Import VAT is 15%, calculated on CIF value plus customs duty. Example: goods with CIF of $22,600 and 5% duty ($1,130) give a VAT base of $23,730 — VAT equals $3,559.50. VAT-registered businesses recover this as input tax on their next return, so it is a cash-flow cost, not a final one.
The unrecoverable part of the import bill is the duty itself. Both amounts are paid to ZATCA at clearance before the port releases the cargo.