Sea freight from Dubai

What we move by sea

Most cargo leaving the UAE goes by sea, and for good reason: for anything heavy, bulky or not urgent, it is several times cheaper per kilo than air. We book space directly with the carriers and consolidators we deal with regularly, which means a rate that reflects what is actually available that week rather than a published tariff.

• FCL (full container load) — 20ft, 40ft, 40ft high-cube, open top, flat rack and reefer
• LCL (less than container load) — your pallets share a container with other cargo, so you pay for the space you use
• Breakbulk and out-of-gauge — machinery, vehicles, steel and pieces that will not fit a box
• Reefer — temperature-controlled for food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals

Ports and lanes

We load out of Jebel Ali, the largest container port in the Middle East, and the other UAE ports. From there we move cargo to the Far East, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, East Africa and the USA. On lanes we do not run directly, we work through partner agents we have dealt with for years, so your cargo is handed to a name rather than into a network.

Import works the same way in reverse: we handle the arrival, the clearance through Dubai Customs, and the delivery to your door anywhere in the Emirates.

FCL or LCL — which one?

The usual rule: if you have more than about 15 cubic metres, a full container is normally cheaper than paying for the same space inside a shared one. Below that, LCL almost always wins. There are exceptions — fragile cargo that you would rather not have handled at a consolidation warehouse, or a tight deadline where LCL's extra handling days matter.

Send us the dimensions and weight and we will tell you honestly which works out better, including the cases where waiting a week for a better sailing saves you more than the rate does.