Saudi Arabia Address Format and National Address Requirements
Saudi Arabia is located in the southwest corner of Asia, in the center of the Middle East. This diversity impacts how people communicate with one another and it is prevalent in the way people write addresses when sending mail. The variation in writing address can confuse the postal service providers leading to misdeliveries and failed deliveries. Moreover, there are different types of addresses and each has its specific address element requirements. To give you clarity we bring to you different types of addresses, along with formats and examples for each.
Core Components of a Saudi Arabian Address
Recipient Name: In the first line, write the name of the recipient. You can add honorific titles like Mr., Ms, and Mrs. If you are sending the mail to a business, the company’s name will come in the first line. If you want to ensure that the internal mail distribution system sends the mail to the right office and desk, add ATTN. in front of the person’s name.
Street Address: In the second line, add the street name and house/building number for the residential and business addresses. When writing the road name, add Rd. after it. You can also add additional information like the apartment number in the same line. In case of a PO Box, write the term “PO Box”, and then the box number.
District Name: Add the name of the district followed by the term “Dist.”
Postal Code: The postal codes are called postcodes in Saudi Arabia and they are five-digit numbers. They might contain two parts. The first part has five digits and then after a hyphen, you can write the remaining four digits. These additional four digits clarify the preciseness of the delivery point.
City and Country Name: Write the name of the city. Some of the major cities in Saudi Arabia are Jeddah, Madinah, Taif, Riyadh, and Makkah. In the last line, write the name of the country. If you are sending international mail to Saudi Arabia, write the country name in capital letters.
National Address Requirement for Shipping
Effective immediately, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) government requires all residents, citizens, and companies operating and shipping to and within the KSA to provide the recipient’s short address code/national address. Individuals, corporate or government sectors, and all businesses in the KSA will be affected. It is recommended to begin using the short address code/national address immediately to avoid delays or return of shipments. When shipping to or within the KSA, customers must enter the short address code/national address on Address line 3.
Coding Methods for Postcodes
In Saudi Arabia there are two postcode systems. One is used for home delivery and the other is used for PO box delivery.
- Home Delivery: 5 digits to the right of the locality. The first digit represents the postal region, the second digit represents the sector, the third digit represents the branch, the fourth digit represents the section, the fifth digit represents the block.
- PO Box delivery: 5 digits to the right of the locality. The first two digits represent the postal zone, the last three digits represent the delivery point.
Special Considerations to Write a Saudi Arabian Address
- Address Line Alignment: All the lines should be left aligned.
- Address Placement: Write the address in the center of the envelope.
Postal Regions Coverage
| Postal Region | Coverage Area |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arriyadh Region |
| 2 | Makkah Region |
| 3 | Eastern Provience Region |
| 4 | Madinah and Tabuk |
| 5 | Qassim and Ha'il |
| 6 | Asir, Najran, and Bahah |
| 7 | Northern Borders, and Jawf |
| 8 | Jizan |
Address Examples
Residential Address Format:
AHMED MOHAMMAD
675 KING JAMIL RD.
213 ALAMAL DIST.
23142 – 4536 RIYADH
SAUDI ARABIA
PO Box delivery:
Mr. Ibrahim Mohamad
P.O. Box 56577
11564 RIYADH
SAUDI ARABIA