Saudi customs receives global acclaim for two-hour clearance service

Saudi Arabia has slashed customs clearance time by 84 percent to just two hours by the end of 2022, down from 13 hours the previous year.

In a detailed report, the World Customs Organization commended the Kingdom for its diligent execution of the reduced clearance scheme, enforced by the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority across all land, sea, and air customs outlets in the country.

The initiative underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to establishing itself as a global logistics hub.

Saudi Arabia has slashed customs clearance time by 84 percent to just two hours by the end of 2022, down from 13 hours the previous year, as stated by the director general of the Customs Operations Department at the ZTCA.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the organization published a report outlining the stages of initiative implementation, digital transformation efforts, and the ongoing coordination and collaboration among relevant entities that contributed to the success of the initiative.

The WCO commended Saudi Arabia’s measures such as the two-hour-clearance benchmark, automation of all customs procedures, linking the information systems of all regulatory bodies through the “Fasah” platform, enabling data exchange and electronic communication between all relevant authorities.

It is noteworthy here that the Arabic word “Fasah” means clearance in English.