Riyadh Season's Classic Car Zone
Classic Cars in Saudi Arabia
Classic cars for sale in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam sourcing, vetted before you view.
Import a classic to Saudi Arabia
SASO conformity, ZATCA clearance and the 5-year question, handled for you.
Arab News reports Saudi classic car investment exceeding SR100 million, around $26.7 million on a single-source figure, and describes the kingdom as among the Gulf's largest classic car markets. About 100 cars sit in dedicated garages, 70 in Jeddah and 30 in Riyadh, individually valued from SR200,000 to over SR1 million. Named collector Dr. Nasser Al-Massari holds a documented 36-car collection worth around $6.7 million, built since 2014 and shown weekly at Riyadh's Granada Market.
The calendar backs this up. Riyadh Season's Riyadh Motor Show runs a dedicated Classic Car Zone alongside supercars and modified vehicles, expected to draw 100,000 or more visitors. The FIVA-sanctioned Tuwaiq International Classic Cars Rally ran its 4th edition from 25 January to 6 February 2026, around 3,400 kilometres from AlUla through Hail, Buraidah and Riyadh into the UAE, with about 50 pre-1980 cars worth near $6.7 million combined. No confirmed Bonhams, RM Sotheby's or Gooding presence exists in the kingdom, domestic platforms such as Saudi Part and Safqa Auctions run the auction side instead, including a Classic Vehicle Auction at the Motor Show itself.
Riyadh Season, the Tuwaiq Rally and the kingdom's classic-car circuit
'Riyadh Car Week' is not a confirmed event name, whatever you may have read. What we can verify is the Riyadh Motor Show inside Riyadh Season, and the Tuwaiq Rally, both real and current. Alongside them, the Saudi Classic Car Club, founded 2014, runs a weekly Friday morning Cars & Coffee meet near Gharnada Mall in Riyadh, informal and recurring rather than a ticketed show.
On the trade side, named classic Mercedes-Benz specialists operate in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, the closest thing to a dedicated commercial dealer footprint documented for Saudi Arabia specifically.
| Venue or event | City | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Motor Show (Riyadh Season) | Kingdom Arena, Riyadh | Real, current event with a dedicated Classic Car Zone, expected to draw 100,000+ visitors |
| Tuwaiq International Classic Cars Rally | AlUla to Sharjah via Hail, Buraidah, Riyadh, Al-Ahsa | FIVA-sanctioned rally, 4th edition ran 25 Jan-6 Feb 2026, around 3,400km, about 50 cars from 1979 and earlier worth near $6.7 million combined |
| Saudi Classic Car Club, Cars & Coffee | Near Gharnada Mall, Riyadh | Real weekly meet, Friday mornings, club founded 2014 |
| Classic Mercedes-Benz specialists | Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam | Market context, not partners; named restoration and sales specialists in all three cities |
The 5-year import limit, and an exemption nobody can confirm
SASO, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, governs import conformity through the SABER platform; ZATCA, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, handles clearance. Both SASO's own page and the US government's trade.gov guide confirm standard used-vehicle imports are capped at 5 years old from manufacture, with no exception categories mentioned.
A claim circulates on commercial shipping-broker sites describing a 30-year-or-older classic exemption, citing an unverifiable 'Customs Regulation Article 55' allowing 0% duty for non-public-road use. We could not confirm this against any official SASO or ZATCA source. Yet the Tuwaiq Rally runs 50-plus-year-old cars on public roads, dealers operate openly, and collectors drive pre-1980s cars: some legal pathway clearly exists; its statutory basis just isn't confirmed. Verify directly with ZATCA or a licensed broker before planning an import; our enclosed container versus RoRo guide covers how the car gets to Jeddah or Dammam. No distinct classic plate category was found; standard Saudi plates apply once a car clears customs.
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Talk about Saudi ArabiaVAT, duty and the SABER certificate
Duty runs approximately 5% of CIF value under the GCC Common External Tariff, verify the exact HS code with ZATCA. A single, uncorroborated source claims an additional excise on engines over 4.0 litres, treat that as unverified until a broker confirms it.
VAT is 15%, in effect since July 2020 after tripling from the original 5% introduced in 2018, confirmed current in 2026. A Certificate of Conformity through SABER, run by SASO with Thiqah Business Services, is mandatory for ordinary import release. The classic-age-exemption question above remains the one open item that changes the whole calculation; budget for the standard 5-year pathway unless your broker confirms otherwise.
What Saudi Arabia's collectors are chasing
Air-cooled Porsche 911s
Both the 964 and the 993 are described as a Gulf favorite for long-term value, cited at 5 to 8% a year. No Saudi-specific figure exists; this is a regional pattern, not a kingdom-only one.
Classic Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes W113 Pagoda SL is the kind of pre-1990s Mercedes the named Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam specialists are built to service, even without a source naming the Pagoda by model. The 560 SEC fits the same network.
Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
No FJ40-specific pricing data exists for Saudi Arabia, but the Land Cruiser name carries strong desert and off-road cachet across the wider Gulf.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really a classic car exemption from Saudi Arabia's 5-year import rule?
Unresolved. SASO and a US trade.gov guide both confirm a standard 5-year age cap with no stated exceptions. A widely repeated 30-year classic exemption citing an unverifiable customs regulation could not be confirmed officially, even though classics clearly do reach Saudi roads through some pathway. Confirm directly with ZATCA or a licensed broker.
What VAT rate applies to a classic car bought in Saudi Arabia?
15%, in effect since July 2020 after tripling from an original 5% in 2018, confirmed current through 2026 via ZATCA-facing tax guides.
Where do Saudi Arabia's classic car collectors show their cars?
The Riyadh Motor Show's Classic Car Zone during Riyadh Season, the FIVA-sanctioned Tuwaiq Rally, and the Saudi Classic Car Club's weekly Cars & Coffee meet near Gharnada Mall in Riyadh are the three verified gathering points.
Is there an active classic Mercedes-Benz specialist scene in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Named classic Mercedes-Benz restoration and sales specialists operate in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, covering all three of the kingdom's main cities.
Talk to us about Saudi Arabia
Buying in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam, or shipping one in from abroad: tell us what you are chasing and we take it from there.
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