Sea Sands Shipping

What Sea Sands Shipping does

Sea Sands Shipping is a Dubai-headquartered, privately held multi-modal logistics platform founded in 2001 that delivers freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing, distribution, project logistics, and end-to-end supply chain management to importers, exporters, project shippers, and individual relocators. Its service catalogue spans ocean freight (FCL and LCL), air freight, road transport, NVOCC operations, bulk and project cargo chartering, tug and barge operations, cargo insurance, and customs documentation, with the firm operating staffed regional offices in Basrah (Iraq), Guangzhou (China), and Turkey in addition to its Dubai HQ, and a forthcoming Hamburg (Germany) office.

The company's core technical and physical infrastructure consists of an owned fleet of 40 high-cube containers used for NVOCC shipments between China and the UAE onward to other destinations, and a self-operated container terminal at Al Hamriya Port in Dubai equipped with reach stackers, empty handlers, multi-capacity forklifts, drum handlers, and conveyors for laden and empty container storage, break bulk, ro-ro cargo, and stuffing, de-stuffing, and cross-stuffing activities. A proprietary container feeder service currently connects Al Hamriya Port to an Iraqi port, with stated intent to extend the route to additional regional ports. The integrated asset base is the principal technical differentiator versus generalist forwarders.

Sea Sands Shipping generates revenue through a combination of transaction-fee-based freight forwarding (ocean, air, land, chartering and feeder shipping), professional-services revenue from container terminal operations and customs brokerage, and managed-services revenue from warehousing, distribution, and supply chain/relocation programs. Pricing is quote-based with no public rate card, and go-to-market is executed through direct enterprise field sales in regional offices supplemented by phone- and email-based inside sales, with multi-language website and customer support in Arabic, Kurdish, Urdu, and Chinese to serve corridor-specific customers. The company reports 101–250 employees and operates across UAE, Iraq, China, Turkey, and Germany (forthcoming).

Name

Sea Sands Shipping

Legal name

Sea Sands Shipping

Website

https://sssuae.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sea Sands Shipping is a Dubai-headquartered multi-modal logistics operator providing freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing, distribution, project logistics, and supply chain management to importers, exporters, project shippers, and relocators across the UAE, Iraq, China, and Turkey, supported by an owned NVOCC container fleet and an operated container terminal at Al Hamriya Port.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA), Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH), Marine Terminals & Cargo Handling Infrastructure (RoRo, Bulk, Container) (IMAFAJAF)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Customs brokerage
• NVOCC container operations
• Warehousing distribution
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Revenue from ocean freight (FCL & LCL), air freight, and land freight forwarding services. The company offers complete package door-to-door services with consolidated shipping and charter options for large projects.
2. Container Terminal Operations: Revenue from container terminal operations at Al Hamriya Port including container storage, handling, stuffing/de-stuffing services, and yard management.
3. Feeder Shipping Services: Revenue from container feeder service operations between Dubai and Iraqi ports, with plans to expand to other regional ports.
4. Customs Brokerage: Customs clearance services including documentation, inland transportation, and international trade document handling.
5. Warehousing & Distribution: Revenue from warehousing services, repacking & labeling, distribution, and long & short term storage solutions.
6. Supply Chain Management: B2C logistics program and end-to-end supply chain solutions including international relocation, domestic relocation, and automobile relocation services.
7. Chartering Services: Bulk cargo, project freight, heavy lifts, full and part vessel cargo chartering, and air charter services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sea Sands Shipping is a Dubai-headquartered logistics and freight forwarding company providing multi-modal transportation services across ocean (FCL and LCL), air, and land freight. The company also operates an NVOCC container fleet of 40 high-cube containers, runs a container terminal at Al Hamriya Port in Dubai, offers customs clearance, warehousing, distribution, chartering, and end-to-end supply chain management services for international trade.

Product overview

Sea Sands Shipping operates as a logistics and freight forwarding platform offering a comprehensive suite of transportation and supply chain services. The core offering centers on multi-modal freight forwarding across ocean (FCL and LCL), air, and land/r odad transport, supported by NVOCC container services and chartering capabilities. The platform differentiates through integrated operational assets including a container terminal at Al Hamriya port in Dubai and feeder vessel services to Iraqi ports. Additional modules include customs clearance, warehousing and distribution, and relocation services (international, domestic, and automobile). The service portfolio also encompasses specialized offerings such as project logistics, break bulk cargo handling, cargo insurance, and tug/barge operations. The company operates across UAE (headquarters), Iraq, and China with multilingual capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Freight (FCL) Full Container Load (FCL) ocean freight service with on-time sailing schedules worldwide for all types of cargo.
• Ocean Freight (LCL) Less than Container Load (LCL) ocean freight service consolidating shipments from multiple customers into shared containers.
• Air Freight Fast and affordable air freight service with complete door-to-door package service, consolidated shipping, and charter service for large projects.
• Land Freight Road transport service featuring high quality and reliability, drivers with local language knowledge, container transportation in all sizes, reefer containers, border clearance, and all types of pickups.
• NVOCC Container Service Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier service with a fleet of 40 new 40 high-cube containers used for shipments from China and UAE to the rest of the world.
• Chartering Charter service for bulk cargo, project freight, individual heavy lifts, full and part vessel cargo, full range of cargo aircraft, and break bulk cargo.
• Break Bulk Cargo Specialized handling and transportation of break bulk cargo, project freight, and heavy individual lifts.
• Cargo Insurance Insurance coverage for cargo during transportation to protect against loss or damage.
• Multi-Model Transport Integrated transportation solutions combining air, ocean, and land freight options for end-to-end logistics.
• Container Terminal Operations Container terminal operations at Al Hamriya Port in Dubai for storing containers (laden and empties), break bulk and ro-ro cargo, with stuffing, de-stuffing, and cross stuffing activities; includes a container feeder service from Dubai to Iraqi ports.
• Project Logistics Specialized logistics services for complex project cargo requiring customized handling and transportation solutions.
• Tug / Barge Operations Tug and barge operator services for maritime transportation and cargo movement.
• Customs Clearance Customs broker services handling documentation and regulatory compliance for international shipments.
• Custom Inland Transportation Inland transportation services within countries for cargo pickup and delivery.
• International Trade Documentation Preparation and handling of international trade documentation required for cross-border shipments.
• Warehousing Service Storage and warehouse management services for cargo awaiting transportation or distribution.
• Repacking & Labeling Repacking and labeling services for cargo to meet destination requirements or improve handling.
• Import/Export Services Comprehensive import and export handling services for international trade.
• Distribution Service Cargo distribution services for final delivery to destinations.
• Long & Short Term Storage Solution Flexible storage solutions for both short-term and long-term cargo storage needs.
• International Relocation Handles demanding international relocation challenges with safe and secure goods delivery to respective destinations.
• Domestic Relocation Relocation services within the same country for personal and business moves.
• Automobile Relocation Specialized automobile relocation services for vehicle transportation.
• Supply Chain Management B2C logistics program with complete end-to-end solutions, multi-consolidations, and partnership services.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Expeditors International: US-headquartered global freight forwarder active on Asia–Middle East trade lanes; directly comparable to Sea Sands on ocean/air forwarding and customs brokerage but operates with proprietary technology at much greater scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with deep presence on the China–Middle East trade lane; competes with Sea Sands for the same importer/exporter customers but operates on a global, digital-forward platform.
• Aramex: UAE-listed logistics and express transportation company with freight forwarding, warehousing, and last-mile capabilities across the Middle East; overlaps with Sea Sands on regional forwarding and customs services but operates at much larger scale and includes parcel delivery.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding division of Deutsche Post DHL offering air, ocean, and road freight plus customs brokerage; directly competes with Sea Sands on multi-modal forwarding for enterprise shippers in the Gulf.
• DSV Panalpina: Global freight forwarding and supply chain solutions provider with active presence in the Middle East; competes with Sea Sands on air/ocean/road forwarding and project logistics for enterprise customers.
• Agility Logistics: Kuwait-headquartered global logistics provider with significant Middle East freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs capabilities; comparable to Sea Sands in its Gulf base and multi-modal service breadth, but vastly larger in scale.

Direct peers

• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Mid-sized global freight forwarder with established Middle East operations and air/ocean/road forwarding plus customs; comparable to Sea Sands in offering integrated multi-modal services to enterprise clients in the Gulf region.
• GAC Group: UAE-based integrated shipping, logistics, and marine services group with terminal, freight forwarding, and NVOCC operations in the Gulf—directly comparable to Sea Sands' portfolio of forwarding plus terminal plus marine services.

Regional players

• Orient Cargo Services: India-headquartered NVOCC and freight forwarder with Gulf port operations and feeder services; comparable to Sea Sands as a mid-sized NVOCC-style operator serving China–Gulf–South Asia trade lanes with proprietary containers and terminal handling.
• Freight Systems (Pvt) Ltd. Pakistan-based freight forwarder with regional presence across Middle East, China, and Gulf routes; similar multi-country footprint and multi-modal service profile to Sea Sands, focused on the South Asia–Gulf corridor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sea Sands Shipping