AJF can help businesses plan shipments to and from the Middle East, including transhipment arrangements through partners at Jebel Ali, Dubai. Transhipment means moving goods through an intermediate hub before they continue to their final destination.
The right arrangement depends on the goods, the parties involved, the final destination and the routes available at the time. Please contact us before committing to a purchase or sending goods to a warehouse or port.
Freight and handling arrangements
Depending on the shipment and the services confirmed in your quotation, we can discuss:
- Collection from suppliers in the UK or Ireland and onward sea freight.
- Liaison with the shipper, buyer, consignee and overseas agent.
- Consolidating goods from different suppliers into an outgoing shipment.
- Container unloading, repacking, pallet preparation and onward delivery.
- Export and import customs arrangements and the documents needed at each stage.
- Lawful product labelling or relabelling to meet the destination's requirements, while preserving accurate origin and product information.
Sailing frequency, departure port, equipment, delivery arrangements and any use of a container beyond the normal delivery period must be confirmed for the booking. We do not publish a guaranteed weekly sailing or a standing promise that containers can be left at the delivery address.
Please also agree payment responsibilities, Incoterms, duties, taxes and destination charges in advance. Freight arrangements do not automatically include credit management, collecting payment from a buyer or holding funds on a customer's behalf.
Regional availability
Enquiries are welcome for the UAE and onward Middle East destinations. We check the proposed route and partner availability for each shipment rather than treating a country list as confirmation that a service can operate.
Shipping-line acceptance, port access, security conditions, insurance and local import rules can change. A route through Dubai does not by itself establish that the final shipment is permitted or that a carrier will accept it.
UK sanctions and export controls
UK trade and financial sanctions can affect goods, services, payments, vessels and the people or organisations involved in a shipment. Screening needs to consider the full transaction, including ownership and control: a company can be affected even if its own name does not appear on a sanctions list. See OFSI's guidance for importers and exporters.
The UK Sanctions List is the current official source for UK sanctions designations. A clear name search alone does not establish that a transaction is lawful; the applicable country regime, goods restrictions, end use and any licensing requirements must also be checked.
Routing through a third country, changing an invoice address or relabelling goods does not remove sanctions obligations. The true origin, ultimate destination, end user and intended use must be disclosed. UK Sanctions End-Use Controls can also require a licence for an otherwise uncontrolled export to a third country when the exporter has been informed by the government of a relevant diversion risk. Read the UK government's end-use controls guidance.
We cannot accept instructions intended to conceal the destination or evade restrictions. Where a licence or other approval is required, it must be obtained and its conditions met before the relevant activity takes place. A licence does not guarantee carrier, bank or insurer acceptance.
Request a quotation
Please provide:
- A clear goods description, commodity codes if known, origin, value and packing details.
- Collection, transit and final delivery locations, including the ultimate destination.
- Supplier, buyer, consignee and end-user details, and the intended use of the goods.
- Package dimensions and weights, expected dates and any special handling requirements.
- Details of licences or approvals already obtained and the services you need AJF to arrange.
Contact AJF to discuss the proposed movement. Service availability and regulatory requirements must be confirmed for the specific shipment.
UK guidance reviewed on 8 November 2026. Check the linked official guidance again before booking.