Saudi Arabia

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SAUDI ARABIA IMPORT RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

Attention:  This information is to be used as general guidelines and may not be updated to meet the current requirements.  Before you travel, be sure to contact the appropriate authorities for your destination country.

Before beginning the import procedures, make sure that your vet is approved by the Government Veterinarian Authority in the country of origin.   For example, if an animal is departing the United States, the vet will need to be USDA Accredited. 

Requirements in Summary

1.  All animals need to be implanted with a microchip:  Compatible with international standards (ISO 11784/11785).

2.  All animals need to have Full Vaccinations:

Dogs:  Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Leptospirosis, (DHLPP) and Rabies within the last 12 months or a minimum of 4 weeks before arrival.

Cats:  Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia (FVRCP), and Rabies within the last 12 months or a minimum of 4 weeks before arrival. 

3.  DOGS ONLY:  All dogs wishing to enter Saudi Arabia must be classified as “working dogs” (i.e. watch dogs, seeing-eye dogs, hunting dogs, etc…).  The purpose of such dogs must be shown in a Veterinary Certificate.  Permission must be obtained prior to arrival from an embassy or consulate of Saudi Arabia. 

4.  APHIS form 7001 issued within 10 days of departure:  Your vet should have these in stock.  It’s a good idea to call ahead and ask prior to the appointment.  This is an international health certificate that needs to be completed by your vet and sent to the USDA for the correct endorsement.  In addition, the certificate will need to be sent to the Saudi Embassy in WashingtonDC for further endorsements.  Speak to your PetRelocation.com specialist regarding this portion of this process as certain packages have this included.

5.  All original documentation must travel with the pets.

Geography

Saudi Arabia is located in Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. The Geographical coordinates are  25 00 N, 45 00 E.  It has an area of about 865,000 square miles, occupies the bulk of the Arabian penin sula. It is roughly one-third the size of the continental United States, and the same size as all of Western Europe.

Saudi Arabia lies at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. It extends from the Red Sea on the west to the Arabian Gulf in the east. To the north it borders on Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait, and to the south, on Yemen and the Sultanate of Oman. To the east lie the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the island state of Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia's terrain is varied but on the whole fairly barren and harsh, with salt flats, gravel plains, and sand dunes but few lakes or permanent streams. In the south is the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), the largest sand desert in the world. In the southwest, the mountain ranges of Asir Province rise to over 9,000 feet.

Capital       Riyadh

Languages    Standard Arabic, Arabic, Gulf Spoken, Arabic, Hijazi Spoken, Arabic, Najdi Spoken

Currency     Riyal (SAR)

Climate

The climate is harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes .From June through August, midday temperatures in the desert can soar to 50 C (122 F). Humidity in the coastal regions may approach 100 percent at times. In contrast, weather in other areas of the country may be mild throughout the year. Winter temperatures in the northern and central regions may drop to below freezing.

The shamal, sand-laden winds from the northern deserts, is most frequent in early summer and can blow for days at 25-30 miles an hour. Rainfall ranges from none at all for up to 10 years in the Rub Al-Khali, to 20 inches a year in the mountains of Asir Province.

Saudi British Society, www.saudibritishsociety.org.uk/main/a1000.htm, is a cultural organization promoting closer friendship and understanding between the people of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.

The Saudi Arabia Information Resource, www.saudinf.com, is a Saudi Ministry of Culture & Information website, containing more than 2,000 pages of information on every aspect of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. International Real Estate Digest, www.ired.com, provides international real estate listings, including a section on Saudi Arabia.