Introduction

If you ship orders into Saudi Arabia, you might already be hearing more about the Saudi National Address, and with good reason. From 1 January 2026, delivery companies operating in the Kingdom will be required to reject parcels that don’t include a valid National Address.

For merchants based outside Saudi Arabia, this can feel like yet another complication to interpret and adapt to. But in reality, this change formalises something delivery partners have been dealing with for years: incomplete or unclear address data is one of the biggest causes of failed deliveries in Saudi Arabia.

The good news is that this is a solvable problem, especially if you prepare early. In this guide, we’ll walk through what the National Address requirement means for international e-commerce merchants, how it affects delivery in practice, and what you can do now to keep shipments moving smoothly.

What is the Saudi National Address system?

The Saudi National Address is a standardised address format introduced by Saudi Post (SPL) and the The Transport General Authority to make locations easier to identify and deliveries more reliable across the country.

Instead of relying on informal directions or landmarks (which cause a lot of delivery issues!), each address is registered and structured using a consistent set of fields, including:

• Building number
• Street name
• District
• City
• Postal code
• Secondary number
• Short Address Code (an 8-character code: 4 letters + 4 numbers)

From a delivery perspective, the Short Address Code is especially useful. It points to a precise delivery location and is widely recognised across logistics and carrier systems in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi residents and businesses register their National Address through official platforms such as Saudi Post (SPL), Absher, and Tawakkalna.

What’s changing in 2026 — and why it matters to you

The Transport General Authority (TGA) has confirmed that from 1 January 2026, parcel delivery companies must ensure that there is a valid National Address for all shipments delivered within Saudi Arabia. 

In practical terms, this means delivery partners will no longer be able to accept or process shipments that don’t include a valid National Address, which is a costly and time consuming process for merchants. This applies to:

• Domestic deliveries
• Cross-border e-commerce shipments
• B2C and B2B parcels

For merchants, this is less about regulation and more about how deliveries are accepted and handled operationally. If address data isn’t right at the point of order, parcels will be delayed or rejected before delivery even begins.

What this means for international merchants shipping into Saudi Arabia

Address accuracy becomes a pre-delivery requirement

Historically, many deliveries in Saudi Arabia relied on driver calls or last-minute clarifications with the customer. That flexibility is changing. With enforcement in place, address checks will happen earlier in the delivery process, often before a parcel reaches the last mile.

For international shipments, this makes address accuracy at checkout (or very soon post-checkout) critical. Once an order is in transit cross-border, correcting address details becomes much harder and very few logistics services will be able to help at this point.

Fewer workarounds, more rejected parcels

Without a valid National Address:

• Parcels are instructed to be rejected at booking or handover
• Shipments may be held while details are verified
• Orders may be returned to origin

All of these outcomes add cost and friction, and none of them are great for your customer experience.

Checkout and order data quality matter more than ever

For merchants selling into Saudi Arabia, checkout is where most delivery issues start. If customers aren’t clearly prompted to provide their National Address - or if the data isn’t validated - problems surface later when they’re harder to fix.

This is why many merchants are now reviewing how Saudi addresses are captured, validated, and passed to delivery partners.

Your role vs your customer’s role (and how to make it easier)

This change doesn’t mean merchants need to manage address registration on behalf of customers - that’s for the customer to do themselves. But it does mean setting customers up to succeed and helping them through this transition.

Customers are responsible for:

• Registering their National Address with Saudi Post
• Retrieving their Short Address Code
• Providing that information when placing an order

Merchants can help by:

• Clearly asking for the National Address at checkout
• Explaining why it’s required for delivery
• Directing them to where they can register if they don’t yet have a National Address
• Making address fields easy to understand and complete
• Validating address format before orders are shipped

Small changes in how address information is requested can make a big difference to delivery success.

Practical steps you can take now

Review your checkout for Saudi orders

For shipments to Saudi Arabia, consider:

• Adding a clearly labelled National Address or Short Address field
• Making it a required field for Saudi destinations
• Using a plugin to automatically validate the address before order confirmation

Many international merchants find that default checkout forms aren’t designed with Saudi address formats in mind, reviewing this early helps avoid last-minute issues.

Help customers understand what’s needed

Clear, friendly guidance goes a long way. For example:

• “A Saudi National Address is required to deliver your order.”
• “Please enter your 8-character Short Address to avoid delivery delays.”

This reframes the request as a delivery requirement rather than an extra step.

Talk to your delivery partners

Delivery partners are already preparing their systems for enforcement. It’s worth confirming:

• When enforcement will begin operationally
• How missing addresses will be handled
• Can they help with address validation? 
• What address data needs to appear on labels and manifests?

Why this matters beyond compliance

While the mandate creates urgency, better address data also improves everyday delivery performance:

• Higher first-attempt delivery success
• Fewer support queries
• Fewer returns and delays
• Smoother cross-border fulfilment

From our perspective as a delivery partner, address verification is one of the most effective ways merchants can protect delivery experience as they scale in Saudi Arabia.

Address verification can be a complicated process, but there are some tools and plugins that can help, our guide to verifying addresses will help give you a head start. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all shipments to Saudi Arabia need a National Address?

Yes. From 1 January 2026, delivery companies must enforce the use of a valid Saudi National Address for shipments delivered within the Kingdom, including international e-commerce orders. 

Do the National Address rules apply if I’m shipping from outside Saudi Arabia?

Yes. The requirement applies to any parcel delivered in Saudi Arabia, regardless of where the merchant is based.

Will my orders really be rejected without a National Address?

Delivery partners operating in Saudi Arabia will be required to reject or hold shipments that don’t meet address requirements, so yes missing or incorrect address data can prevent parcels from moving through the delivery network.

Do I need to help customers register their address?

No. Customers are responsible for registering their National Address. Merchants help by clearly requesting and validating it at checkout.

What’s the difference between a National Address and a Short Address?

The Short Address is part of the National Address system. It’s an 8-character code that identifies a specific delivery location and is widely used in delivery operations.

What should Shopify merchants do first?

Shopify merchants should update their checkout system to capture Saudi addresses correctly and ensure National Address details are required and clearly explained. Address verification tools can help automate this and reduce delivery issues.

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