I've shipped Koda cargo fourteen times, so I go straight to the hold rules — and Saudia carries pets, but the fine print is where the trip is won or lost. Documents, minimum age, and the fee structure all sit outside the ticket price. For a big dog, that's the real planning surface, and it's worth reading before you fall for a fare.

Saudia's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How Saudia handles your pet

Key points

  • Pets are accepted on direct routes only
  • Cats and small birds may travel in the cabin or cargo hold
  • Dogs must travel in the cargo hold
  • Large livestock and wild animals are cargo only
  • Snub-nosed animals require a crate one size larger than standard

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the cabin Not accepted
In the hold / cargo Accepted

Cabin policy

Pets accepted Not acceptedverified 2026-10-12

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-12
Hold: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-10-12
Hold: Crate must have/beventilated, a carrierverified 2026-10-12
Cargo: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-12
Cargo: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-10-12
Cargo: Crate must have/beventilated, a carrierverified 2026-10-12

Health & documents

Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-10-12

Service & assistance animals

Fee waived Yesverified 2026-10-12
Recognized Yesverified 2026-10-12
Cabin allowed Noverified 2026-10-12
Saudia sets a minimum age of 6 weeks for a dog to travel in the hold. Confirm the dog clears that 6 weeks threshold on the travel date, not the booking date, and keep vaccination records that match the age. A puppy under the limit gets turned away at acceptance, and no cargo booking overrides the minimum-age rule.
Saudia charges around 100 USD to move a pet, separate from the passenger fare, and the hold rate can run higher than the cabin figure. Budget the 100 USD as a distinct line, confirm it against the current routing, and carry a payment method that works at acceptance. The fee is per direction, so a round trip doubles it.
Saudia works for a big dog if you plan the boring parts early — age cleared, documents sequenced, the fee budgeted and confirmed. That's fourteen cargo trips of caution boiled down to a checklist. Let Pawgo turn it into a personalized plan around your dates and Koda-sized dog, so the hold booking rests on facts instead of a hopeful phone call.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Saudia →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.