Rapid Group
Rapid Group is a family-owned UAE-headquartered shipping and logistics firm founded in 1992, delivering integrated marine agency services and freight forwarding across 8 offices in the UAE and India for vessel owners, offshore energy operators, importers, and F&B distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersSharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rapid Group does
Rapid Group (legally Rapid Shipping & Logistics LLC and four wholly-owned operating subsidiaries in the UAE and India) is a family-owned, privately held shipping and logistics company founded in 1992 and headquartered in Sharjah, UAE. The company operates two integrated verticals from a single team: Marine Agency Services for vessel owners, ship managers, and offshore energy operators (covering vessel permissions, crew handling, shore passes, KSA visa assistance, supply, and husbandry) and Logistics & Freight Forwarding for importers, exporters, manufacturers, and F&B distributors (covering sea, air, and multimodal freight; customs brokerage; bonded warehousing at Jebel Ali and Hamriyah; cold-chain distribution; and inter-UAE/GCC land transport). Specialist lines include offshore OSV and rig support, F&B culinary cold-chain logistics with MOFA attestation and Dubai Municipality inspection coordination, and technical ship spares and dry-dock services.
The business does not run a proprietary technology platform; operations rely on established maritime coordination systems and carrier tracking integrations, with the company website providing direct links to live shipment trackers for Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, COSCO, and Evergreen. The one AI-adjacent offering is distribution rights for BigYellowFish, an AI-powered frontline crew safety platform, marketed to GCC vessel operators.
Revenue is generated through transaction-fee structures: marine agency is billed via signed tariffs and pre-agreed Port Disbursement Accounts (PDAs) per vessel call; logistics runs on fixed service fees plus competitively sourced freight rates and a financial-outlay surcharge on pass-through disbursements; warehousing operates as a professional-services line. All distribution is direct, via named relationship managers across dedicated marine agency, logistics, and F&B/cold-chain desks. Rapid holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications issued in July 2024 and is a member of IATA, FIATA, NAFL, and JCTrans.
Rapid Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rapid Group
- Legal name
- Rapid Shipping & Logistics LLC
- Website
- https://rapidgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rapid Group is a family-owned UAE-headquartered shipping and logistics firm founded in 1992, delivering integrated marine agency services and freight forwarding across 8 offices in the UAE and India for vessel owners, offshore energy operators, importers, and F&B distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rapid Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Logistics and Marine Agency Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Offshore/Remote Port Call & Anchorage Services (Launch Boats, Crew Boats, Supply Runs) (TLAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH), Crew, Marine & Offshore Travel Management (THAKACAF)
Keywords
Where Rapid Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sharjah
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices8 records
Markets served
Rapid Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Marine Agency Services: Billed via signed tariffs and pre-agreed PDA (Port Disbursement Account) per vessel call. Clients approve disbursements before work begins. Covers vessel permissions, crew handling, shore passes, KSA visa assistance, supply and husbandry services.
- Freight Forwarding Services: Fixed service fees for clearing, documentation and customs attendance, plus freight sourced through agent network. Sea, air and multimodal imports and exports with customs clearance.
- Warehousing & Distribution: Storage and inventory management services including ambient, chill and frozen storage with last-mile refrigerated delivery. Bonded warehouse space at Jebel Ali and Hamriyah.
- Disbursements Pass-through: Third-party costs and duties pass through with a standard financial-outlay surcharge for capital deployed upfront on behalf of clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Marine Agency - Pre-agreed tariffs |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Freight & Customs - Service fees plus rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Rapid Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rapid Group runs two integrated service verticals under one roof: Marine Agency Services for vessel owners, ship management companies and offshore energy operators (vessel permissions, crew handling, shore passes, KSA Visa assistance, supply and husbandry), and Logistics & Freight Forwarding for importers, exporters, manufacturers and F&B distributors (sea, air and multimodal freight, customs brokerage, bonded warehousing and last-mile distribution across the UAE and India). Specialist lines cover offshore OSV/rig support, F&B cold-chain logistics, technical ship spares and dry-dock handling, and project cargo and breakbulk.
Product overview
Rapid Group operates as a single unified service offering combining two integrated verticals: Marine Agency Services and Logistics & Freight Forwarding. Marine Agency Services provides vessel permissions, crew handling, shore passes, KSA Visa assistance, supply and husbandry for vessel owners, ship managers, and offshore energy operators. The Logistics & Freight Forwarding vertical covers sea freight (FCL, LCL, project cargo), air freight (express to economy), land transport (GCC haulage, bonded warehousing), customs brokerage, and warehousing & distribution. These two verticals work under one named relationship manager with coordinated accountability. The company also distributes BigYellowFish, an AI-powered crew safety platform. Specialist services include offshore & energy support, F&B cold chain logistics, and technical ship spares & dry-dock services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Marine Agency Services End-to-end port agency for vessel owners, ship management companies and offshore energy operators. Covers vessel permissions and Coast Guard coordination, crew sign-on/off and medical at anchorage, shore passes and KSA Visa assistance, ship spares clearance and repair-and-return, supply, bunker, and husbandry services.
- Sea Freight Ocean freight forwarding across major shipping lines (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, COSCO, Evergreen) including FCL, LCL, reefer, dangerous goods, RoRo and project cargo, with customs cleared in parallel.
- Air Freight Time-critical and high-value air cargo with options from express 1–2 days to economy 5–7 days, including cold-chain, sensitive equipment, project cargo, air charter, and on-board courier services.
- Land Transport Cross-border GCC haulage and green-corridor routing via Khorfakkan and Oman, including dry van, refrigerated, flatbed and LTL trucking, bonded warehousing and inventory control.
- Customs Brokerage Customs clearance services including formal and informal entries, temporary import and in-transit bonds, repair-and-return clearance for ship spares, duty mitigation and compliant declarations, coordinated in step with freight movement.
- Warehousing & Distribution Bonded warehouse space at Jebel Ali Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone offering ambient, chill and frozen storage with pick and pack, loading, long-term storage, inventory control and last-mile refrigerated delivery.
- Cold Chain / F&B Culinary Logistics Runway-to-chiller logistics for high-value perishables, including MOFA attestations and product registrations filed ahead of arrival, Dubai Municipality inspection coordinated airside, and refrigerated last-mile delivery to walk-in facilities.
- Offshore & Energy Services OSV and rig support for offshore support fleets and rig-bound vessels, covering vessel permissions, crew changes, immigration and supply across anchorage, supply-boat runs and shore crew.
- Technical Ship Spares & Dry-Dock Services Repair-and-return clearance against dry-dock deadlines, with documentation lodged cleanly and parts coordinated dockside before the window opens, including coordination with local workshops and contractors.
- BigYellowFish Platform Distribution Distribution in the GCC region of the BigYellowFish AI-powered frontline success platform that surfaces safety behaviours, crew engagement and wellbeing signals in context, turning invisible crew risk into actionable intelligence for vessel operators and offshore energy companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50+ employees and families evacuated safely through Fujairah International Airport during 2026 regional conflict
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rapid Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rapid Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability2 records
Rapid Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BigYellowFishcoreRapid is the authorised GCC distributor for BigYellowFish, an AI-powered frontline success platform for vessel operators and offshore energy companies. BigYellowFish surfaces safety behaviours, crew engagement, and wellbeing signals in context, improving safety outcomes without administrative burden. Rapid distributes this platform to GCC-based maritime clients.
- FIATAminorMember of FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations), a global freight forwarding industry association providing credibility and networking benefits.
- NAFLminorMember of NAFL (National Association of Freight & Logistics), regional industry association for freight and logistics professionals.
- IATAminorMember of IATA (International Air Transport Association), enabling air freight operations and credibility in air cargo sector.
- JCTransminorMember of JCTrans, a logistics and freight forwarding industry network providing global connections and partnerships.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rapid Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider with extensive operations in UAE and India. Comparable on air/sea freight forwarding, customs brokerage and contract logistics; operates as a much larger global incumbent with broader geographic footprint and technology stack.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with significant UAE presence across air, sea, road and contract logistics. Comparable on freight forwarding, customs and integrated logistics; substantially larger and broader in scope than Rapid.
- DSV: Global transport and logistics provider with substantial UAE presence, especially following the Schenker integration. Comparable on freight forwarding, road and contract logistics at materially larger scale and balance sheet.
- Expeditors International: Global logistics company with air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage in UAE and across India. Comparable on freight forwarding core services; broader geographic coverage and larger balance sheet than Rapid.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarder under DHL Group with comprehensive UAE air and ocean freight capabilities plus customs brokerage. Comparable on freight forwarding services; broader portfolio and significantly larger scale across global enterprise customers.
- Agility: Kuwait-headquartered global logistics provider with strong GCC presence across freight forwarding, contract logistics and customs services. Comparable regional incumbent with deeper GCC footprint and broader service portfolio than Rapid.
Direct peers
- GAC Group: UAE-headquartered ship agency and logistics group operating across marine services and freight forwarding globally. Closest direct peer with the same dual-vertical model (port agency + forwarding), comparable client base of vessel owners and offshore energy operators, and similar regional authority relationships across the Gulf.
- Inchcape Shipping Services: Global port agency and maritime services provider with strong presence across UAE and Indian Ocean ports. Directly comparable on vessel agency, husbandry, crew handling and ship spares clearance — Rapid's core marine agency service set.
- Transworld Group: UAE-based integrated shipping and logistics group with marine services and freight forwarding operations across the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East. Directly comparable on combined agency + forwarding model and regional Gulf presence.
- Wilhelmsen Ships Service: Global maritime services group providing port agency, husbandry and crew welfare across UAE, Indian Ocean and worldwide ports. Directly comparable on vessel agency, crew handling and offshore support services; part of a much larger maritime group with broader product portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rapid Group social profiles
Digital presenceRapid Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Rapid Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rapid Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rapid Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Rapid Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rapid Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rapid Group
What does Rapid Group do?
Rapid Group runs two integrated service verticals under one roof: Marine Agency Services for vessel owners, ship management companies and offshore energy operators (vessel permissions, crew handling, shore passes, KSA Visa assistance, supply and husbandry), and Logistics & Freight Forwarding for importers, exporters, manufacturers and F&B distributors (sea, air and multimodal freight, customs brokerage, bonded warehousing and last-mile distribution across the UAE and India). Specialist lines cover offshore OSV/rig support, F&B cold-chain logistics, technical ship spares and dry-dock handling, and project cargo and breakbulk.
Is Rapid Group a public or private company?
Rapid Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Rapid Group founded?
Rapid Group was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rapid Group based?
Rapid Group is headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does Rapid Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Marine Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are freight Forwarding Services, warehousing & Distribution and disbursements Pass-through.
Who are Rapid Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, DSV, Expeditors International, DHL Global Forwarding and Agility. Direct peers are GAC Group, Inchcape Shipping Services, Transworld Group and Wilhelmsen Ships Service.
Does Rapid Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rapid Group.
What industry is Rapid Group in?
Rapid Group's product category is Logistics and Marine Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAJAM, Offshore/Remote Port Call & Anchorage Services (Launch Boats, Crew Boats, Supply Runs), with a secondary code of TLACABAH, Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo). Its NAICS code is 4883 and its SIC code is 4731.