Sea Freight Services in Dubai

Sea freight is the workhorse of UAE trade: more than two-thirds of the country's non-oil imports arrive by vessel, most of them through Jebel Ali. If your cargo is measured in pallets, containers, or tonnes rather than kilograms, ocean shipping is almost always the most economical way to move it.

As a freight forwarder — not a shipping line — Mar Shipping works for you, the cargo owner. We compare sailings and rates across carriers calling at Jebel Ali and Khalifa Port, book the space, and manage every step between your supplier's warehouse and your final delivery address. One contact, one quotation, one point of responsibility.

FCL means the container is exclusively yours: it is sealed at origin and opened at destination, which makes it faster through the port, more secure, and cheaper per unit once you have enough volume. LCL (less than container load) means your cargo shares a container with other shippers and you pay only for the space you use, measured in cubic metres (CBM).

The practical break-even sits around 13–15 CBM: below that, LCL usually wins on cost; above it, a 20ft container of your own is typically cheaper and quicker. Density matters too — heavy, compact cargo hits the container weight limit before the volume limit. If you are unsure, send us the packing list and we will price both options side by side.

Transit time depends on the origin port, the carrier's rotation, and whether the sailing is direct or via transshipment. The figures below are port-to-port estimates for FCL on commonly used services into Jebel Ali; add 2–4 working days for customs clearance and delivery once the vessel arrives.

Ocean rates move with the market, so any figure you see published is a snapshot, not a promise — but you deserve an honest starting point. As of August 2026, a 20ft container from main Chinese ports to Jebel Ali typically falls between USD 1,400 and 2,200, and a 40ft between USD 1,900 and 2,900, depending on carrier, transit time, and season. Indian west-coast ports are usually a few hundred dollars lower; Europe and the US somewhat higher.

A complete quotation is more than the ocean leg. We itemise every line so there are no surprises at destination: ocean freight, origin charges (if your Incoterm includes them), destination terminal handling, documentation, customs clearance, duty (normally 5% of CIF value) and VAT (5%), and delivery to your door. Use our import duty calculator for a landed-cost estimate, or request a quote with your packing list for a fixed price.

A first sea shipment can feel opaque. Here is exactly what happens once you appoint us, and who does what at each stage.

Jebel Ali is the largest container port between Rotterdam and Singapore, served by every major shipping line and connected to the JAFZA free zone, where goods can be stored duty-deferred until they enter the UAE mainland or are re-exported. That combination — sailing frequency, clearance speed, and free-zone flexibility — is why Dubai works as a distribution hub for the entire Gulf and East Africa.

For northern-emirates deliveries or specific carrier services, Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi) and Sharjah's ports are sometimes the smarter routing. We quote the option that gets your cargo delivered fastest at the lowest landed cost, not the one that is simply habitual.