Noon vs Amazon.sa for Sellers (2026): Referral Fees by Category, Fulfilment Costs, Entry Routes and Which One Suits Your Catalogue

Our existing comparison of noon and Amazon covers the UAE. Saudi Arabia is a different question, because the fee cards diverge more sharply there than they do in the Emirates, and because the way you get into the market differs completely between the two platforms. This page compares noon KSA and Amazon.sa from a seller's point of view on the numbers both companies publish.

All figures were read on 27 September 2026 from noon's KSA fee annexes and Amazon's own Saudi selling-fee page. Rupee conversions use an illustrative Rs 23 per SAR and the rate moves. Where neither company publishes something, we say so rather than estimate.

How do referral fees compare by category?

This is where the decision is usually made. Both platforms charge a percentage of the sale price by category with a minimum of 1 SAR per item, and both quote fees exclusive of VAT, so the comparison is genuinely like for like.

The pattern is clear once you read down the table. On roughly half the categories the two platforms are identical or within a point, which tells you they price against each other. The exceptions are large and they cluster in exactly the categories Indian exporters favour: fashion, bags, audio, accessories and generic beauty. Fashion alone is a 12-point swing, which on a 40% gross margin product is most of the margin.

Amazon.sa also publishes some categories noon does not break out the same way, notably grocery at 3% up to 25 SAR and 9% above with a 0 SAR minimum, consumer electronics at 5.5% and watches at 15% up to 5,000 SAR then 5%. Check your own product type against both cards; our noon seller fees guide has the full noon annex, including the rates that changed on 10 September 2026.

How do fulfilment costs compare?

Closer than the commission table suggests, and in places identical.

Two structural differences matter more than the headline numbers. First, noon FBN charges per unit while noon DirectShip charges per shipment, so a two-unit order costs one DirectShip fee but two FBN fees. Our FBN vs FBP guide works that through, and FBN is defined in our glossary. Second, Amazon.sa lets you collect up to 12 SAR of shipping from the customer on Easy Ship, which effectively nets the 19 SAR shipment fee down to about 7 SAR on orders where buyers will pay it.

Worked example: a 150 SAR apparel item

Assumptions: apparel, standard envelope up to 0.5 kg on noon FBN, average selling price above 25 SAR, one month of storage at 0.1 cubic feet from 1 October 2026, and a comparable 5.5 SAR entry-tier FBA fee on Amazon. Amazon storage is excluded because the rate is not published, so the Amazon column is slightly understated.

On a single garment that is about 16% of the sale price. Across a thousand units it is roughly 24,500 SAR, or around Rs 5.6 lakh. No amount of operational efficiency closes a gap that size, which is why a fashion brand entering Saudi Arabia should start from Amazon.sa unless it has a specific reason not to.

Worked example: a 600 SAR smartphone

Same method, standard parcel at 0.5 to 1 kg on noon FBN at 10.00 SAR, and an assumed comparable FBA tier.

Here the platforms are effectively the same, and the choice moves entirely onto traffic, Buy Box competition and what your brand-approval position is on each. In electronics, pick on demand and not on fees.

Which is easier to get into?

This is where noon has a genuine, documented advantage for a UAE-based seller. noon runs an automatic UAE-to-KSA cross-border lane: it enrols eligible UAE sellers without an application, creates the KSA store, marks the legal entity non-VAT registered for KSA, remits VAT to ZATCA as principal, and asks only that signatories sign the KSA terms and that SKUs carry a 12-digit HS code and country of origin. No KSA trade licence, no KSA VAT registration, no ZATCA filing. Our noon KSA guide covers it in detail.

Registering directly in KSA has gone the other way in 2026. noon now requires a valid KSA VAT registration number for all KSA sellers, and Freelance Certificates are no longer accepted for new KSA registrations following Ministry of Commerce guidance. So the domestic route is harder and the cross-border route is free, which for a UAE seller makes noon the cheapest first step into Saudi Arabia regardless of the fee comparison above.

Against that, Amazon.sa is currently running a launch offer of 30% off referral fees plus 370 SAR of free advertising credit, and has suspended the Professional plan subscription for a limited time. A time-limited 30% discount on an already lower referral fee is a real reason to test Amazon first in fee-sensitive categories, but price the base rate into your model rather than the promotional one, because promotions end.

So which Saudi marketplace should you pick?

• Fashion, bags, audio, accessories, generic beauty: Amazon.sa, on the fee card alone. The gaps are 5 to 12 points.
• Phones, laptops, home, kitchen, toys, books, furniture, baby: effectively level. Decide on traffic, brand approval and operations.
• A UAE seller testing Saudi demand cheaply: noon, via the cross-border lane, because market entry costs you nothing and needs no Saudi paperwork.
• An Indian brand with no Gulf entity: the question is not which marketplace but which entry route. Start with our guide to selling on noon from India, then compare the landed cost per unit before the commission.
• Anyone selling seasonal or themed products: check Saudi restrictions before either platform, because KSA-specific bans reach rainbow-coloured products, non-Islamic religious symbols and Christmas, Halloween or Easter references in text and imagery.

The honest answer for most brands is both, sequenced. Launch where the fee card favours you, learn the category, then add the second platform once the catalogue and the pricing hold up. Running both without doubling the workload is what our noon account management work exists for.

FAQ

Is noon or Amazon cheaper for sellers in Saudi Arabia? It depends entirely on category. They are level or within a point on home, kitchen, toys, books, furniture and baby, but Amazon.sa is 12 points cheaper on apparel and footwear and 10 points cheaper on headphones. noon is marginally cheaper on phones and fine jewellery.

What commission does noon charge in KSA? A referral fee by product type with a 1 SAR minimum per item: 27% on apparel and footwear, 14% to 15% on most home, toys and sports lines, 5% to 6% on phones and laptops, and 14% as the default for other categories.

What does Amazon.sa charge sellers? Referral fees from 5% with a 1 SAR minimum, most between 5% and 15%; FBA fulfilment from 5.5 SAR per unit; Easy Ship from 19.0 SAR per shipment; and the Professional plan currently with no monthly subscription fee for a limited time. All fees exclude 15% VAT.

Can I sell on noon KSA without a Saudi licence? Yes, if you are already an eligible noon UAE seller, through noon's automatic UAE-to-KSA cross-border lane, which requires no KSA trade licence and no KSA VAT registration. Registering directly in KSA does now require a valid VAT number.

Who has more market share in Saudi Arabia, noon or Amazon? Neither company publishes a Saudi market-share figure, and we found no primary source for one. Any percentage quoted online is a third-party estimate, so we are not repeating one here.

Should I sell on both noon and Amazon.sa? For most brands yes, but sequenced rather than simultaneously. Launch on whichever platform your category's fee card favours, prove the pricing and the catalogue, then add the second once operations are steady.

Choosing your Saudi marketplace with the numbers in front of you

The Saudi decision comes down to your category's referral fee, whether you can reach the market without a Saudi entity, and what your landed cost per unit actually is in riyals. If you want that modelled properly rather than guessed, see our noon account management service. We run noon alongside Amazon and Flipkart for Indian brands, so the comparison gets made with your real cost base rather than a rate card in isolation.