What Kanoo Shipping does

Kanoo Shipping is a Dubai-headquartered shipping agency and the largest regional ship service provider in the Middle East, operating as a division of the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo family conglomerate. Founded in 1911 as the first shipping agency in the Arabian Gulf, the company runs a network of 45 offices across 20 countries stretching from Suez through the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent, and down to South Africa, employing more than 500 staff and handling over 20,000 port calls annually.

The company operates an integrated maritime services platform built around four service lines: Kanoo Shipping (core port agency, husbandry, and protective agency services for cargo and ship owners), Kanoo Offshore (offshore support vessel operations and ship repair at Jubail Industrial Port in partnership with Marasi Marine Services), Saudi Arabia Bunkering Services (SABS, fuel supply at Saudi ports), and Kanoo Yacht Services (luxury yacht and superyacht agency in the Arabian Gulf and Mediterranean). The underlying stack is a shipping agency management and port operations platform with a 24-hour Communication Centre and Helpdesk; no proprietary AI, API products, or SDKs are disclosed.

Kanoo Shipping serves enterprise customers across cargo and ship ownership, maritime infrastructure, oil and gas, dredging, and military/navy verticals via direct field sales through owned regional offices plus a network of channel partners in markets such as Tanzania, Pakistan, Seychelles, Kuwait, and Kenya. Revenue is generated on a transaction-fee basis per vessel call and per service engagement, with pricing negotiated quote-by-quote based on vessel type, port, and service scope; no public pricing or revenue disclosure exists.

Name

Kanoo Shipping

Legal name

Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo

Website

https://kanooshipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kanoo Shipping is the largest regional shipping agency in the Middle East, a division of the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo conglomerate, providing port agency, offshore support, bunkering, and yacht services across 20 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Shipping Agency Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Spare Parts, Ship Chandlery & Logistics to Vessel (TLAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore/Remote Port Call & Anchorage Services (Launch Boats, Crew Boats, Supply Runs) (TLAHAJAM), Ferry Terminal, Port & Passenger Handling Services (THAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Port agency services
• Ship agency services
• Maritime logistics
• Bunkering services
• Offshore support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Shipping Agency Services: Port agency services handling vessel calls, cargo operations, and maritime logistics for ships calling at ports across the Middle East, Africa, and Indian Subcontinent regions.
2. Offshore Support Services: Offshore support vessel services including ship repairs and maintenance at partner facilities like Jubail Industrial Port.
3. Bunkering Services: Saudi Arabia Bunkering Services (SABS) providing fuel supply to vessels.
4. Yacht Services: Luxury yacht services for superyachts and mega-yachts in Middle Eastern waters and Mediterranean.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kanoo Shipping is the largest regional ship service provider in the Middle East, providing port agency, husbandry, and protective agency services for vessels calling at ports across the region. The company also offers specialized offshore support, bunkering fuel services in Saudi Arabia, and luxury yacht services across Middle Eastern and Mediterranean waters, handling 20,000+ port calls per annum through 45 offices in 20 countries.

Product overview

Kanoo Shipping operates as a unified shipping agency platform providing a comprehensive portfolio of maritime services. The core offering is Kanoo Shipping (ship agency services), supported by specialized modules including Kanoo Offshore (offshore support and ship repair), Saudi Arabia Bunkering Services/SABS (fuel services), and Kanoo Yacht Services (luxury yacht services). The company serves as the largest regional shipping agency in the Middle East, handling over 20,000 ship calls annually through a professional network spanning from Suez across the Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent, down to South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kanoo Offshore: Offshore support services and ship repairs and maintenance.
• Saudi Arabia Bunkering Services (SABS)
• Kanoo Yacht Services
• Kanoo Marine

Products and services

• Kanoo Shipping Services Core shipping agency services providing comprehensive port agency, husbandry services, and protective agency services. Handles cargo and ship owners, maritime infrastructure contractors, and entities in oil & gas, dredging, and Military & Navy vessel calls across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
• Kanoo Offshore
• Saudi Arabia Bunkering Services (SABS)
• Kanoo Yacht Services

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Grandweld ShipyardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for vessel construction and fleet renewal program, including keel laying ceremony for Kanoo 51 vessel
• Marasi Marine ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffshore Support and Ship Repair Services partnership at Jubail Industrial Port, Saudi Arabia
• Seaforth General Agencies LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentation in Tanzania as local shipping agency partner
• Alpine Marine Services (Private) LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentation in Pakistan covering Gwadar Port, Karachi, Port Qasim, Gadani
• Mahe Shipping Co LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentation in Seychelles covering Port Victoria
• Al-Rashed International Shipping Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership in Kuwait covering Mina Al Ahmadi, Mina Abdulla, Shuwaikh, Shuaiba, Mina Saud
• Seatrade Agencies LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentation in Kenya covering Mombasa
• Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo GroupcoreOthersDivision of Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo (YBA Kanoo Group), one of the largest family conglomerates in the Middle East

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• V-Group: International ship management and maritime services group offering ship agency, crew management and offshore support services with Middle East operations that overlap with Kanoo's service portfolio.
• Inchcape Shipping Services: One of the world's largest port agency and maritime services providers, with strong Middle East presence offering vessel port-call management, crew changes, and husbandry directly competing with Kanoo.
• GAC Group: Global ship agency and logistics group headquartered in the Middle East with extensive port agency, husbandry and offshore support services — a direct competitor to Kanoo in the Gulf and Africa regions.
• Wilhelmsen Ships Service: Global port services and ship agency division of Wilhelmsen, providing ship agency, spare parts, and husbandry services in the Middle East — closely overlapping with Kanoo's core agency and chandlery offerings.
• GP Global (Shipping Agency): Middle East-rooted ship agency and bunkering group providing port agency, husbandry and marine fuel services across the Gulf and Africa — directly comparable to Kanoo's agency + bunkering model.
• Admiral Marine Services: UAE-based ship agency and offshore support provider offering port agency, vessel husbandry and crew logistics in the Arabian Gulf — directly competes with Kanoo in core UAE and Saudi markets.

Regional players

• International Maritime Services (IMS): UAE-based ship agency and maritime services provider offering port agency, husbandry and offshore logistics in the Gulf — a regional competitor to Kanoo with similar service mix.
• Bahri Ship Management: Saudi Arabia's national shipping carrier with ship management, agency and logistics services — competes with Kanoo Shipping's Saudi operations and operates within the same Saudi maritime ecosystem.

Others

• Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group (parent): The diversified family conglomerate that owns Kanoo Shipping; relevant as the parent ecosystem providing shared services, capital and customer relationships to the shipping division.

Broad incumbents

• Maersk Line (A.P. Moller-Maersk): Global ocean carrier and integrated logistics company operating its own port-call agency services and broader shipping ecosystem — relevant incumbent competitor for cargo owner relationships in the same regional ports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kanoo-freight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

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 Kanoo Shipping