Why the United Arab Emirates

Nestled between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has developed into the second-largest economy in the Arab world by moving toward a free market with liberal trade policies. The U.A.E.’s nearly 6 million residents have high per-capita income and a healthy appetite for imported goods.

ShowInternational Shipping Services to the United Arab Emirates
Your Shipping Options

FedEx offers you a choice: premium services when timing is urgent and economy services when reliability and savings are most important. Take advantage of our most popular FedEx® services for shipping to the United Arab Emirates.1

 

International Service Transit Time Transit Time
  U.S. to U.A.E. U.A.E. to U.S.
FedEx International Priority® 2 business days 2 business days
FedEx International Priority® Freight 2 business days 2 business days
FedEx International Economy® 4 to 6 business days 4 business days
FedEx International Economy® Freight 4 to 6 business days 5 business days

1 For additional service options, see the international shipping services chart.

We also offer two flat-rate packaging options for your FedEx International Priority® shipments: the FedEx® 10kg Box and the FedEx® 25kg Box. These flat-rate shipping boxes are free and available at FedEx Express locations, including FedEx World Service Center® locations and FedEx Office® Print and Ship Centers. Learn more about our flat-rate shipping options.

FedEx in the United Arab Emirates
Our infrastructure gives your business the fastest access to customers in the U.A.E. With operations based in Dubai, including a pre-clearance facility, FedEx offers you access to all seven emirates and other Middle Eastern markets. Offering the only direct flight from the U.S. to the Middle East, FedEx flies the Boeing 777 Freighter direct from Memphis to Dubai International Airport, providing time-definite service for your shipments.

When it comes to expanding your global business with confidence and reliability, you can rely on FedEx EuropeOne® and FedEx AsiaOne™, our dedicated express networks. FedEx EuropeOne provides next-business-day delivery to 38 major European cities, and FedEx AsiaOne provides next-business-day delivery to 22 key Asian cities.

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ShowTips for Shipping to the United Arab Emirates
Document Assistance

Every country has its own customs requirements and shipping specifications. We’ve simplified international shipping with FedEx® Electronic Trade Documents. By automating the preparation and flow of international documents, this service saves you money while ensuring on-time delivery of shipments to the United Arab Emirates. The required documents are country-specific, with prompts to help you prepare everything needed for a shipment to the United Arab Emirates and other international destinations.

 

Common Documents Description
Air Waybill A shipping label that must accompany all international shipments. Can be created with an electronic shipping solution, such as FedEx Ship Manager® — or completed manually.
Electronic Export Information (EEI) Formerly known as the Shipper’s Export Declaration, the EEI must be filed with goods valued at US$2,000 or more from the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to foreign destinations. Connect with the federal Automated Export System and submit the required information using the FedEx Ship Manager solution. Using FedEx Export AgentFile®, you can authorize FedEx to file an EEI on your behalf. A filing fee and certain limitations apply.
Commercial Invoice The main document used by customs officials for control, valuation and duty determination. Serves as the basis for all other documents covering the shipment. Necessary for all shipments with a value of at least US$1 and relating to commercial transactions, regardless of the value. Must be in English or accompanied by a translation. Required details include the buyer and seller, a detailed description of the goods, quantity, purchase price or fair market value, terms of the sale, and the date. Should show freight, insurance, commission and other charges as separate items.
Pro Forma Invoice Acts as a preliminary invoice, presenting the same information as the final invoice without claiming payment. Enables the end purchaser to apply for letters of credit, import licenses or foreign exchange allocation.
Packing List Supplies shipment data, including the number and types of items being shipped. Also documents the weight and volume of your shipment — helpful information for reserving space with the shipping company.
Certificate of Origin Verifies the country in which the product was manufactured. Required by certain foreign countries for tariff purposes. Must be validated and notarized by a local chamber of commerce.

To avoid delays, all documents must be correct and consistent. The air waybill and Commercial Invoice require some of the same information:

  • “Consignee” is the recipient, the person to whom a shipment is being sent.
  • “Shipper” is the sender, the person with whom the shipment originates.
  • The value to declare for customs purposes is the price paid or payable for the goods, including any selling commissions, assists, royalties, packing and proceeds. It does not include freight and insurance charges.
  • The Schedule B number, or Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code, is the commodity classification number. For the correct number, go to FedEx® Global Trade Manager or the U.S. Census Bureau website — or call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1.800.549.0595, option 2.
  • A description of the contents includes the following details about the product:
    • What the product is
    • What material it’s made of
    • Schedule B or HTS code
    • Intended use
    • Country of manufacture
    • Parts or serial numbers (if applicable)
    • Quantity and unit of measure
    • Value, per unit and in total
Additional Tips
  • Review the U.A.E. profile. Avoid surprises by checking the U.A.E. country profile, which includes the latest information on import and export provisions.
  • Research your market thoroughly. The marketplace, economy, customs and laws in the U.A.E. are quite different from those you may be accustomed to in the U.S.
  • Ensure your project is economically feasible. U.S. companies should be especially thorough about revenue projections and business goals when entering the U.A.E. marketplace.
  • Know your associates. Get to know your business contact in the U.A.E. through your legal counsel, in addition to doing your own research.
  • Establish a very specific contract. With a business associate who resides in another country, it’s a good idea to employ more detailed terms than you might with a U.S. associate, just to make sure everyone’s in agreement.
  • Understand your payment terms. The U.A.E.’s payment customs differ from those in the U.S. in many ways, so include very specific payment terms to ensure you are paid in full and on time.
  • Protect your intellectual property rights. U.S. businesses should not rely on the same protection of their intellectual property that they enjoy in the U.S. Your best strategy is to protect yourself from infringement before you encounter a problem.
  • Make sure the goods are not prohibited. Check the list of import prohibitions for the U.A.E.
  • Select a licensed importer or exporter. For commercial shipments, the U.A.E. government requires that the importer/exporter be licensed by his or her local municipality and possess a trade license from the local chamber of commerce for the specific commodity.
  • Provide the recipient’s personal identification number. For personal shipments, the U.A.E. government may require a personal identification number — which the shipper can request from the recipient — to clear a shipment.
  • Provide an accurate customs valuation. In Dubai, that includes the cost of the item(s) plus the amount paid for insurance and transportation costs to move the shipment to the U.A.E.
  • Set up an account with Dubai Customs. For each Bill of Entry, you’ll be charged an additional fee of DH 30 (approximately US$8.20). To avoid this charge, set up an account at Dubai Customs.

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Support Services for Shipping to the United Arab Emirates

FedEx Resources

 

If you need to: Then go to or call:
Estimate duties and taxes FedEx® Global Trade Manager
See restricted or prohibited items for the U.A.E. United Arab Emirates country profile
on FedEx Global Trade Manager
Get tips for describing shipment contents International Document Overview
on FedEx International Shipping site
Get regulatory assistance FedEx International Regulatory Consulting
1.800.851.3336
Get international shipping assistance FedEx International Customer Support
1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (and say "international services")
Find general support FedEx Customer Support


Helpful Links



FedEx Tools

These tools can help simplify the management and processing of your international shipments to the United Arab Emirates.

 

Tools Features
FedEx Ship Manager® at fedex.com Complete forms, create shipping labels, track the status of shipments, get rates and transit times, and manage billing and claims.
FedEx InSight® Proactively monitor all of your inbound and outbound international shipments without a tracking number.
FedEx® Global Trade Manager Find international documents; estimate duties, taxes and landed cost; and more. You can also manage the documentation process with Product Profiles, which lets you create, store and edit information on up to 500 commodities.
FedEx® Electronic Trade Documents Automate the document submission process, save time and money, and enjoy greater peace of mind.