Job Discussion Forums

[heyheymymy]

Hello all,

I have just accepted a job in Saudi and was wondering if there are any restrictions on shipping nutritional supplements there? I understand you can buy supplements locally on arrival but I prefer to purchase them through an organic supplement company that I trust and use in the US. I would be shipping products such as multivitamins, probiotics and some superfood powders like spirulina and wheatgrass. Also, are there any restrictions on shipping products like toothpaste and shower gel?

Any feedback would be much appreciated as the research I have done thus far has thrown up some conflicting information.

Thanks and kind regards to all.

[scot47]

Toothpaste ? Shower gel ? Do you plan on shipping in your own drinking water as well ?

The nutritional supplements MIGHT be okay but you will have to consider whether you are shipping to a KSA PO Box or, by using DHL etc, to a residential address.. Postal service is cheaper.

You may be able to use your employer's PO Box. With an Iqama, you can rent your own. I think the charge is 300 SR annually. Post office does not do deliveries to home addresses in KSA, although they were experimenting with it - unsuccessfully - when I left in 2011.

[cmp45]

[abayababy]

I tried to ship some herbal supplements and vitamins through Aramax (a service that gives you a US address for the supplier to ship to, then Aramax ships them to their warehouse in Riyadh where you collect them). When the products arrived at the US address I received an email stating they were banned and that in order to have them shipped I would have to present a letter from a doctor to the Saudi FDA stating they were medically necessary and then get a letter from the FDA allowing them to clear customs. I couldn't be bothered and found what I could here.

[heyheymymy]

Firstly, thank you for replying. The information here is very helpful, especially that pdf link. It does seem as though it could be more hassle than its worth to ship the supplements with no guarantees that I will actually receive the products.

Obviously, these products are not essential to my surviving in Saudi, but I am very health conscious and like to spend my money on the best food and supplements, and yes, body care products as well.

Speaking of water (!), does anyone know if they floridate the drinking water there? Thanks for the reminder Scot47, I almost forgot about that question.

Thanks again for the replies.

[nomad soul]

[scot47]

You should make it a rule to get by with what is available locally. I broke that with shipping in books and dvds mind you !

[KME0050]

I'm currently in Riyadh and recently ordered two rather large boxes of various nutritional supplements from a U.S. supplier and had them shipped to my compound via UPS. They cleared customs without any problem and I received everything I ordered.

I don't know what's available in other cities, but the supply of nutritional supplements in Riyadh is pretty paltry. There are a few very small GNC stores around and they carry almost nothing--mostly vitamins and a few protein powders. And the prices are ridiculous. I've paid 300 SAR (about $80) for a bottle of 100 vitamin D pills.

I've had great luck in Dubai though. Whatever I have looked for I have found there, but again, it is really expensive compared to what I would expect to pay in the U.S.

I also brought quite a few supplements with me in a suitcase when I entered the country last fall. Again, I had no problem.

However, I have had extreme difficulty getting a particular prescription medication here. Not only isn't it available for sale here (even with a prescription), it can't be shipped here and was confiscated in customs twice. Strangely, I am allowed to bring it in my suitcase and so brought a year's worth with me this year, which was quite a few bottles. I was never questioned.

However, given what other people's experiences have been, I guess it's a crap shoot regarding whether or not you'll have the same luck I've had. . .

[cmp45]

For what it's worth...Unless you have some specific health problem that requires taking supplements, you really don't need to waste money on them...

Dietitians, nutritionists and other experts are all agreed that apart from small groups of people in special medical circumstances, most of us don't need to take vitamins or food supplements. We can get what we need from a balanced diet.

Sarah Schenker, a dietitian and spokesperson for the British Nutrition Foundation, told NetDoctor: �Although some groups of the population do require vitamins and supplements, a healthy diet is the best way to obtain the vitamins we need.
�One of the most important pieces of advice we can give is to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption. These are the foods that are nutrient rich, vitamin rich and mineral rich. Current advice is to try to have five portions per day. This is quite a tall order and many people don�t even have half the recommended quantity.

�It has been discovered that these foods contain far more than the classic vitamins and minerals we all know about. They contain many other plant substances, known as phytochemicals, which can�t be put in a bottle or made into a pill.�

Many studies have since shown that vitamins from supplements do not act on the body in the same way as vitamins from foods.

Read more:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/dietandnutrition/feature/vitamins.htm

[heyheymymy]

Well, it appears that the best thing I can do is to bring as much as I can with me and cross my fingers going through customs. I might try and place a small order while I am in Saudi to test the waters.

Of course, cmp45, you are right that supplements are not an adequate replacement for whole foods. I only eat a 100% raw foods diet (fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and raw dairy if I can find it). I only supplement with B12 due to the lack of animal products in my diet. I also use superfood powders a lot as they are nutritionally very dense and are basically just cold processed whole foods that retain all of the nutrients. Most supplements do more harm than good due to the binding agents in the pills. This why I wanted to order from my usual supplier. I find GNC products to be pretty poor quality by comparison.

Once again, all comments are much appreciated.

[nomad soul]

Heyheymymy:

If you're female, consider bringing a supply of D3. Wearing a black abaya and head covering doesn't allow for natural D3 absorption when outdoors. That's not an issue, however, if you'll be housed in a compound where you can greet the sun sans abaya.