You can import dehydrated onion and garlic from India into Saudi Arabia, regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). Shipments are most often held because the importer or product is not registered with the SFDA, the label lacks proper Arabic, or the lab reports do not cover what the SFDA asks for spices from India.
Who regulates and how it works
The process has three layers, and all three must be in place before the ship arrives:
- Importer registration: the Saudi importer registers with the SFDA, now through the Ghad platform, with a commercial registration that lists food trade.
- Product registration: each food product is registered with the SFDA before import, with ingredients, origin, shelf life and label artwork.
- Shipment clearance: the clearance request is filed through FASAH, the national trade single window run with ZATCA (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority). SFDA inspectors at the port check documents and may sample.
Lab tests that matter in Saudi Arabia
The SFDA has required test reports for spice and agricultural consignments from India at Saudi ports since 2021, following problems with residues. Plan for pesticide residues against SFDA and GSO limits, ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, salmonella, total plate count, yeast and mould, aflatoxin where relevant, and moisture. Use an NABL-accredited lab and tie every report to a lot number. See which NABL lab reports buyers accept.
Do not rely on a single sample test for a whole season. Saudi inspectors can sample any consignment, and a failure on one lot can bring closer checks on later shipments from the same importer. Testing every lot costs less than a rejected container, which must be re-exported or destroyed at the importer's expense.
Labels must carry Arabic and follow the Gulf standard GSO 9 for prepackaged food as adopted by the SFDA. Halal certificates are compulsory for products with animal ingredients; plain onion or garlic does not normally need one, but a halal logo on the pack does, and many Saudi buyers ask for a certificate as standard. Read the halal certificate buyers need.
Documents
- Commercial invoice showing quantities, batch numbers and expiry dates, and a packing list.
- Bill of lading.
- Certificate of origin.
- Phytosanitary and health certificates where the SFDA or your importer requires them for dried vegetables; confirm before shipping.
- NABL-accredited lab reports and, if claimed, a halal certificate from a body the SFDA recognises.
Duty and trade agreements
Saudi Arabia applies the GCC common external tariff. Check your HS code in the ZATCA integrated tariff. There is no India-Saudi free trade agreement in force. India and the GCC relaunched free trade talks in February 2026, but at the time of writing no deal applies, so assume standard GCC duty and check again before each season.
What Saudi Arabia buys and how it gets there
Users include spice packers, snack and seasoning makers, meat and poultry processors, bakeries, and a very large catering sector serving pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah. Powder and granules lead for blends; minced and chopped dehydrated onion and dehydrated garlic go to catering and ready meals.
Cargo for the west sails from Mundra or Nhava Sheva to Jeddah Islamic Port, roughly one to two weeks depending on the service. Cargo for the east goes to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. Riyadh is served from both, by road or by rail from Dammam. Choose the port nearest your warehouse, not the cheapest freight, because inland haulage across the kingdom adds days and cost.
Shelf life is checked at entry, so ship recent production. Expiry dates on the bags should match those on the invoice; a mismatch is a common reason for questions in FASAH.
Cities
How we help
We audit plants, test each lot at an NABL-accredited lab to SFDA limits, supervise loading, and check that the invoice, origin certificate and labels meet what FASAH and the SFDA expect, for one written fee agreed in advance. Book a free sourcing review. For Gulf-wide context, read GCC rules on imported spices.