars are particularly cheap. It may not make financial sense to import a car as it may be cheaper to simply buy a car in Saudi Arabia. The red tape involved in importing vehicles (see below) makes it doubly complicated.
You need to make sure your car meets the following requirements if you want to import it.
Cars must be less than five years old and have no more than five seats, as it would be classed as a commercial vehicle. You can only import a four wheel drive if you can prove that you have family living with you in Saudi Arabia. If your car is eligible to be imported you must satisfy these further conditions:
Expats with residency and employment paperwork sorted out can import a car themselves.
Under Saudi law, short-term male visitors can legally rent and drive in Saudi Arabia using their home-country licenses. They will need to provide their driver’s license and passport in order to rent a car.
Residents wanting to rent a car will need to present their Iqama (residence permit) and their Saudi driving license. Saudi Arabian rental companies include: