Amazon Middle East for Chinese Sellers: 2026 Guide to Amazon.sa and Amazon.ae

Amazon wants more Chinese sellers in the Gulf, and it's paying for them this year.

A Chinese company can open Amazon.sa and Amazon.ae stores with the same documents it uses for Amazon.com. No Saudi or UAE company is needed.

New sellers get a referral-fee voucher, an ad coupon and cashback on every unit sent to FBA. The cashback closes on 30 December 2026, so the clock is already running.

Here's how to register, claim the 2026 package, clear customs, choose between Saudi and UAE FBA, get paid and launch in stages.

Why sell on Amazon Middle East from China?

Because the Gulf has rich shoppers, far fewer sellers than Amazon.com, and an Amazon team in China recruiting you in Chinese. Here's what stands out:

• High spending power. Saudi shoppers spend about USD 1,299 a year online, and UAE shoppers USD 1,590.
• Two stores, six countries. Amazon.sa serves Saudi Arabia. Amazon.ae ships to the UAE plus Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
• Thinner competition. Amazon.ae has about 21,000 sellers. Chinese sellers report CPC bids in some Gulf categories fell 30–40% this year.
• Chinese-language support. Global Selling China runs onboarding through account managers and WeChat groups.
• Real momentum. Amazon's "Middle East 10,000 Stores Launch" aims to bring in 10,000+ new Chinese sellers a year. Version 2.0 launched in August 2025.

Chinese sellers are already winning here. Their promotional sales during Ramadan 2023 more than doubled year on year. Their FBA unit sales then grew by over half in 2024.

Want the wider picture first, including noon, SHEIN and Temu? Start with our guide to selling to the Gulf from China.

How do Chinese sellers register on Amazon Middle East?

Register through Amazon Global Selling China. It's the route built for mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan companies, and it's the one that unlocks the China package.

Each store is a separate country account, linked under one Seller Central login. The Professional plan's monthly fee is waived on both stores for now.

You'll need these documents:

• Business licence (营业执照). A colour scan, issued in mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. Mainland licences need at least 45 days left before expiry.
• Legal representative's ID. The name must match the licence and the Amazon account.
• An international credit card. Visa is preferred, and Mastercard works too.
• Contact details and a payout account. A company email, phone number and address, plus a collection account such as PingPong or WorldFirst.

Most categories are open to Chinese sellers. Food, tobacco and e-cigarettes, and adult products are restricted.

The full signup flow for every seller type is in our guide to how to sell on Amazon Middle East.

What are the 2026 Amazon incentives for Chinese sellers?

The China package has three parts. Two start when you list, and the third pays you for every unit you send to FBA.

• USD 50,000 prepaid referral voucher. It covers 5% of your first USD 1 million in branded sales. It's valid for a year.
• USD 1,000 Sponsored Products coupon. It funds your first ads. Use it within 90 days.
• FBA inbound cashback. You earn a fixed amount on every unit Amazon receives, by size tier.

To qualify, your first Gulf listing must be on or after 22 July 2025, on the Professional plan. You also need Brand Registry within six months, as the first registrant, and orders must ship by FBA from Gulf warehouses.

The cap is SAR 3,754 per product on Amazon.sa. That works out to about 1,300 Medium units, so a first sea shipment can earn the full amount.

Here's the calendar that matters:

Amazon generally doesn't stack new-seller offers. So budget one referral-fee discount per sale, and count the ad coupon and cashback separately.

Every Gulf offer, including the ones for local and Western sellers, is in our Amazon new-seller incentives guide.

How do you get stock into Amazon's Gulf warehouses?

You ship DDP through a forwarder that acts as your importer of record. Amazon won't clear customs for you.

Three things clear the path:

• SABER for Saudi Arabia. Regulated products need a SABER product certificate (SAR 500 platform fee) and a shipment certificate for each consignment (SAR 350, valid 90 days). With existing lab reports, a product certificate takes about one to four weeks.
• ECAS for the UAE. Regulated goods need ECAS conformity through MoIAT, the UAE industry ministry. Wireless devices also need TDRA type approval.
• Saudi VAT from day one. Non-resident sellers have no VAT threshold in Saudi Arabia, so register with ZATCA, the Saudi tax authority, as you launch.

Prefer one provider from factory to FBA? Amazon SEND is Amazon's own freight service from China to both countries.

On freight, air takes about 2–7 days and suits your first test. Sea freight takes 22–30 days port to port. Shared-container (LCL) rates to Saudi Arabia run about USD 170–250 per cbm in late 2026.

Our SABER certification guide for Chinese exporters covers HS codes and certificates step by step.

Should you start with FBA in Saudi Arabia or the UAE?

Start in the UAE if you want the easier first launch. Start in Saudi Arabia if your products are already SABER-certified and you want the bigger market.

You don't have to pick forever. Two Amazon programmes connect the stores:

• FBA Export. Amazon.ae FBA sellers are enrolled automatically, at no extra fee. You can opt out in Seller Central.
• Remote Fulfilment. Under Amazon's 2.0 programme, UAE FBA stock can serve Saudi orders. It's a simple way to test Saudi demand before you send stock there.

Once a product sells well in Saudi Arabia, move stock into a Saudi warehouse for two-day Prime. The fee and inbound detail is in our Amazon FBA Saudi Arabia guide.

Worked example: an LED desk lamp on Amazon.sa

Let's run real numbers. A Shenzhen brand sells an LED desk lamp for SAR 129 on Amazon.sa, VAT included.

It weighs 0.8 kg and fits a standard parcel. It sells in home and kitchen, with a 14% referral fee.

Its landed cost is SAR 48 a unit. That's a USD 9 factory price plus sea freight, duty, DDP clearance and SABER fees.

The voucher covers 5% of each sale, which is SAR 6.45 here. You owe SAR 16.83 of VAT on the sale and reclaim the VAT on Amazon's fees.

Now add the cashback. At the Medium rate, a first shipment of 1,000 lamps earns SAR 2,870 back from Amazon.

Over those 1,000 sales, the voucher saves another SAR 6,450. That's more than SAR 9,000 of support on one product.

Try your own product here:

Need help with the freight and IOR line? Compare freight forwarders in Saudi Arabia that deliver DDP to Amazon warehouses.

How do Chinese sellers get paid by Amazon Middle East?

Amazon settles every 14 days, and funds reach your account in about 5 business days. You don't need a Gulf bank account: most Chinese sellers receive into a collection account and convert to CNY there.

The riyal and dirham are both pegged to the US dollar, so currency risk is small. What you compare is the FX spread and withdrawal fee.

On Amazon.ae, Disburse on Demand lets you request a payout once every 24 hours. Fee comparisons are in our guide to payout providers for Chinese sellers.

What sells best on Amazon Middle East?

Home, PCs, beauty, wireless and consumer electronics led Amazon's Gulf stores in 2023, and pets joined the hot list. In 2025, Amazon's China team pointed to furniture, smart home, beauty and personal care, gaming monitors and gaming chairs.

Your category also sets your referral fee:

Pick products that are simple, durable and rarely need after-sales support. Our hot categories guide has the full shortlist.

A staged plan for your first 90 days

Start light, prove a product, then scale. Here's the order that fits this year's dates:

1

This week: check compliance and file your trademark

Confirm the HS code and SABER or ECAS rules for each product. File a trademark so you can join Brand Registry within six months.

2

Register through Global Selling China

Use your business licence, the legal representative's ID and an international card. Pick one store to start.

3

List 10–20 products in Arabic and English

Use a native Arabic translator. Show VAT-inclusive SAR or AED prices. Enrol on the Seller Rewards page.

4

Air-freight a test batch DDP

Book a forwarder with an IOR service, or Amazon SEND. Get units received well before 30 December to earn cashback.

5

Switch on Sponsored Products

Spend the USD 1,000 coupon on your best two or three products, ahead of White Friday in late November.

6

Restock winners by sea

Order by November for Ramadan 2027, which starts around 8 February. From factory order to sale day, production and sea freight take 10–12 weeks.

7

Add the second store

Test Saudi demand through Remote Fulfilment, then send stock to Amazon.sa once a product sells.

Notes for factories and OEM suppliers

If you make the product yourself, you have a cost edge most Gulf sellers can't match:

• Build a brand first. The USD 50,000 voucher only covers branded sales, so register your own trademark rather than selling unbranded.
• Use your test reports. Existing IEC test reports speed up SABER, so collect them from your QC team early.
• Price for Gulf buyers, not for Amazon.com. Gulf shoppers pay for quality and fast delivery, so you rarely need to race to the bottom.

Notes for Hong Kong companies

Hong Kong companies register on the same Global Selling China route:

• Same documents. A Hong Kong business registration and the director's ID replace the mainland licence and ID.
• Same package. The voucher, ad coupon and cashback apply under the same rules.
• Payouts are simpler. USD collection into a Hong Kong account keeps FX costs low.

Notes for Gulf traders sourcing from China

Running a Saudi or UAE company that imports from Chinese factories? You're on the local route instead:

• You are the importer. Your CR or trade licence lets you clear goods yourself, so you don't need a forwarder's IOR service.
• Different incentives. Saudi-based sellers get 30% off referral fees for 60 days until 31 December 2026, but the China package doesn't apply.
• Same compliance. SABER and ECAS still apply, and your Chinese supplier should supply the test reports.

The Saudi side is covered in our Amazon Saudi Arabia seller guide.