How to Pay a Chinese Supplier from Saudi Arabia (2026)

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Figures last checked: 31/10/2026.

If you want to pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia, the good news is that the riyal makes it simple: SAR is pegged to the US dollar at SAR 3.75, so a USD invoice has almost no currency surprise. The hard part is elsewhere: picking the cheapest bank route, sending the right documents, and getting the goods through SABER and Saudi customs without delays.

This guide explains the payment options open to a Saudi importer in 2026, what Saudi banks charge on their published tariffs, which fintechs really serve Saudi businesses, and what orders from USD 3,000.00 to USD 50,000.00 cost once they land in Jeddah or Dammam.

Short answer: The simplest way to pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia is a USD SWIFT wire from your Saudi bank, ideally from a USD account, against a USD proforma invoice. The riyal is pegged at SAR 3.75 per USD, so currency risk is low. Al Rajhi publishes a SAR 50.00 online fee, excluding VAT.

In 30 seconds

• Best default: a USD wire from your Saudi bank, ideally from a USD account, against a USD invoice.

• Fintechs: Airwallex does not accept Saudi-registered businesses and Wise cannot send from SAR (checked 31/10/2026).

• Customs: most goods pay at least 5.00% duty on the CIF value, plus 15.00% import VAT. A tariff update on 27/11/2025 raised many codes, so check yours.

• Paperwork: regulated products need SABER certificates; the FASAH declaration is due 48 hours before arrival.

In this guide: Quick answer · Which payment methods can a Saudi importer use · Saudi bank transfers to China · Wise, Airwallex and other fintechs · What documents do Saudi banks ask for to pay a C · SABER, SFDA and FASAH · How much is customs duty and VAT on imports from · Shipping from Shanghai to Jeddah or Dammam · How to pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia · Worked example · Landed cost examples for Saudi Arabia · By region · Mistakes to avoid when you pay a Chinese supplie · Checklist before you pay a Chinese supplier from · Key takeaways

Quick answer: the best way to pay China from Saudi Arabia

For most readers the answer is the highlighted box: a plain USD wire.

Who it's for / not for

Is it safe to pay a Chinese supplier by bank transfer from Saudi Arabia?

A SWIFT wire is safe in the sense that the money moves between regulated banks. The risk is not the channel; it is the receiver. Once a wire is credited, it is hard to reverse: Wise's developer guide says recalls need "explicit acceptance from the recipient" and depend on the beneficiary bank (Wise: amendments, traces and recalls). Protect yourself before you pay: verify the supplier, pay only to a company account in the seller's exact legal name, split the order into deposit and balance, and release the balance after an inspection. Our checklist to verify a Chinese supplier covers the company checks step by step.

Which payment methods can a Saudi importer use? T/T, L/C and Trade Assurance

For a Saudi company, four methods matter. They differ mainly in how much protection you get for the extra effort.

• T/T (telegraphic transfer): a plain SWIFT wire, usually split into deposit and balance. Cheap, but protection comes only from that split and checks before the balance.

• Letter of credit (L/C): your bank promises to pay the supplier when it receives the agreed shipping documents. It costs more and documents must match exactly; it suits a large first order with a new factory.

• Alibaba Trade Assurance: the platform holds the payment and releases it to the supplier after you receive and confirm the order. It covers late delivery and product issues, but only for payments made through Alibaba.com (Alibaba Trade Assurance).

• Off-platform payment to a new account: no protection at all, and little chance of recovery.

Letter of credit from a Saudi bank to a Chinese supplier

Saudi banks offer documentary credits for China trade. Al Rajhi Bank announced on 29/05/2017 the first Shariah-compliant letter of credit in Chinese yuan in Saudi Arabia, with yuan available across its trade products, including letters of credit and documentary collections (Al Rajhi Bank announcement). We found no public L/C tariff, so ask your trade-finance desk for a written quote. On small orders the fees and paperwork rarely make sense.

Saudi bank transfers to China: fees and how it works

A transfer to China normally leaves as a USD SWIFT wire, via your bank, often a correspondent bank, then the supplier's bank. Each stop can cost money or time.

Al Rajhi, Riyad Bank and SNB international transfer fees compared

Al Rajhi's amounts are the "Maximum Fee (Excluding VAT)" in its products and services fees; Al Rajhi Business also ran a zero-fee offer on corporate transfers from 16/06/2026 to 17/07/2026, so ask about promotions. Riyad Bank's international transfer page (personal banking) discounts the execution fee by 25.00% to 100.00% for premium segments, and lets you pay all fees "from my account" only when the receiving bank has an arrangement with Riyad Bank. For SNB we found no official fee page, and the same Giraffy table lists Al Rajhi at SAR 40.00, below the bank's own maximum: third-party tables drift.

The bigger cost is often the exchange-rate margin when you pay USD from a SAR account. Giraffy reports margins of about 1.50% to 2.00% at large Saudi banks (indicative). The riyal has been pegged at SAR 3.75 per USD since 1986 (SAMA working paper), so compare the rate your bank offers with 3.75 before you confirm: anything above it is margin.

How much does it cost to send money to China from Saudi Arabia?

Three layers: your bank's fee, intermediary and receiving bank charges (set by OUR, SHA or BEN), and the exchange margin if you pay from SAR. On a USD 15,000.00 payment, an indicative 1.50% margin is USD 225.00, far more than the bank fee.

Can I pay my supplier in CNY instead of USD?

Some suppliers prefer CNY and may offer a small discount for it. Ask your relationship manager whether the bank can send CNY and at what rate: CNY only wins if the discount is larger than your bank's CNY margin (see Example B below).

CNY payments are stricter than USD ones. Wise's rules for business CNY payments make a good checklist even through a bank: a CNY business account in mainland China at a CIPS member bank, a fully matching name, and a stated reason such as goods. If your contract is in USD, Wise says to send USD.

Can I send SAR to China in yuan?

Not as riyals: your bank converts to USD or CNY. CNY is getting easier to reach, though. SAMA and the People's Bank of China signed a three-year swap of CNY 50.00 billion (SAR 26.00 billion), reported on 20/11/2023 (gov.cn). ICBC (Riyadh since 2015, Jeddah since 2023) and Bank of China (Riyadh, September 2023) now operate locally (AGBI). The practical test is unchanged: compare the bank's SAR to CNY rate, net of any discount, with a USD invoice at 3.75.

SAMA has also issued a "Fees Guide for Financial Institutions' Services" (Argaam, 22/12/2025) that will replace the Banking Tariff and lower some maximum fees, including on transfers. No in-force date was given, so re-check your bank's tariff.

Wise, Airwallex and other fintechs: do they serve Saudi businesses?

This is where Saudi importers differ from buyers in Europe. On 31/10/2026:

1. Airwallex does not list Saudi Arabia (or the UAE) among the 69 places where a business must be registered to open an account. It announced a new Saudi entity on 25/09/2025, so watch for a launch. For companies it does serve, its UK pricing shows an FX margin of 0.50% above interbank for major currencies and 1.00% for others (Airwallex UK pricing).

2. Wise does not list SAR among the 26 currencies you can send from. Without SAR as a source currency, a Saudi business cannot easily fund transfers. Wise does power transfers inside the SAB (Saudi Awwal Bank) app through a 2023 partnership; SAB customers should check whether CNY to Chinese businesses is offered.

3. A foreign company (Hong Kong, UK, EU) can use Airwallex or Wise normally. Worth it only if you already trade through it. See Hong Kong vs Dubai vs US LLC and the Setup Route Finder.

How to pay an Alibaba supplier from Saudi Arabia (Trade Assurance)

Alibaba.com checkout accepts cards, digital wallets and bank transfers via Alibaba.com. Trade Assurance applies when the order and payment stay on the platform. If a supplier asks you to pay outside the platform, to a personal account or a different company, you lose that protection. The usual alternative for large orders is a direct USD wire to the company account, matched to a signed proforma.

For a general comparison of providers, read Wise vs Payoneer vs Airwallex.

What documents do Saudi banks ask for to pay a Chinese supplier?

Banks on both sides want to see a real trade. Keep these ready:

1. Proforma invoice or sales contract with the seller's legal name, bank details, currency, Incoterm and HS code.

2. Your Commercial Registration (CR) and company account details, if paying as a company.

3. The commercial invoice and bill of lading for the balance payment; ZATCA also requires them at import, with a certificate of origin where the origin is not clearly established.

4. Transfer purpose set to payment for goods.

Before the first payment, check the supplier itself with our supplier verification checklist. More on paperwork in Import documents explained.

SABER, SFDA and FASAH: clearing goods into Saudi Arabia

Payment is half the job: customs releases goods only after product compliance.

• SABER is SASO's online platform. For regulated products you need a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), valid for one year, from an approved certification body, then a Shipment Certificate (SCoC) for each shipment. Non-regulated products use a self-declaration. In the words of the US Trade.gov SABER note, "Customs will only give clearance to products logged through Saber."

• SFDA regulates food, cosmetics, medicines and medical devices; a Saudi entity files the registration.

• FASAH is ZATCA's customs platform. The declaration must be completed at least 48 hours before the shipment reaches the port, by you or a customs broker.

How much does a SABER certificate cost and how long does it take?

Each approved certification body sets its own price. As an indicative guide, HQTS (24/08/2026) quotes about SAR 500.00 to SAR 575.00 per PCoC and about SAR 350.00 per SCoC, plus any testing or factory-inspection fees, and says a PCoC is typically issued within 3 to 5 working days when no factory visit is needed (HQTS SABER guide). The Saudi importer opens the SABER account with its CR, so this is your job. Because a PCoC lasts one year, a repeat order of the same model only needs a new SCoC.

Start the PCoC during production. If the certificate is not ready, do not pay the balance yet: the goods may wait at port. A pre-shipment inspection before the balance protects you on quality.

How much is customs duty and VAT on imports from China to Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia applies the GCC common external tariff: at least 5.00% on most goods from outside the GCC, calculated on the CIF value. Some processed foods pay more, and rice, bulk animal feed, livestock, fresh red meat, coffee and tea enter duty-free, according to the US Trade.gov tariff summary. Check your HS code in ZATCA's Integrated Customs Tariff before you agree a price.

Did Saudi customs duty rates change in 2025?

Yes. Amendments to the Integrated Customs Tariff Schedule took effect on 27/11/2025. EY reports that many goods now face duties of roughly 5.00% to 15.00%, with some codes up to 20.00%; food, agriculture and light manufacturing were hit hardest, and building materials, chemicals, plastics and machinery also saw increases (EY Tax News). If your last quote used 5.00% from memory, check the code again: Example B below shows what a jump to 15.00% does to a USD 50,000.00 order.

Import VAT is 15.00%, charged on the customs value plus duty, and paid before release. If your company is VAT-registered, it can usually recover it. ZATCA's import instructions list the documents and the FASAH timing.

Shipping from Shanghai to Jeddah or Dammam

Jeddah is on the Red Sea coast and Dammam on the Gulf coast. Forwarder estimates give about 20 to 35 days by sea and 3 to 7 days by air; ask your line for the current schedule. The same forwarder warns that Red Sea disruption and rerouting can add significant time, so ask about current routing, especially for Jeddah. Your Incoterm decides who books it (see Incoterms explained).

How to pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia step by step

1. Verify the supplier. Licence, address, and a bank account in the company's legal name.

2. Agree a USD proforma invoice. With Incoterm, HS code, payment terms (e.g. 30/70) and full bank details.

3. Prepare your account. Use a USD account, or compare your bank's rate with the 3.75 peg.

4. Send the deposit by SWIFT. Exact beneficiary name, charge option, purpose "payment for goods". Keep the MT103.

5. Start SABER and book an inspection. Request the PCoC during production; book a pre-shipment inspection near its end.

6. Pay the balance. After a passing inspection and with the SCoC ready, against the commercial invoice and draft bill of lading.

7. Declare in FASAH and clear. Filed at least 48 hours before arrival; pay duty and VAT in SAR.

Worked example: a USD 15,000.00 order and its landed cost

Example scenario. A Riyadh importer with a CR orders USD 15,000.00 of goods, FOB Shanghai, paid 30/70 from a USD account at Al Rajhi Bank, to Jeddah. Freight and insurance are assumptions for the example; the duty rate is the common 5.00%.

Not included: SABER certificate fees, broker and port charges, and inland transport. If the importer paid from a SAR account at an indicative 1.50% margin, add about USD 225.00. Build your own figure with our landed cost guide for China imports.

What does it cost per unit?

Example continued. If the order is 1,000 units, the landed cost is about USD 20.01 per unit with VAT, or USD 17.41 per unit once VAT is recovered, against USD 15.00 FOB. Your price must cover that USD 2.41 gap before SABER, broker or inland costs.

Landed cost examples for Saudi Arabia: small first order vs large repeat order

Two more cases show how order size changes the picture. Freight, insurance, unit prices and the 1.50% margin are assumptions; SABER fees are HQTS's indicative figures.

Example A: a USD 3,000.00 first order to Jeddah

Example scenario. A Jeddah start-up with a CR buys 200 units at USD 15.00, a regulated product, sent by air. It pays 30/70 from a SAR account at Al Rajhi, online. It needs a new PCoC and one SCoC.

Per unit, that is USD 20.59 once VAT is recovered, against USD 17.41 in the main example for the same USD 15.00 product. The fixed costs (bank fees, FX margin and SABER) add up to USD 322.34, or 10.74% of the goods value. On a small order, paying from a USD account and grouping purchases into fewer, larger shipments cut that share the most.

Example B: a USD 50,000.00 repeat order to Dammam

Example scenario. A Dammam distributor reorders 4,000 units at USD 12.50, by sea, paid 30/70 from a USD account. Its PCoC for this model is still valid, so it only needs a new SCoC.

That is USD 14.04 per unit; fixed costs are only 0.25% of the goods. Two "what ifs" matter more:

• The HS code carries 15.00% duty after the 2025 tariff update. Duty becomes USD 8,002.50 instead of USD 2,667.50: USD 5,335.00 more, and the landed cost with VAT recovered rises to USD 61,476.50.

• The supplier offers 1.00% off for a CNY invoice. That saves USD 500.00. If the bank's CNY conversion margin were 1.50% (assumption), it would cost USD 742.50 on the discounted USD 49,500.00, so the USD invoice still wins by USD 242.50.

By region: MENA, Europe, USA

The same Shenzhen supplier is paid differently depending on where the buyer sits.

• Gulf (Saudi Arabia, UAE): USD pegs make the USD wire natural. Airwallex announced in-principle approval for UAE payment licences on 25/09/2025 but does not yet list the UAE for accounts; see how to pay a Chinese supplier from the UAE. Setting up? Compare Dubai free zone vs mainland.

• North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia): the bank is more involved than in the Gulf. Egypt's importers register on Nafeza and file cargo data at least 48 hours before loading, while exporters register on CargoX (DHL's guide to Egypt's ACI rules). Morocco uses an "import commitment" authorised by the Foreign Exchange Office (Trade.gov Morocco). Tunisian banks release hard currency against proof of shipment (Trade.gov Tunisia). See the Egypt and Morocco guides.

• Europe and the UK: Wise and Airwallex are widely available. UK VAT-registered importers can use postponed VAT accounting (GOV.UK). See paying China from Europe.

• USA: payments are easy; duty is harder, as duty-free de minimis was suspended for all countries from 29/08/2025 (Federal Register). See paying China from the USA and our US LLC guide.

Mistakes to avoid when you pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia

• Paying USD from a SAR account without checking the rate. The peg is 3.75; anything far above is margin.

• Paying the balance before SABER is ready. Goods can sit at port.

• A beneficiary name that does not match the supplier's account exactly.

• Accepting "new bank details" by e-mail. Confirm by phone on a known number.

• Different HS codes on the invoice, SABER and the FASAH declaration.

• Using an old duty rate. Many codes changed on 27/11/2025; re-check before you price.

• Paying off-platform on an Alibaba order. Trade Assurance only covers payments made through Alibaba.com.

If a payment goes wrong: ask your bank for a recall the same day (Al Rajhi charges SAR 15.00 online to amend or cancel), and for Alibaba orders open a Trade Assurance claim. If the supplier goes silent after the deposit, gather the contract, proforma, SWIFT copy and chats: a claim, a recall or a lawyer in China all need that file. Report fraud to your bank at once.

Checklist before you pay a Chinese supplier from Saudi Arabia

• Supplier verified licence, address and company bank account match

• Invoice in USD or a clear CNY plan agreed with your bank

• Rate checked against SAR 3.75 if paying from SAR

• HS code confirmed and duty rate checked in the Integrated Tariff

• SABER PCoC requested, or SFDA route confirmed

• Inspection booked before the balance

• FASAH declaration planned 48 hours before arrival

Key takeaways

• A USD SWIFT wire from a Saudi bank is the default route; the SAR 3.75 peg keeps currency risk low.

• Pay from a USD account or check the rate: the FX margin usually costs more than the bank fee.

• Airwallex and Wise do not serve Saudi businesses directly today; re-check before you rely on them.

• Do not pay the balance until the inspection passes and the SABER shipment certificate is ready.

• Budget at least 5.00% duty on CIF plus 15.00% import VAT, paid in SAR at clearance.

• Confirm any change of bank details by phone on a known number.

Glossary

CR: Commercial Registration, the Saudi company registration.

SABER: SASO's online platform for product and shipment conformity certificates.

PCoC / SCoC: Product Certificate of Conformity (one year) and Shipment Certificate (one shipment).

SFDA: Saudi Food and Drug Authority, for food, cosmetics, medicines and devices.

FASAH: ZATCA's electronic customs clearance platform.

ZATCA: Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.

CIF: cost, insurance and freight; the basis for Saudi duty.

SWIFT: the international bank network behind most wires.

L/C (letter of credit): a bank's promise to pay the seller when compliant shipping documents are presented.

CIPS: China's cross-border interbank payment system for yuan.

FAQ

Can I use Wise Business or Airwallex in Saudi Arabia to pay China? Not directly today. Wise does not list SAR as a currency you can send from, and Airwallex does not list Saudi Arabia for business accounts (31/10/2026), although it announced a Saudi entity in 2025. SAB customers can use Wise technology inside the SAB app.

Should I pay my Chinese supplier in USD or CNY from Saudi Arabia? USD in most cases: the riyal is pegged to the dollar and every Saudi bank sends USD wires.

How much does Al Rajhi charge for an international transfer? Its published maximum is SAR 50.00 online and SAR 75.00 at a branch, excluding VAT, plus any exchange margin.

What is the customs duty on goods from China to Saudi Arabia? At least 5.00% on most goods, on the CIF value, plus 15.00% import VAT. Since the 27/11/2025 tariff update many codes pay 5.00% to 15.00%, some up to 20.00%, so check your HS code.

Do I need SABER for every product? Regulated products need a PCoC and SCoC; other products use a self-declaration. Food, cosmetics and medical items follow SFDA rules.

What is the cheapest way to send money to China from Saudi Arabia for a business? Usually a USD wire from a USD account at a Saudi bank, because there is no conversion margin. The bank fee is small next to an FX margin.

How long does a bank transfer from Saudi Arabia to China take? Saudi banks do not publish a fixed time; Riyad Bank only says funds arrive "within a short period". For comparison, Wise says its CNY business payments usually arrive in 1 to 2 working days. Delays mostly come from compliance questions or a name mismatch.

Do Saudi banks charge VAT on transfer fees? Yes. Al Rajhi's published transfer fees exclude VAT, and Saudi VAT is 15.00%, so SAR 50.00 becomes SAR 57.50.

Should I choose OUR, SHA or BEN charges? With OUR you pay all charges and the supplier gets the full amount; with SHA each side pays its own bank. Choose OUR when the supplier must receive the exact invoice amount, after asking your bank the cost.

What is Riyad Bank's international transfer fee? Its published table shows a SAR 50.00 execution fee plus a SAR 50.00 correspondent bank fee, so SAR 100.00 for standard customers. Premium segments pay less; check the business tariff.

Can I pay a Chinese supplier with a letter of credit from Saudi Arabia? Yes. Al Rajhi, for example, offers letters of credit and documentary collections in yuan. An L/C costs more than a wire and documents must match exactly, so keep it for large orders with a new supplier.

How much does a SABER certificate cost? Prices are set by each certification body. HQTS gives an indicative SAR 500.00 to SAR 575.00 per PCoC and about SAR 350.00 per SCoC, plus testing. Repeat orders of the same model only need a new SCoC.

Can an individual without a CR import from China? Small personal shipments differ from commercial imports; for trade quantities, work with a broker or agent who can act as importer of record.

Related guides

• Pay Chinese Supplier from UAE: Banks vs Wise (2026)
• How to Pay a Chinese Supplier: Wise vs Payoneer vs Airwallex
• How to Verify a Chinese Supplier Before Paying: 12-Point Checklist (2026)
• Landed Cost China Imports: Formula & Examples (2026)
• Setup Route Finder: which company should you open?

This article is for information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Bank fees, tariffs and platform rules change; confirm with your bank, ZATCA, SASO or a licensed customs broker before you pay or ship.

Sources

• Al Rajhi Bank: Products and services fees (31/10/2026)

• Riyad Bank: International transfer (31/10/2026)

• Giraffy: Saudi bank transfer fees comparison, indicative (31/10/2026)

• Argaam: SAMA issues fees guide for financial institutions' services (31/10/2026)

• SAMA: Saudi Arabia's exchange rate policy (31/10/2026)

• Airwallex: Where must my business be registered (31/10/2026)

• Airwallex: Middle East market entry (31/10/2026)

• Wise: What currencies can I send to and from (31/10/2026)

• Wise: How to send CNY for China businesses (31/10/2026)

• SAB: Partnership agreement with Wise (31/10/2026)

• ZATCA: Import instructions (31/10/2026)

• US Trade.gov: Saudi Arabia import tariffs (31/10/2026)

• Commenda: Saudi import VAT (31/10/2026)

• US Trade.gov: Saudi testing, inspection and certification (31/10/2026)

• HQTS: SFDA compliance guide (31/10/2026)

• FreightAmigo: Shipping from Shanghai to Saudi Arabia (31/10/2026)

• Al Rajhi Bank: Business international transfers offer (31/10/2026)

• Al Rajhi Bank: First Islamic letter of credit in Chinese yuan (31/10/2026)

• Wise: Amendments, traces and recalls (31/10/2026)

• Airwallex: UK pricing (31/10/2026)

• Alibaba.com: Trade Assurance (31/10/2026)

• gov.cn: China, Saudi Arabia sign currency swap agreement (31/10/2026)

• AGBI: Bank of China opens Riyadh branch (31/10/2026)

• EY Tax News: Saudi Arabia amends its Integrated Customs Tariff Schedule (31/10/2026)

• HQTS: SABER certificate guide, indicative fees (31/10/2026)

• DHL: Shipping to Egypt, ACI rules (31/10/2026)

• US Trade.gov: Morocco import requirements (31/10/2026)

• US Trade.gov: Tunisia import requirements (31/10/2026)

• GOV.UK: Postponed VAT accounting (31/10/2026)

• Federal Register: Suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment (31/10/2026)