You can order thobe fabric in bulk directly from the mill in four steps: confirm the specification, approve a stock swatch or lab dip, pay a 30 percent deposit, and take delivery 25 to 75 days later. Minimums start at 500 metres per shade for stock colours, volume pricing begins to bite from roughly 3,000 metres, and payment runs on T/T or on an L/C at sight for larger contracts.
Send the quality you are running now through our thobe fabric enquiry form or message us on WhatsApp with the GSM, the width and the destination port, and we will return a tiered price, a per-colour minimum and a dated shipping window the same working day.
We have exported thobe, kandura and djellaba fabric to Gulf wholesalers, garment makers and retail brands for more than ten years. The bulk orders that go wrong are rarely the large ones; they are the ones where quantity, shade and date were agreed verbally and then reinterpreted at the mill.
The Short Answer: How to Order Thobe Fabric in Bulk From a Mill
A bulk thobe fabric order is four commitments — specification, quantity, shade and delivery date — and the mill prices those four things and nothing else. Everything a buyer argues about later maps back to one of them.
- Specification: composition, GSM, width, weave and finishing.
- Quantity: total metres, plus metres per individual shade.
- Shade: a physical standard or a signed lab dip.
- Date: the day the goods leave the mill and reach the port.
When all four are on the purchase order, the quotation becomes verifiable. When any one is missing, the mill prices the cheapest reading of it.
What a Bulk Order Actually Looks Like
| Stage | What the buyer does | What the mill does | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Specification | Confirms GSM, width, weave, shade, finish | Checks the construction against available looms | 1–3 days |
| 2. Sampling | Reviews a stock swatch or lab dip | Posts swatch cards; dyes a lab dip | 3–7 days |
| 3. Confirmation | Signs the proforma, pays 30 percent | Locks shade, batch and loom schedule | 2–4 days |
| 4. Production | Books inspection and freight | Weaves, dyes, finishes, inspects, ships | 25–75 days |
A normal-season bulk order from China runs 45 to 75 days, and our stage-by-stage lead time breakdown is worth reading before you promise a delivery date to a retailer.
Minimum Order Quantity by Order Type
Minimums are set per shade, not per order, because changing a dye bath or re-warping a beam costs the same whether the run is 500 metres or 5,000.
| Order type | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stock shades (white, cream, beige, grey) | 500 m per shade | Shades can be combined to reach 2,000 m |
| Piece-dyed to your shade | 1,000–2,000 m per shade | Lab dip 3–5 days per round |
| Custom construction | 2,000–3,000 m | New GSM, width or yarn count |
| Yarn-dyed stripe, dobby or jacquard | 2,500–3,000 m | Beam and pattern preparation |
| Printed thobe fabric | 500–1,000 m per design | Digital print can go lower |
A buyer who needs 800 metres across four shades is placing four 500 metre orders, not one 800 metre order. Consolidating to two shades, or accepting stock white for two of them, is the cheapest fix.
Volume Price Tiers
Price falls with volume because yarn is bought on one schedule and because setup and dyeing spread across more metres — not because the cloth becomes cheaper to make. These are indicative FOB prices for a plain Micro polyester thobe at 150 cm.
| Quantity per order | Indicative FOB price | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 500–999 m | $0.95–1.35/m | Trial order, new shade test |
| 1,000–2,999 m | $0.88–1.25/m | Wholesaler replenishment |
| 3,000–9,999 m | $0.82–1.15/m | Standard seasonal programme |
| 10,000–29,999 m | $0.78–1.08/m | Brand or distributor volume |
| 30,000 m+ | $0.76–1.02/m | Annual contract, single quality |
Buying 5,000 metres to reach a tier you cannot sell costs more than paying the 3,000 metre price twice. Per-metre and whole-roll arithmetic is in our thobe fabric roll and metre price comparison.
Payment Terms, Documents and Inspection
Standard terms are 30 percent deposit by T/T with the balance against a copy of the bill of lading; an L/C at sight is accepted above roughly USD 30,000.
- Commercial invoice and packing list, showing metres, shades, roll numbers and net weight
- Bill of lading, original or telex release as agreed
- Certificate of origin for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC destinations
- Mill test report covering GSM, width, shrinkage and colour fastness
Every roll is inspected before packing and the shipment is open to third-party inspection at the buyer’s cost. The tolerances we accept — GSM, shrinkage, shade difference and the 4-point score — are published in our thobe fabric quality checklist.
Three Things That Move the Price After the Quote
- Shade count. Three shades on a 3,000 metre order costs more than one shade, because dyeing is charged per colour.
- Finishing. Wrinkle-free resin or water repellent each add a per-metre charge and add days.
- Season timing. Capacity booked before Ramadan prices differently from a quiet month.
Sampling Before You Commit
Stock shade swatch cards are posted free, with the buyer covering freight of roughly $30 to $60. A lab dip against your shade reference costs $30 to $80 with a 3 to 5 day turnaround, and cut lengths of one to five metres are credited against the order. The full policy sits in our thobe fabric sample order guide, and the five mistakes wholesalers make when importing thobe fabric in bulk are worth ten minutes before your first deposit.
Four Steps From Enquiry to Shipment
- Send the specification. GSM, width, weave, shade reference and quantity per colour, plus the destination port.
- Approve the sample. Stock swatch or lab dip, signed as the bulk standard.
- Confirm the order. Proforma invoice, 30 percent deposit, shade and batch numbers locked to the PO.
- Inspect and ship. Pre-shipment inspection, roll packing, container loading, documents against balance.
To open a bulk order, send the quality you are running today through our thobe fabric enquiry form or message us on WhatsApp with the quantity, the shade count and the destination port. You will get a tiered price, a per-colour minimum and a dated shipping window back the same working day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order for thobe fabric in bulk?
Minimum order quantities are set per shade rather than per order, because changing a dye bath or re-warping a loom beam costs the mill the same whether the run is 500 metres or 5,000. Stock shades such as white, cream, beige and light grey start at 500 metres per shade, and different shades can be combined to reach a 2,000 metre total. Piece-dyed shades to your own reference run 1,000 to 2,000 metres per colour. A custom construction with a new GSM, width or yarn count needs 2,000 to 3,000 metres, and yarn-dyed stripes or jacquard weaves need 2,500 to 3,000 metres because of beam and pattern preparation. Digital printed thobe fabric can be ordered from 500 metres per design.
How much does thobe fabric cost per metre when ordered in bulk?
Indicative FOB pricing for a plain Micro polyester thobe fabric at 150 cm runs about $0.95 to $1.35 per metre at 500 to 999 metres, $0.88 to $1.25 at 1,000 to 2,999 metres, $0.82 to $1.15 at 3,000 to 9,999 metres, $0.78 to $1.08 at 10,000 to 29,999 metres, and from $0.76 per metre above 30,000 metres. The step between tiers is only 4 to 8 percent, so reaching a tier you cannot sell costs more than paying the smaller quantity price twice. GSM, yarn count, width, shade count and finishing each move the figure, and TR, dobby and jacquard qualities sit above the plain polyester band.
What payment terms are available for a bulk thobe fabric order?
Standard terms are 30 percent deposit by T/T with the balance paid against a copy of the bill of lading, which is what most Gulf wholesalers and garment makers use. An L/C at sight is accepted on contracts above roughly USD 30,000, and D/P at sight is available where the buyer”s bank prefers documentary collection. The shipping documents released against the balance are the commercial invoice, the packing list showing metres and shade breakdown by roll, the original or telex-release bill of lading, and a certificate of origin for GCC destinations. A mill test report covering GSM, width, shrinkage and colour fastness travels with every bulk shipment.
How long does a bulk thobe fabric order take from deposit to shipment?
Bulk production runs 25 to 75 days from deposit to shipment, depending on what has to be created for you. Replenishment from stock shades is the fastest band, at roughly 7 to 14 days. Piece-dyed fabric to your own shade needs a lab dip of 3 to 5 days per round and normally ships in 25 to 40 days. A custom construction, or a yarn-dyed stripe, dobby or jacquard, needs 45 to 75 days and up to 90 days in peak season. Book capacity in the two months before Ramadan, because loom time in that window is allocated weeks in advance and no price recovers a missed retail season.
