Imports & ExportsStart exporting

Gulf & Middle East

Export to Saudi Arabia

Large Gulf market for rice, food and engineering goods. Strict SFDA food rules and SABER certification for regulated goods.

Capital
Riyadh
Currency
SAR
Trade agreement with India
India–GCC Free Trade Agreement (under negotiation)
Not in force yetNot in force
Main ports
Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam, Riyadh Dry Port

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest buyers of Indian basmati rice and also buys meat, spices, vegetables, textiles, machinery and chemicals. It is a rule-heavy market: food goes through the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and many non-food goods need certificates on the SABER platform before they ship. Get these right and the market is steady and large.

India–GCC Free Trade Agreement (under negotiation)

There is no India–Saudi trade agreement in force. India and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (which includes Saudi Arabia) signed terms of reference in February 2026 and launched FTA negotiations; until a deal is signed and in force, normal GCC customs duties apply. Confirm current status on commerce.gov.in.

What it buys from India

  • Basmati rice and other cereals
  • Meat, spices, fruit, vegetables and processed food
  • Machinery, vehicles and auto parts, steel products
  • Chemicals, textiles, garments and ceramic tiles

Import rules on their side

  • Food importers and food products are controlled by the SFDA. Labels must be in Arabic (Arabic and English is common) and follow GCC/Saudi labelling standards, including shelf life.
  • Meat and poultry need a halal certificate from a body accepted by Saudi authorities; meat plants must be approved for export to Saudi Arabia.
  • Regulated non-food products (for example electrical goods, building materials, toys, auto parts) need a Product Certificate and a Shipment Certificate issued through the SABER platform before customs clearance.

Practical tips

  • Ask the buyer to start the SABER request early — your shipment cannot clear without the Shipment Certificate.
  • LCs are common for larger orders. Have commercial invoices and certificates of origin attested if the buyer or bank asks for it.
  • Business slows in Ramadan; demand for rice, dates and food peaks before it. Plan shipments a few weeks ahead.
Sources (7)
  1. PIB backgrounder — India's Trade Partnerships (27 Feb 2026)
  2. All India Radio News — India and GCC sign Joint Statement on FTA (24 Feb 2026)
  3. Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — regulations
  4. SABER — Saudi product conformity platform (SASO)
  5. Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), Saudi Arabia
  6. GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
  7. Department of Commerce — TradeStat export-import data bank

Trade data

India’s exports to Saudi Arabia in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat (Indian financial years, April–March), the country’s imports from the world from UN Comtrade, and its basics from the World Bank.

India’s exports here, 2025-26
US$ 10.3 bn
No. 9 of our 30 countries
Change from 2024-25
↓ -12.6%
US$ 11.8 bn → US$ 10.3 bn
Share of all Indian exports
2.33%
Its imports from the world
US$ 232.8 bn
2024 · India’s share 5.67%
2020-21: US$ 5.86 bn5.9k2020-212021-22: US$ 8.76 bn8.8k2021-222022-23: US$ 10.7 bn11k2022-23n/a2023-242024-25: US$ 11.8 bn12k2024-252025-26: US$ 10.3 bn10k2025-26
India’s exports to Saudi Arabia, year by year · US$ million · TradeStat’s 2023-24 country table is double-counted, so it is not shown

What India sells here most

By HS chapter, 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1Vehicles and partsHS 87US$ 1.56 bn-2.6%
2Cereals (rice, wheat, maize)HS 10US$ 1.08 bn-19%
3MachineryHS 84US$ 1.01 bn+4.6%
4CopperHS 74US$ 983 mn+84.8%
5Organic chemicalsHS 29US$ 719 mn-12.1%
6Electrical and electronicsHS 85US$ 502 mn-31.1%
7Iron and steel articlesHS 73US$ 434 mn-22.8%
8MeatHS 02US$ 361 mn+13.5%
9Gems, jewellery, precious metalsHS 71US$ 247 mn+62.6%
10Coffee, tea, spicesHS 09US$ 239 mn+41%
11Fuels and petroleum productsHS 27US$ 223 mn-54.9%
12Knitted garmentsHS 61US$ 220 mn+11.4%

What is rising and what is falling

Chapters where India sells at least US$ 5 million. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. CopperUS$ 532 mn → US$ 983 mn+84.8%
  2. ZincUS$ 76.5 mn → US$ 135 mn+76.2%
  3. Ships and boatsUS$ 66 mn → US$ 114 mn+72.9%
  4. Gems, jewellery, precious metalsUS$ 152 mn → US$ 247 mn+62.6%
  5. Coffee, tea, spicesUS$ 169 mn → US$ 239 mn+41%
  6. AluminiumUS$ 107 mn → US$ 132 mn+23.5%
  7. Fruit and vegetable preparationsUS$ 76.5 mn → US$ 87.5 mn+14.4%
  8. MeatUS$ 318 mn → US$ 361 mn+13.5%

Low demand

  1. Fuels and petroleum productsUS$ 495 mn → US$ 223 mn-54.9%
  2. Electrical and electronicsUS$ 729 mn → US$ 502 mn-31.1%
  3. Iron and steelUS$ 109 mn → US$ 76.2 mn-30.4%
  4. Salt, stone, cementUS$ 76.7 mn → US$ 54 mn-29.6%
  5. Dairy, eggs, honeyUS$ 82.3 mn → US$ 62.5 mn-24.1%
  6. Iron and steel articlesUS$ 562 mn → US$ 434 mn-22.8%
  7. Cereals (rice, wheat, maize)US$ 1.33 bn → US$ 1.08 bn-19%
  8. Fruit and nutsUS$ 96.2 mn → US$ 80.7 mn-16.1%

Opportunity: what this country buys from the world, and from India

The country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, 2024. Chapters with the biggest gap between what it buys from the world and what it buys from India.

MachineryUS$ 32.6 bnIndia 4% · gap US$ 31.3 bn
Electrical and electronicsUS$ 26.3 bnIndia 4% · gap US$ 25.2 bn
Vehicles and partsUS$ 26.4 bnIndia 7.1% · gap US$ 24.6 bn
Fuels and petroleum productsUS$ 13.2 bnIndia 3.1% · gap US$ 12.7 bn
Gems, jewellery, precious metalsUS$ 10.3 bnIndia 3.9% · gap US$ 9.9 bn
Medicines and pharmaUS$ 9.15 bnIndia 2% · gap US$ 8.96 bn
Iron and steel articlesUS$ 7.96 bnIndia 9.3% · gap US$ 7.22 bn
Iron and steelUS$ 6.15 bnIndia 2.8% · gap US$ 5.98 bn
Instruments, medical devicesUS$ 6 bnIndia 1.7% · gap US$ 5.9 bn
PlasticsUS$ 5.32 bnIndia 4.6% · gap US$ 5.07 bn

Our product guides that sell here

India’s exports of each product to this country, 2025-26.

Name2025-26Change
1Basmati riceUS$ 943 mn-21.7%
2Readymade garmentsUS$ 394 mn+9.4%
3SpicesUS$ 190 mn+60.2%
4Processed foodUS$ 153 mn+9.4%
5Non-basmati riceUS$ 127 mn+6.1%
6PumpsUS$ 58.8 mn+4%
7Dairy productsUS$ 57.2 mn-25.1%
8Fresh vegetablesUS$ 39.1 mn-5.2%
9TeaUS$ 27.4 mn-6.6%
10Granite and natural stoneUS$ 26 mn-17.1%
11CoffeeUS$ 21.7 mn+0.2%
12Fresh bananaUS$ 21.4 mn+101.5%

The 20 biggest export lines

4-digit HS lines, 2025-26, with their Harmonized System descriptions.

Name2025-26Change
1Motor cars and other motor vehiclesHS 8703US$ 1.26 bn+5.2%
2RiceHS 1006US$ 1.07 bn-19.2%
3Copper wireHS 7408US$ 878 mn+77.6%
4Cyclic hydrocarbonsHS 2902US$ 518 mn-18.8%
5Meat of bovine animalsHS 0202US$ 328 mn+13%
6Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…HS 8481US$ 252 mn+33.8%
7VehiclesHS 8704US$ 242 mn-24%
8Jewellery articles and parts thereof, of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metalHS 7113US$ 228 mn+71%
9Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crudeHS 2710US$ 160 mn-63%
10ZincHS 7901US$ 132 mn+77.7%
11Nutmeg, mace and cardamomsHS 0908US$ 125 mn+189.4%
12MedicamentsHS 3004US$ 115 mn-18.1%
13Machinery, plant, or laboratory equipmentHS 8419US$ 113 mn+10.4%
14Structures of iron or steel and parts thereofHS 7308US$ 104 mn-11.4%
15Moving, grading, levelling, scraping, excavating, tamping, compacting, extracting or boring machinery, for…HS 8430US$ 88.7 mn+14.8%
16Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of…HS 8901US$ 87.9 mn+33.6%
17Bulldozers, graders, levellers, scrapers, angledozers, mechanical shovels, excavators, shovel loaders…HS 8429US$ 86.7 mn-18%
18Machinery and mechanical appliancesHS 8479US$ 86 mn+12%
19Electrical apparatusHS 8538US$ 74.8 mn-16.2%
20Telephone sets, including smartphones and other telephones for cellular/wireless networksHS 8517US$ 73.3 mn-69.9%

What India buys from Saudi Arabia

India’s imports from this country in 2025-26 by HS chapter, from TradeStat — this country can be your supplier too.

India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 30.8 bn
US$ 30.1 bn → US$ 30.8 bn
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 10.3 bn
Trade balance
−US$ 20.5 bn
exports minus imports
Change in imports
+2.2%
Name2025-26Change
1Fuels and petroleum productsHS 27—-5.3%
2FertilisersHS 31—+62.3%
3Organic chemicalsHS 29—-5%
4PlasticsHS 39—+7.3%
5Gems, jewellery, precious metalsHS 71—+108.7%
6AircraftHS 88—-16.4%
7CopperHS 74—+37.9%
8AluminiumHS 76—+4.6%
9Inorganic chemicalsHS 28—+10.9%
10Other chemical productsHS 38—+2.1%

The country at a glance

Population
37.0 mn
2025
GDP
US$ 1,276.9 bn
2025
GDP per person
US$ 34,537
2025
Imports (goods and services)
US$ 359.8 bn
2025

Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · World Bank — World Development Indicators · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

What to send to Saudi Arabia

All products →

More in Gulf & Middle East