Shipping a car from USA to Qatar

Old post I know, but I know a little about this so I thought I'd share my thoughts. Beware of the import taxes and any changes you need to make in order for the vehicle to meet local standards. Once you've cleared those hurdles and understand what's involved, only deal with companies that ship from the USA to Qatar on a regular basis. I've used A-1 Auto Transport & would recommend them, but it's always a good idea to see what else it out there (again, so long as they have the experience).

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shipping usa

Hi ,

I want to invest in the area of hospitality schools factory and hotel to help people in Qatar but I have never been to Qatar before I need a good business man or woman that can tell me more about Qatar also the kind of business that can move there

([email protected])

Thanks.

Mr. William Kojo

cocolucky: Have a nice trip.

you can call us

we are cairo international shipping

70414155

mr.anwer

Hey guys,

I am trying to make a decision on moving my 2007 BMW335i fromUS to Doha, and reading your comments made me think it's not worth it. Does it make sense to send the car or not? giving all the modifications that needs to be done to the BMW... or does it needs these mechanical modifications to handle the heat in doha?/

Can someone please advise?

Thank you so much!

Nothing wrong with Nissan Aramadas as long as you own them :) , they depreciate very quickly, unlike Nissan Patrols and other Nissan cars that are in demand.

As for the weather, Am not sure if you have been to the US or not, but it can get very hot and humid in some of the states, so cars manufacturers pay attention to that point. In some cold areas cars are equipped with a heater system for the engine, we don't get that in GCC, that's why "GCC specs". I had an FJ and a Tundra, both were US specs, I do see them sometimes on Doha's roads still.

I may contact you, am seeking an S2000, silver with red interior, mileage less than 40k, any on the horizon ?

My mate is getting 10 kg monthly.

Car prices here have dropped so much that you can now purchase a Nissan Armada with Insurance for the 1st year and registration included for QAR 119,000 NEW - advertised yesterday in the newspaper! The same car cost 2 years ago over QAR 160,000. I would never import a car into the ME because of the weather conditions - as most cars on sale in foreign markets are not prepared for the weather conditions in Qatar.

Hamadacz, monthly shipping quota from the US for EC faculty? I wish!

Mandi

I work in the US and I ship cars to the middle east. We have shipped many new tundras to Dubai. Because buying new from the States is a lot cheaper for them versus buying.

Dont worry about parts! There are many US made Tundras that are sold as new cars. The gulf spec is usually just mirrors written in arabic and km speedometers. Worst case you will need to order the parts from Dubai. But its a yota they dont break.

As far as shipping! Container is the most secure if shipped alone. But, I ship a lot of my cars through RoRo vessels. Its basically huge vessels with parking for cars. They drive the cars in and drive them out. Its the quickest and best price. For a tundra shipped to the ME using RoRo your looking at 800-1100USD

Good luck, don't sell it, get yourself a starter vehicle when you get here, maybe you will change your mind later on :)

@ cocolucky,look @ it this way,you will lose more money shipping your car here then trying to sell it in a year or two than you would just selling it back home plus the added issues of parts,so weighing up the two options,selling it there will actually save you money...goodluck...

Thanks for all your help. I really learned a lot from this Forum.

I have to admit that it would be better just to let it go, and look for another car when I get there. I will lose lots of money by doing so but I think it will save me lots of headache in return :(

Thanks for all of you and see you in August :)

Sorry, don't agree that Texas and the GCC weather conditions are the same. As for replacement parts, what will it cost you to replace all the gaskets and seals? I don't know if it will happen, I only know that it has happened to car owners from Texas.

gGetting replacement parts and service for a Nissan or Toyota is the least of your problems. Getting real Nissan or Toyota replacement parts might be more problematic outside of the Nissan and Toyota dealerships here. Fake parts are epidemic.

Sorry, don't agree that Texas and the GCC weather conditions are the same. As for replacement parts, what will it cost you to replace all the gaskets and seals? I don't know if it will happen, I only know that it has happened to car owners from Texas.

gGetting replacement parts and service for a Nissan or Toyota is the least of your problems. Getting real Nissan or Toyota replacement parts might be more problematic outside of the Nissan and Toyota dealerships here. Fake parts are epidemic.

How easy (or hard) will it be to find a mechanic to fix a Ford?

I'm almost wondering if I should just sell my Explorer here and use the money to buy a car in Doha.

How much is a used SUV in Doha? 2-3 years old, a full size SUV to use as a second vehicle? Like a Yukon or Explorer size.

Toyota here sells a model which is based on Tundra's platform called Sequoia , so you shouldn't worry about the major parts, although some parts (cosmetics) you will have to order from the US. If you are a professor who is going to work for any of the universities at QF, you are entitled for a monthly shipping Quota which can help you shipping any part you want from the US.

There are some Tundras available for sale here at some showrooms, the prices are more expensive than MSRP in the US by at least 10,000 $. check some of the classified ads to verify please.

Customs will charge you somewhere between 3-6 k $ depending on the local market's value of you car.

@ cocolucky,you might want to factor in another issue,Toyotas are VERY popular here,probably the most popular brand in the local market,as a result the service centre visits are a nightmare because they're always full,there is a very good chance the service centre guys will give you grief as well as excuses as to why they can't fix this or that because your car is US spec. plus better ensure that ALL parts & not just belts & gaskets are available locally as the Tundra itself isn't or at least wasn't in '08 so God forbid someone bangs into you(the likelihood of which is very high in this country),your tundra will be collecting dust in the garage till as such time you personally ship the parts from the US or you could get them to do it which they probably will...for a price that's more than the actual worth of your vehicle...

Downgraded it may be but the fact remains,it is different from the model in the US & yes i can confirm that the diagnostic computer here will not recognize your vehicle simply because it's not programmed to so as marycatherine rightly pointed out,finding out where the problem is if & when you do have one will be a bit tricky to say the least...

There is also the issue of resale,most people won't touch a non GCC spec car for the same above reasons & people who're specifically looking for tundras(all 10 of them) will ship a new one from the US so really you'll be stuck with it & will end up having to sell it for MUCH less than what it's worth & MUCH less than what you will get for it if you were to sell it in the US.

And yes,there is also the customs duty although i'm not sure how much that will set you back.

Keeping all of the above in mind,weigh out the pros & cons & decide if shipping your tundra here will be worth it or not,in terms of resale,i can tell you right now,you will get more for it back home than you would here...goodluck...

Regarding the GCC specs, it's a metaphor, some of the manufacturers ship their old engines and downgrade some of the interior/exterior cosmetics/ electronics to this side of the world and people think it's a GCC specs, just like with JDM cars. The only +ve thing about GCC specs is that you get a fire extinguisher, but you can buy one here for like 20 $.

Regarding your Tundra, you won't be able to listen to some of the radio stations because of the digital radio settings,but the speedometer comes in KM so you are safe :)

If you have the 5.7 L or the 4.7 L, these engines are already available in the local market, so no problem regarding their spare parts.

You are absolutely right regarding the weather. However, the question is what are the specs from the GCC prospect?

Where can I get info regarding the GCC qualifications for cars.

I couldn't find any reliable info online so far.

I can't rely on my dealer in Houston, I will need to get more reliable info from Qatar or the GCC.

It will handle the heat, Texas and Qatar are alike when it comes to the weather, but generally speaking an American made car is a hassle here, golden rule, stick to Toyota !

I was thinking about bringing my 2006 Ford Explorer. It's paid off and I hate to think of it just sitting in my garage at home. It wouldn't be our main car in Doha, just a second car for my to peddle around while the kids are in school. (Basically going back and forth to Starbucks :-))

I was told to call Ford to make sure it could handle to heat. It's worth about $13-$15k to sell outright here in the states.

Thank you guys.

very valuable information and from different prospects.

It will help me to make a better decision.

Thanks again

And you will pay customs tax on it, based on its value decided by the port authorities here.

Do not do it, too much headache in shipping and receiving and you may have to wait months to get it.

When I came to Qatar 5 yrs ago, I sold my six months old Toyota Sienna, lost $10K on it, but I do not regret it.

What you have said is true,but Tundras have the same engine as Landcruisers and Lexus (4.7L and 5.7L), so no worries about belts and gaskets.

I had a Tundra before and the only issue I encountered was the brake pads as you can't find them here.

You might want to think twice - your car is not built to GCC specs and others have found that all belts/gaskets etc. have had to be replaced within 12 months if not sooner.

Also, your car's computer system may not be compatible with the diagnostic equipment used here, which makes it very difficult to uncover problems and effect appropriate repairs.

The AC is probably not built to handle 40 - 50C temperatures over an extended 4 - 6 month period either.

Very easy, find a shipping company @ your place, make sure you ship it in a container,not on deck,if you really want to keep it in a good condition.

It will take 4~8 weeks for the container to reach Doha.

Once the car is here, you can contact any customs clearance agent (plenty of them in Doha), they will clear the car for you and you will have to pay around 3-6 k $ as customs fees (5% of the car's value)

Another thing, the car shouldn't be older than 5 years in order to import it into Doha.

The car clearance and registration fees (including insurance) can cost you around 2 k $.

Also make sure you bring some of brake pads along, because Tundra hasn't been released officially here yet. Don't worry about the engine parts (belts,filters...etc) because Toyota shares some of their engines on different models.

PM me if you need more information :)