Job Discussion Forums

[Housie]

Hi

After living in Asia for four years I am moving to Saudi in a couple of months. I would appreciate any info on things that will be sensored or taken off me at customs. I have many dvds, play station games, books and so on that I would really like to bring. Is there a government list of things that can or cannot be brought into the country, a list of prohibited films, books etc?

Do any of you have any info on a good and reliable removal agent? Is there anything I should know about "hidden costs" that may be incurred? Is there any way to pay to get things through customs quicker?

I would be very greatful for any info, I am completely clueless when it comes to this part of the world.

Thanks a million

[trapezius]

There is no official list. The following will be taken if spotted at customs:

1) Material of a sexual nature (incl pics of female athletes, actresses, etc, if not dressed "decently")
2) Anti-Islamic material
3) Any religious material (other than Islam)
4) Any material critical of Saudis, the government here, or the royal family

That's pretty much it. People bring in all sorts of things here, including pornographic magazines

Just depends on how and where you put the potentially objectionable stuff, and the customs officer you get. A lot of them wave you through without checking anything.

[Stephen Jones]

I like 'sensored'!

Lately the sensorship, but not necessarily the censorship, has lightened up a lot. I would bring the CDs and DVDs through Customs rather than have them in sea cargo, or better copy to HD, as they never seem to check HDs.

Paying won't get stuff through customs quicker, but in general there is little hassle.

[Cleopatra]

The above posts are pretty accurate. I've never once been searched in the several years I've been coming and going to/from Riyadh airport, but that's not to say it doesn't occasionally happen, especially to single men, or so I'm told.

I would suggest that if you do want to bring in any CDs, DVDs or books which might have objectionable pictures on the cover, remove the cover from the former two items and put the proverbial 'plain brown paper' on the latter. I really think pictures are the potential problem - they don't seem to care about English language materials, if for no other reason than that most customs officials can't read English.

I suppose it goes without saying that you should not even think about importing any alcoholic drinks. Even medicines and perfumes which contain alcohol have been known to cause trouble in the past, although it's highly unlikely that your bags would receive a thorough enough search to reveal such suspicious items.

[007]

[globalnomad2]

In 1992 my wife tried to bring in a Chinese marriage manual and they confiscated that. Really. I hope they enjoyed it and found it illuminating and instructive.

[007]