Private sales in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam
Classic Cars for Sale in Saudi Arabia
The Tuwaiq International Classic Cars Rally is the clearest sign of how serious the Kingdom's classic scene has become. Its fourth edition ran 25 January to 6 February 2026 across roughly 3,400km, from AlUla through Hail, Buraidah and Riyadh and on into the UAE and Oman, with about 50 pre-1980 cars collectively valued near $6.7 million. A FIVA-sanctioned rally of that scale does not happen around a handful of collectors.
Most of what happens around that scene, though, never touches a public sale room. We work privately with buyers and sellers across Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, sourcing specific cars off-market and selling on behalf of owners who want the transaction kept quiet.
What collectors in Saudi Arabia hunt
Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam collectors gravitate toward a fairly consistent shortlist right now.
| Collector profile | What they hunt | 2026 price range |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes classic buyer | Mercedes-Benz W113 'Pagoda' SL | $55,000 to $150,000, depending on 230SL, 250SL or 280SL |
| Air-cooled Porsche collector | Porsche 911 (964) and 911 (993) | $65,000 to $200,000 |
| Tuwaiq Rally-eligible classic | Jaguar E-Type, pre-1979 examples only | $45,000 to $250,000, depending on series and body |
| Desert heritage 4x4 | Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser | $37,000 to $49,000 |
| JDM youngtimer hunter | Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) | $120,000 to $250,000, rare editions higher |
Riyadh's collector calendar
The Riyadh Motor Show runs inside the Riyadh Season entertainment program at Kingdom Arena with a dedicated Classic Car Zone alongside supercars and modified cars, expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors. Every Friday morning, the Saudi Classic Car Club, founded in 2014, runs a Cars & Coffee meet near Gharnada Mall in Riyadh. Named collector Dr Nasser Al-Massari has built a documented 36-car collection worth around $6.7 million since 2014, displayed weekly at Riyadh's Granada Market, and Arab News has put total Saudi classic-car investment above SR100 million, roughly $26.7 million, across around 100 cars held in dedicated garages, 70 in Jeddah and 30 in Riyadh. Domestic platforms such as Saudi Part and Safqa Auctions run vehicle sales, including a Classic Vehicle Auction at the Riyadh Motor Show, but no international house such as Bonhams, RM Sotheby's or Gooding has a confirmed physical presence in the Kingdom.
Registering and importing a classic in Saudi Arabia
Ordinary used-vehicle imports are capped at 5 years old from manufacture, confirmed on SASO's own portal and in the US government's trade.gov country guide, with a Certificate of Conformity through the SABER platform required before customs will release the car. A widely repeated claim among shipping brokers describes a 30-year-or-older exemption at 0 percent duty for non-public-road use, citing a 'Customs Regulation Article 55' that we could not verify against any official SASO or ZATCA text. Trade.gov's own guide reads as if the 5-year limit applies uniformly, with no exception category at all.
What we do know is that classic cars clearly get onto Saudi roads and into rallies like Tuwaiq through some legal pathway: the cars exist, the dealers exist, the club exists. What we do not have is a confirmed statutory basis for that 30-year claim, so confirm the exact exemption and the paperwork it needs with ZATCA or a licensed customs broker before you ship a specific car, and treat any broker who quotes a confident number without naming the regulation behind it with some caution. Standard duty runs approximately 5 percent of CIF value under the GCC Common External Tariff, and VAT sits at 15 percent, tripled from its original 5 percent rate in July 2020. Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam on the Gulf coast are the two main vehicle-import gateways, with commercial transit estimates of 16 to 22 days from the UK to Jeddah and 18 to 24 days to Dammam. Our container versus RoRo guide explains why we recommend enclosed containers for anything in this price range, and for comparison, our UAE import guide walks through the Gulf's one clearly documented classic-age exemption.
Buying or selling, send a short message. Owners thinking about selling can ask for a quiet valuation first, no listing and no obligation.
Get options in Saudi ArabiaWhy we sell privately rather than through a dealer floor or an auction
Saudi Arabia has no confirmed international auction house running physical sales inside the Kingdom, and no dealer network comparable in scale to Dubai's. What exists instead is a tight, relationship-driven circle: the Saudi Classic Car Club, a handful of named Mercedes specialists across Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, and collectors like Dr Al-Massari who show cars weekly rather than sell them publicly. A private, off-market sale fits that structure better than a public listing ever would.
On a purchase, we search that circle directly rather than waiting for a car to surface on a marketplace. On a sale, we do the opposite of what a public auction does: no catalogue entry, no hammer price for anyone to screenshot, no buyer's premium stacked on top of what the buyer already agreed to pay.
- Matching numbers verified on engine, gearbox and chassis codes where they exist
- Service history collected and checked against the car in front of us
- An honest condition report, written the same way for every buyer
- No catalogue entry, no hammer price, no buyer's premium stacked on top
Selling a classic car privately in Saudi Arabia
If you are the seller, we start with a quiet valuation benchmarked against real Saudi and international comparables, not a guess based on what a similar car listed for online. Nothing about your car or your name goes anywhere public. We only bring qualified buyers, meaning buyers whose funds and intent we have already checked, to view the car, and only once you have agreed a number with us first. Our guide to selling a classic car privately walks through the full process, from first valuation to funds clearing. For where prices are trending across the models above, our 2026 investment trends guide is worth a read before you name a figure.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really a 30-year exemption for classic cars in Saudi Arabia?
It is widely claimed by shipping and brokerage sites, but we could not confirm it against any official SASO or ZATCA text, and trade.gov's own guide describes the 5-year used-car import limit as applying without listed exceptions. Classic cars clearly do get onto Saudi roads and into events like the Tuwaiq Rally through some legal route, but confirm the exact pathway and paperwork with ZATCA or a licensed customs broker before you rely on it.
Can my classic car qualify for the Tuwaiq International Classic Cars Rally?
The rally is FIVA-sanctioned and restricted to cars from 1979 or earlier, run by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. The 2026 edition covered around 3,400km from AlUla through to the UAE and Oman with about 50 qualifying cars. A 1980 model or newer will not qualify regardless of condition.
Is there an auction house I can sell through in Saudi Arabia?
No major international house such as Bonhams, RM Sotheby's or Gooding has a confirmed physical presence in the Kingdom. Domestic platforms run occasional classic sales, but most serious Saudi transactions we see happen privately, through clubs, specialists and direct introductions rather than a public sale room.
Do you only deal in Mercedes and Porsche in Saudi Arabia?
No. Those two marques come up most often because of the named Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam Mercedes specialists and the broader Gulf enthusiasm for air-cooled Porsches, but we source and sell any of the models we cover, from Land Cruisers to Jaguars, once we understand what you are actually looking for.
Tell us what you are hunting for
Buying or selling, the first message costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Get options in Saudi Arabia