haraj · car transport · used cars · 6 min read
You Bought a Car on Haraj. Here's How to Get It Home
Moving a used car you just bought in Saudi Arabia: what to check before you pay, why you should not drive it home, and what the transfer needs.
September 7, 2026
Before you hand over money
Check the istimara is in the seller's name and matches their ID. Run the plate through Absher or Tam to see the transfer status and any outstanding fines, because unpaid fines block a transfer. Confirm the periodic inspection is valid. If the car is financed, the bank has to release it before ownership can move, and that takes days rather than minutes.
Why driving it home is usually the wrong idea
Until the transfer completes, the car is insured and registered to someone else. If you have an accident on the way home, you are driving a vehicle that is not yours, on someone else's policy, and the claim gets complicated in exactly the way you do not want on day one. A car that has been parked for months also has old tyres, old brake fluid and a battery of unknown age.
What a flatbed costs against the risk
Inside Riyadh a flatbed starts from SAR 150. Between cities it is priced by distance: Al Kharj from SAR 250, Buraydah from SAR 600, Dammam from SAR 700, Jeddah from SAR 1,400. Against the price of a used car and the cost of one bad day, transporting it is usually the cheaper decision, and the car arrives on the same tyres it left on.
Buying in another city
This is where transport earns its keep. Ask the seller to meet the driver, and ask the driver to photograph the car before loading. You get a dated set of photographs of the exact condition the car left in, which settles any argument about damage. Delivery to Riyadh from most cities is same day or next day.
- Send the seller the driver's name and number in advance
- Ask for photographs of all four corners, the roof and the odometer before loading
- Pay on delivery rather than in advance where you can
- Have the istimara and your ID ready for the transfer appointment
Cars with no plates
A car without plates cannot legally be driven on a public road, so a flatbed is not the convenient option, it is the only lawful one. The same applies to moving a car to the periodic inspection centre before registration.
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Related questions
Can I drive a car home before the ownership transfer?
Legally the car is still registered and insured to the seller, so you would be driving someone else's vehicle on their policy. Most buyers transport it instead and complete the transfer properly.
How much does it cost to bring a car from Jeddah to Riyadh?
From about SAR 1,400 for a sedan or small SUV on a flatbed, door to door, including fuel and tolls. Sharing a multi-car carrier can be cheaper if your dates are flexible.
What if the seller will not release the car until payment clears?
Book the truck for after the transfer is agreed and pay the driver on delivery. Tell the dispatcher the pick-up may be delayed; that is a normal situation and better than a truck waiting on the meter.
